Describes revision and expansion of the Conflict Tactics Scales, widely used to measure psychological and physical attacks on a partner in a marital, cohabitating, or dating relationship. The revised scales, with increased specificity, a new format, and measurements of sexual coercion and physical injury, show preliminary evidence of enhanced…

Gives an overview of issues related to domestic violence against women as a social problem: changing responses from the legal system and the community over the course of history, possible causes of domestic violence against women, current perspectives and trends, prevalence, seriousness, and our response as a society. (LKS)

Discusses factors involved in the decision by battered women to seek court orders of protection. Women seeking such orders confront both tangible and symbolic fears. There are powerful motivations counteracting these fears; in addition, women experience psychological benefits from a sense of gaining some measure of control in their lives. (LKS)

Strategies for recruiting and keeping alumni for college volunteer programs address specific issues: demands on personal time; length of assignment; accommodating spouses and divorced alumni; generation gaps; advancing technology; economic climate; occupational and geographic mobility; and competition with other organizations for volunteers' time.…

Investigated correlates of satisfaction and strain in 80 wife caregivers of frail elderly veterans. Support from spouse was the strongest positive predictor of satisfaction with caregiving and the strongest negative predictor of caregiver strain. Self efficacy was the strongest predictor of caregiver life satisfaction. (Author)

New college presidents are inundated with requests for their time, and their private life is often sacrificed. Each administrator must decide what is the appropriate balance among various aspects of his/her position. Physical separation of public and private lives is essential, and the role of the spouse, who may have other professional…

Examined whether spouses' attributions for partner behavior are related to their behavior by assessing their attributions and observing the problem-solving discussions of cohabitating couples (n=52) in which neither spouse was depressed or distressed, the wife was depressed and both spouses were distressed, and the wife was not depressed and both…

A community sample of 617 adult women completed a questionnaire about witnessing interparental physical conflicts before the age of 16. Twenty percent of respondents reported witnessing some type of physical conflict between parents. Mean age when physical conflict was first observed was eight. Women who witnessed parental physical conflict…

This study describes depressive symptoms among caregivers following bereavement and connects these trajectories to earlier features of caregiving using life course and stress process theory. Data are from a six-wave longitudinal survey (five years) of spouses and adult children caring for someone with Alzheimer's Disease. The analytic subsample (N…

"Chronicle of Higher Education" presents an abundant source of news and information for college and university faculty members and administrators. This September 24, 2004 issue of "Chronicle of Higher Education" includes the following articles: (1) "Thank You, Masked Man" (Reilly, Liam); (2) "The Trailing-Spouse…

This study analyzes a couple-level ("N" = 581), longitudinal data set of employees to provide evidence about technology use over time, the factors that predict use, and the potential for a spouse to influence an individual's use. Although longitudinal usage patterns suggest a trend toward adoption and use of e-mail, the Internet, cell phones, and…

Noting that partners enter into stepfamily relationships with expectations more appropriate to biological families, this book examines the unique and complex dynamics of remarried families. Drawing on interviews with over 100 stepfamily members, current research, a solid theoretical framework, and a clinical sensibility, the book presents a model…

In spite of some initial disappointments, the large number of publications and government services devoted to prevention suggests that preventive mental health has established its place in the mental health delivery system. Prevention is broadly defined as an attempt to reduce the prevalence of a disorder. Traditionally, prevention has been…

Parenthood is a normal event in which the birth of a baby temporarily upsets the internal structure of the family system as boundaries, roles, and tasks are reorganized to accommodate the new member. In understanding how interactions between and within spousal and parental relationships affect parental adjustment, concepts of development need to…

A study was conducted of the effectiveness of marriage counseling with respect to marital status and the long-term stability of relationships. Data were gathered from clients of approved Australian marriage counseling agencies (n=540) who took a pre-counseling survey during a 4-week period in October-November 1987 and a post-counseling survey 8…