Hess and Camara (1979) have shown that it is post-divorce family functioning, rather than family structure, that is most important in influencing the effects of divorce on children. A child's adjustment to divorce should be viewed as a developmental process rather than as a single event. Consequently, it is important to focus on the ways in which…

The policy analysis examines application of permanency planning principles (services in family settings that provide continuity in relationships) to services for developmentally disabled children (through age 21) in Colorado. Section I provides an extensive description of permanency planning principles and a discussion of their theoretical and…

A literature review on the family environments of gifted students found that gifted children are more likely to be living in intact families than in divorced families. Children of single parents were more likely to be low-achieving, tardy, absent, truant, discipline problems, suspended, expelled, and dropouts than students in two-parent families.…

This report reviews studies investigating both the characteristics of abusive families and the efficacy of treatment interventions for abusive parents. The investigation emphasizes variables such as the individual characteristics of the parent, individual characteristics of the child, and family patterns that are related to child abuse. Particular…

Research and clinical support for the connections between alcohol abuse and the family milieu have generated increased interest in family treatment approaches to alcoholism. In assessing the "alcoholic family," the clinician must consider numerous aspects of family interaction which have been linked to abuse and to treatment outcomes.…

The introduction of the microcomputer is producing complex changes in the cosmopolitan culture of Californians, including the way people live and learn at home, in school, and at the office. Recently, many bills have been proposed in California to introduce computer science and technology into the public education system; in addition, tax credits…

Serious delinquent behavior may be part of a disabling and durable condition that consists of multiple antisocial and dysfunctional behaviors, often runs in families, and eludes effective short-term treatment. The socializing influence of long-term supportive family treatment is discussed as a therapeutic alternative. (Author/JW)

Maritally violent families are examined. Two types of violent families are described. Type I families use violence to establish a hierarchy and maintain control over members. In type II families, violence is used to express anger or to react to stress. Both types may cause behavioral problems in the children. (VM)

Literature dealing with parent involvement in home-based therapeutic programs for young developmentally disabled children is reviewed. Although research suggests such home based programs can be effective, professionals should carefully consider their expectations of parents as therapists, since they must also play the role of parents and primary…

This report presents a literature review and conceptual model summarizing the influence of peer effects on learning outcomes. The report describes the approach to the review and provides a theoretical account of the environments, mechanisms, and processes that mediate learning among peers. It then summarizes the literature on compositional effects…

Controversies continue regarding the effects of corporal punishment on children. Research has demonstrated an association between levels of corporal punishment and negative outcome behaviors such as aggression and other mental health problems. However, most of these studies have been cross-sectional and correlational in design, thereby precluding…

Television is ubiquitous--it is seemingly everywhere at once. With its presence felt in nearly every United States household, how it may impact family interaction is worthy of scholarly study. This literature review spans nearly a half-century of television and family communication. The research suggests that television has negative, positive, and…

Research on elementary school-based programs for increasing the educationally stimulating qualities of the home environment was statistically synthesized in a qualitative analysis of 29 controlled studies. Of 121 comparisons made in the analysis, 91.1 percent favored treatment over control groups, thus pointing to the effectiveness of these…

The shift to alterable variables (those that can be changed before or during the teaching and learning processes) enables researchers to move from an emphasis on prediction and classification to a concern for causality and the relations between means and ends in teaching and learning. (Author/IRT)

Assesses current research on (1) the dynamics within each social system (family, peer group, school) in which a child socializes, and (2) the dependencies between these systems. Outlines a conjunctive model of intersystem dependencies which considers family relations as antecedents to peer relations. (Author/GC)