Notes that emotional abuse is difficult to define and to assess and operationalize for intervention purposes. Addresses these issues and emphasizes the heterogeneous nature of emotional maltreatment, a fact that demands a multi-level, multidimensional approach to intervention. Outlines and discusses methods for tackling the facets of this complex…

Synthesizes articles in this special issue, highlighting the increasing public policy response to connecting child welfare and substance abuse services that will simultaneously serve children and their families affected by substance abuse. Considers challenges faced by these cooperative efforts, including the need to improve administrative data,…

Utilized the Family Environment Scale and the Experience Sampling Method to evaluate how family discord was related to adolescents' age, in 101 single-mother families. Mothers' reports of overall discord decreased across adolescence. In immediate interactions, boys reported feeling more anger towards their mothers with age, while girls reported…

Presents a detailed overview of the Family Empowerment Intervention (FEI), a system-oriented intervention delivered in-home by well-trained nontherapists. A clinical trial of FEI targeted arrested youths and their families. Topics covered included: theoretical foundations and goals of FEI, structural intervention strategies, and phases of the…

The article presents information on challenges faced by tribal colleges in the United States. A study has revealed that retention rates at 1,127 community colleges in the U.S. is very low. Approximately 67 percent of "tribal college" students are women. Students of tribal colleges often stop pursuing their studies due to family problems.…

This study investigated the association between family instability and children's problem behavior during the transition to first grade. In a sample (n = 1,015) drawn from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we found that a quarter of sample members experienced at least one family transition between birth and age 6.…

Bedtime noncompliance is one of the most common and treatable types of child sleep problems. Children who are noncompliant at bedtime are more likely to exhibit daytime somnolescence, which may in turn lead children to exhibit daytime misbehavior, impaired social functioning and poorer school achievement. In addition, these bedtime problems can…

This paper compares and contrasts two articles in which Dickens constructs an adult identity through his childhood reading, "A Christmas Tree" (1850) and "Nurse's Stories" (1860), with one in which Dickens constructs the identity of a child in his work for children, "A Child's History of England" (1851-53). Infused…

This report presents highlights of a seminar which focused on solutions emerging at the local and state level to keeping troubled families together. Comments by these panelists are summarized: Elizabeth Cole, a consultant to many family preservation projects; Kristine Nelson, a researcher on the social work faculty of the University of Iowa; Bill…

Few empirical studies have been conducted to determine the characteristics and functioning of Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACoAs). This study examined the emotional and behavioral wellness of college students (N=253) raised in a variety of family environments with varying levels of healthy/unhealthy functioning. For the purposes of this study…

In the past 15-20 years drug use in U.S. society has increased among women of childbearing age. Therefore, the task facing multidisciplinary professionals (physicians, social workers, psychologists, drug rehabilitation workers) is much more comprehensive than ever before. All practitioners need to understand the service provided to women in…

Increasing numbers of reported cases of child sexual abuse (CSA) are leading to greater numbers of such children being placed in foster care. Findings suggest that sexually abused children and their families have a multiplicity of problems that form the basis for removal from the home. In addition, sexually abused children are returned to the home…

This children's book tells the story of a little girl who has a new baby brother with Down syndrome. Her contemplation of the advantages and disadvantages of having a sibling is highlighted. When she finds out the baby has Down syndrome, her initial reaction is that the baby won't be able to do all the wonderful things she has thought they would…

Youth gangs are not a new phenomena in the United States; however, in the past decade the number of gang members has increased dramatically. Gang prevention-intervention programs are a necessary part of every school's curriculum. Students join gangs for a variety of reasons ranging from boredom to intent on criminal behavior. One characteristic…

Dysfunctional relations between the family and other social systems usually play a part in maintaining refractory problems and chronic patienthood. Therapeutic interventions need to work at this interface, in order to create a collaborative team that will provide sufficient support to the family at risk. This way of working can be easily applied…