The study examined the ODL learners' perceptions of the quality of provision of research support services to the ODL learners by tutors. It focused on the Zimbabwe Open University's (ZOU) Bachelor of Education (Educational Management) research students' experiences. It was a qualitative multiple case study of four of the 10 Regional Centres of the…

Calls for a recognition of existential issues in family therapy. Notes the importance of "big questions" to families, reviews the roots of existential philosophy therapy, and offers an example of the usefulness of connecting existential thought to the family field by discussing differentiation/fusion from an existential perspective. (BH)

The article describes a family and marriage relationship deteriorating in part because of the father's difficulty in playing with his disabled son. (CL)

Presents an integration of object relations theory and family systems theory in the conceptualization of bulimia. Proposes that in bulimic families there are transgenerational developmental deficits and adaptations which determine the level and quality of intrapsychic experience within individuals and the interpersonal relationships and dynamic…

This study, focused on five transgender and gay youth of color from San Francisco, explored how family problems, poverty, homophobia, and transphobia propelled them into homelessness and made gay-friendly spaces and resources especially meaningful to them. These young people describe seeking support in San Francisco's well-known gay enclave, the…

Changes in families have brought new sources of stress into the home. Much daily stress can be handled if families use effective ways of dealing with it. Guidelines for reducing stress are presented, including a section on children's stress. (MT)

Describes case study in which family systems approach to treating childhood encopresis based on the hypothesis that problematic elements of the family system were contributing to the encopresis. Nuclear family members were included in a family counseling process that used strategic homework, predictions about family behavior, and restructuring…

Reviews the problem of adolescent pregnancy/early childbearing, discussing some of the most common misconceptions about the issue as well as some of the reasons why this problem is of major concern. Suggests some possible solutions. Provides information on a number of resources that could be useful to professionals and parents. (Author/ABL)

Explores the fundamentalist Christian focus on perfectionism and its possible contribution to an increase in dysfunctional individuals, family systems, and societies. Several Bible verses are analyzed and the results of their misinterpretation discussed. The need for a program of spiritual growth, as expressed by Alcoholics Anonymous, as opposed…

Presents case study of David, six-year-old male who was experiencing a myriad of personal and family problems and who was expressing a desire to die. Comments on the case are provided by two practitioners in the field. (NB)

Using data from the 1995 Gallup Poll and a 1988 ABC News poll, examines the relationships between problematic drinking in the home and youth suicide rates. The hypothesis that chronic stress, as measured by problem drinking in the home, is related to youth suicide was supported. (MKA)

Child care providers are likely to be the professionals who most frequently interact with families with young children. Thus, infant and toddler child care providers are uniquely positioned to recognize and respond to families' needs for information and support. This article describes knowledge, skills, and strategies that support child care…

This article arose from the author's experiences as a researcher exploring children's reactions to their parents' separation. Between 1999 and 2004, the author undertook to find out what a sample of Australian children thought of their abilities to participate in decisions that directly affected them following family breakdown. Before beginning…

We tested special and general explanations of male adolescent sexual offending by conducting a meta-analysis of 59 independent studies comparing male adolescent sex offenders (n = 3,855) with male adolescent non-sex offenders (n = 13,393) on theoretically derived variables reflecting general delinquency risk factors (antisocial tendencies),…

Relations among parental depressive symptoms, overt and covert marital conflict, and child internalizing and externalizing symptoms were examined in a community sample of 235 couples and their children. Families were assessed once yearly for three years, starting when children were in kindergarten. Parents completed measures of depressive symptoms…