Presents the view that the family is in trouble and discusses three symptoms of that trouble: no-fault divorce, fatherless families, and childlessness. Considers the role of individualism in causing symptoms and offers recommendations for changes in child support laws and parent responsibility. (NB)

Reviews current research on Black families headed by a single mother indicating that economic insecurity of Black males is an important causal factor in explaining both the numbers and the impoverishment of this family type. Contends social workers must advocate for policies to assist these groups economically. (Author/ABL)

Examined the relationship between parental divorce and the psychosocial adjustment of divorced women and their dependent children. The current relationship with the ex-husband was the best predictor of divorcees' adjustment, while divorcees' happiness in their former marriages was most strongly related to their children's adjustment. (Author)

It is proposed that a high degree of psychological father presence, when incongruent with reality and if persistent over time, is negatively related to family functionality. Correlational analysis reveals significant covariance between family functionality and psychological father presence, operating in a negative direction, as proposed. (Author)

This document reviews the literature from 1949 to the present on psychological effects of husband/father separations and reunifications upon military families. Separations are limited to those that result directly from military duties; divorces, deaths and other permanent separations are not included. The review is organized into two parts, the…

Used data from a longitudinal study of 16-year-old girls to test predictions about psychosocial factors in the onset of menarche. Found that family conflict and father's absence in childhood predicted an earlier age of menarche, and these factors in combination with weight showed some evidence of an additive influence on menarche. (Author/GLR)

The authors bring together findings from research dealing with the effects of father absence in children's development. (WY)

In a family with a physically absent father, a high degree of psychological father presence relates to wife dysfunction and family dysfunction. The wife's instrumental personal qualities may be even more important in closing-out the father role and reorganizing her family. (Author)

Considers four areas requiring attention in any attempt to evaluate the needs of children in families involved in divorce actions: economic problems and child support; custody issues and court involvement; emotional problems and therapeutic intervention; and kinship patterns in "step" relationships and the reconstituted family. (BR)

The article describes a divorced mother's personal experiences in bringing up her deaf child. Aspects covered include dealing with her child's deafness, dealing with important decisions that had to be made, family relationships, the mother's role as a single parent, and the deaf child's school experience. (DLS)

By having an attitude of understanding and acceptance, a teacher can help a child who is undergoing the traumatic experience of the divorce of his parents. (JD)

The first in a series of studies about poverty in the South, this report focuses on Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas. Since 1979, the rate of poverty for these states has shown a steady, sharp increase, bringing it up to 18.2 percent in 1983. The national…

The relationship of juvenile delinquency and father absence to family problem-solving communication was investigated using an observational method. In the results, delinquency was associated with lower rates of maternal problem solving, and father absence was associated with higher rates of maternal and adolescent problem solving. (KH)

This article describes the results of an empirical study of the relationship of eligibility criteria and noneligibility factors to the use of public assistance. Some commonly held beliefs about welfare recipients are questioned. (Author)

A three-phase, longitudinal study at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., of family problems with prolonged father absence indicates that there is (1) continuing family growth beyond the situational crisis, (2) active re-examination of roles and values, and (3) heightened awareness of family strength and resourcefulness during the…