The introduction of a child into a foster home has a profound and multifaceted effect upon the parents and children of the foster family. This paper describes some of the resultant stresses, and outlines ways to manage them productively. (Author/CS)

Considers the medical importance for adoptees of not knowing their family history. Notes the problems adoptees face when others misunderstand their need for information on their background. Points out that the search for background has both intellectual and emotional components for adoptees. (SKC)

Reviews "Children and Youth in Limbo: A Search for Connections," a book by Nadia Ehrlich Finkelstein. The book develops a categorical scheme for providing care to children and adolescents in families with varying degrees of commitment and permanency, and stresses the need for youths to have and maintain "roots." (MDM)

This article addresses the inadequacies of counseling, therapy, and social work that occurs with low-income families. The author argues that many families who seek help arrive with problems that are usually assessed separately from their socioeconomic and cultural contexts. Careful questioning will often lead to the discovery that the onset of…

Examines systemic underpinnings of sibling incest and its relationship to internal and external factors of offending behavior. Describes treatment in context of offenders' families, underscoring poor boundaries, impact on the victim, and necessity of hierarchical reconstruction; argues formulation of a safety plan to prevent future offenses is…

Suggests a series of measures for prevention of child abuse through education, legislation, elimination of poverty, and social services. (Author/AJ)

Draws links between child abuse and depression literature, discussing implications for mental health services. (Author/MP)

An Ohio study found that a significant percentage of adolescents arrested for violent crimes had been victims of severe child abuse and were likely to behave violently toward family members and caretakers. Findings are discussed in relation to the culture of violence, learning, and stress theories of delinquency. (Author/MP)

Focuses on the perceptions of parents of adolescent runaways. Parents were questioned about the extent to which they felt empathetic understanding and positive regard from their children and were asked to report their perceptions of why their children ran away and to describe specific precipitating incidents. Implications for practice are pointed…

Describes a hospital-based program for providing consultation to persons who provide direct services in child abuse/neglect cases. Conceptual issues in multidisciplinary team formation and involvement are discussed. Some topics mentioned are types of service, follow-up, educational components, and long-term involvement with families. (DB)

Staff of the Sexual Abuse Treatment Program of the Baltimore City Department of Social Services concluded that the objective of family reconstitution was not appropriate to the entire client population being served. Family characteristics are reported that present obstacles to the goal of reunification of sexually abusive families. (Author/RH)

Investigates the roles and problems of siblings of incest victims, describes the dynamics of the incestuous family, and identifies some behavior problems of children whose siblings were incest victims. Data from two siblings' lives are presented to illustrate points. (Author/DB)

This article presents a framework of helping systems which can be used by social workers as a guide to assess the needs of different types of families in isolated rural communities. (Author/DB)