Describes what joint physical custody involves, the kinds of families who currently have this type of custody arrangement, and the effects on parents and children. Current research supporting two perspectives on joint custody, one emphasizing the continuity of psychological care from one parent, the other emphasizing the importance of the father's…

In a study involving 383 college students, a number of small, but significant, relationships were found between history of childhood sexual abuse and measures of later psychological and sexual adjustment. However, when parental supportiveness was controlled, very few significant relationships emerged. (Author/CL)

Suggests eight things parents and teachers can do to improve children's confidence and competence, including giving them the opportunity for success and being willing to listen to the feelings behind their words. (FL)

Reports on a short-term longitudinal study identifying preparenting behaviors and attitudes that predict different aspects of fathering: caretaking, playfulness, and satisfaction with fatherhood. The quality and nature of the marital relationship were found to be significantly related to all aspects of fathering. (BJD)

Presents six questions parents often ask about their children's reading and provides answers based on research and experience. (FL)

Suggests proven ideas for involving parents in school affairs and provides references for more information on each suggestion. (FL)

Investigated whether a 20-hour workshop would facilitate the decision making of 20 career women experiencing difficulty deciding whether to have children. Significant differences among participants' attitudes, feelings, and inclinations toward parenthood were not found from the pre- to postprogram measure; however, 42 percent of the women made a…

Comparison of parents' reports of their handicapped preschool children's strengths and weaknesses with findings of professionals indicated that parents' reports were generally consistent with those of the professionals, particularly regarding the children's interests in school-related activities. (Author/CL)

A parent of a blind child describes her family's difficulties in finding appropriate medical help, weathering repeated hospitalizations, and obtaining the best educational services for her child who had congenital cataracts and glaucoma. She suggests ways in which medical and educational personnel can be of greater assistance to parents. (CL)

Specially trained inmates in a maximum security prison supervised a play area in the prison visiting room where children could play in a safe and structured way with materials appropriate to their developmental needs. Children were thus able to master, in age-appropriate ways, the circumstances of the visiting room. (Author/CMG)

Offers suggestions for parents and school personnel designed to help handicapped children look upon school as a normal course of events. (FL)

Attempts to emphasize some of the rather precise analytic and predictive values of evolutionary theory, applied to parental behavior. (Author/RK)

When examining basic leadership models, the traits of one of the most important leaders in society, the mother, are rarely considered. This paper reflects on models of leadership found in textbooks and feminist literature and conjures a model, inclusive of popularly held beliefs, of the role of mothers in family and society. The paper asks whether…

The goal of "closing the achievement gap" in education is often proclaimed and is emphasized in the "No Child Left Behind Act." What is meant by the achievement gap and how much progress has been made? A large body of literature examines the causes, conditions, and explanations for the achievement gap. Many educational…

This study examined whether perceived parental self-efficacy was related to childrearing attitudes among 113 first-time mothers of 6- to 12-month-old infants. Perceived parental self-efficacy was measured using the Maternal Self-Efficacy Scale (D. M. Teti and D. M. Gelfand, 1991) and the Lips Maternal Self-Confidence Scale (H. M. Lips, 1984). An…