After an introductory discussion and review of literature on divorce among Jewish families, this document presents and analyzes two case studies which show the adverse effect of divorce and child-custody battles on the children of Jewish families who subsequently plan a B'nai Mitzvah (Bar or Bat Mitzvah) ceremony--a joyous ritual of initiation…

Although several theoretical positions deal with the concept of childhood depression, accurate measurement of depression can only occur if valid and reliable measures are available. Current efforts emphasize direct questioning of the child and quantification of parents' observations. One scale used to study childhood depression, the Personality…

The conference on "Support for Family Caregivers" reported in this document was designed to identify, encourage the development of, and disseminate information about effective approaches for strengthening the capacity of families to care for their impaired relatives. The first of two presentations in the opening plenary session reviews the needs…

In order to identify causes of spousal abuse, current research efforts have attempted to reconstruct the communicative components of physically aggressive encounters within the family. An interactionist model of intrafamily violence, proposed by D. A. Infante, suggests that the interaction of personal, situational, and societal conditions may lead…

This issue examines the causes and effects of stress among parents of handicapped children and offers guidance for reducing and/or avoiding stress. The factors contributing to parental stress are identified, including unfounded guilt feelings, prolonged dependency of the handicapped child, extended care requirements, marital discord and family…

The working family is today by far the most common family type in Sweden. However, just over 50 percent of the children of working parents have access to day care. Because Swedish income tax policy is based on the concept that all adults will support themselves and does not take into account the number of persons supported on an income, one parent…

The fourth of 16 booklets designed for use in an Open University course about education for handicapped children in the United Kingdom, this document focuses on family life, particularly in families with severely handicapped children. Parents' reactions to the initial diagnosis of their child's handicapping condition are discussed, as well as the…

This document contains a transcript of hearings held to review the year's progress of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), to review budget and personnel reductions, and to evaluate the effect on the OJJDP of the termination of the Law Enforcement Assistance Agency (LEAA). Witnesses testifying included representatives…

This document describes and illustrates an approach to expressive writing which employs student-authored books--"I Am The Author Books" (ITABs)--for use in individual and group counseling with children. It begins with a brief review of pertinent literature on expressive writing as a counseling intervention, and then describes experiences with…

College-aged women (N=95) were surveyed to determine the effects of parental divorce on their heterosexual activity and on their attitudes and feelings concerning dating. The 67 participants from divorced families were grouped according to the subject's age when her parents were divorced: 6 years and younger, 7-12 years old, and 13-18 years old.…

Three studies that examined children's processes of coping with expressions of anger between adults are discussed. Study 1 investigated children's responses to anger involving the mother as a function of marital history and history of interparent hostility. Study 2 investigated individual styles of coping with anger. Multi-dimensional aspects of…

"Welfare hotels" are commercially-owned, single- or multi-story hotels or motels providing shelter to a clientele composed exclusively or primarily of homeless families receiving public assistance. They often provide inadequate physical conditions and services. Information in the following areas is given about welfare hotels: (1)…

The paper describes the conflict between parental responsibility for a handicapped child, particularly a retarded child, and the parents' other interests and concerns. Swedish parents (N=60) of retarded children were interviewed once and three families were interviewed several times over a 6-month period. Parents typically went through a period of…

This report, the first in a series, presents the findings of a 1984 survey to identify the characteristics and problems of the Twin Cities (Minnesota) area's poorest families. Nine hundred and sixty-six low-income households, representing the poorest 20 percent of the population, were interviewed by telephone or in person. At the same time that…

These inservice training materials were developed to address issues arising when parent aides assist parents under stress. Survey data from aides and their supervisors indicated that they wanted to know how to communicate with parents about their children; how to work with families having problems with alcohol, exploitation, and depression; how to…