Observations of conflictual family interaction have revealed that several distinctive behavior patterns tend to occur during the course of a family dispute. Patterns such as negative reciprocity, positive reciprocity, and coercion have been described and utilized as predictors of marital satisfaction and parent-child relations. This study examined…

Effective handling of court cases of incest involving a child calls for an understanding of the dynamics of the child's family. This paper outlines characteristics of the parents involved and treatment considerations. (Author/SE)

A concept of seductive mother-toddler relationships was initially validated. Subsequent research showed "seductiveness" was stable, though transformed, from 24 to 42 months; the same mothers were not found to be seductive with male or female siblings; mothers seductive with boys were derisively hostile toward daughters. (Author/RH)

Observational data was taken in the homes of 17 abuse, 17 neglect, and 19 control families to discover whether there are distinctive patterns of day-to-day interaction that distinguish abusive and neglectful families from families with no known history of abusing or neglecting their children. The observational code was recorded through the…

Studied the response of the extended family to a divorce, examining divorcing children's perceptions of their parents' behavior. Divorcing children experienced their parents' reactions as supportive, non-supportive, or "mixed." Categorized helpful behaviors and patterns of unhelpful parental behavior. Discussed approaches adopted by the divorcing…

Explored the effects of familial responsiveness and behavior control on internalizing and externalizing symptoms in adolescent psychiatric inpatients. Found that lower levels of familial responsiveness were associated with externalizing symptoms, and with dismissive attachment representations. (HTH)

Empirical knowledge of coping usage and coping effectiveness has lagged behind popular interest. To examine the effectiveness of specific coping efforts in a single role area--parenting--panel data from a large metropolitan population were examined. The same coping efforts were assessed using two criteria of effectiveness: the extent to which they…

These materials represent the testimony given before the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Scientific Planning, Analysis, and Cooperation in February 1978 on the subject of domestic violence, including issues of battered spouses, family problems, and child abuse. Statements from witnesses appearing before the Subcommittee are provided and…

Reviews selected literature on childhood hyperactivity and suggestions for management of this behavior syndrome. Argues that little consideration has been given to the consequences for parents and siblings of having a hyperactive child present in the family setting. Little attention has been focused on the implementation of management techniques.…

Trained observers used the Standardized Observation Codes III to observe interactive patterns within the homes of 23 mother-child dyads in which the mother had physically abused the child and 24 similar dyads with no history of abuse. Among other findings, results indicated the great classificatory and predictive value of this measurement.…

Approximately one-third of all mistreated children are of school age at the time they are mistreated; the nation's schools can play a vital role in helping the young victims and their families. (JD)

Interviews with 489 runaway and homeless youth (often victims of abuse and neglect) identified two groups: (1) "runners," who leave home intending not to return and (2) "in and outers," who run away as an impulsive temporary coping mechanism. Risk of engaging in illegal activity increased with distance and time away. (Author/VW)

This paper describes the application of a systems approach model to assessing families with a labeled noncompliant child. The first section describes and comments on the applied methodology for the model. The second section describes the classification of 61 families containing a child labeled by the family as noncompliant. An analysis of data…

A program for treating the incestuous family is presented which concentrates on group treatment for female adolescent incest victims between the ages of 12 and 17. Two groups which have met weekly for one year are described in terms of the girls' progress. Suggestions are offered to insure treatment success, including: (1) the ideal time for…