Results are presented of an intensive search of U.S. newspapers and periodicals on the joint custody of children after divorce, where both parents have continued responsibility for parenting and where the children spend part of each week, month, or year with both of the parents. Areas of concern addressed by these materials include the following:…

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)

Reviews research on the antecedents and the consequences of divorce. Research on historical and sociological causes of divorce, theoretical models, and changes in health status and the role redefinitions experienced by the divorced are discussed. Concludes by relating issues to sampling and measurement. (Author/JAC)

Unrooted children who have lost parents through divorce, separation, death, or abandonment need as a model an external psychological family in order to complete their developmental task of constructing an internalized triadic family image. (Author)

Violence in the family, particularly assault by husbands upon wives (often referred to as wife beating), is a social crisis to which much attention has been drawn by the women's movement. Results of numerous studies indicate that spouse assault rarely occurs as an isolated violent episode, but more often follows a pattern in which attacks by the…

Critics who advocate encouraging pregnant teenagers to marry are mistaken. Teen marriages are distinctly less stable than marriages that occur after age twenty. Later marriers are less likely to be on welfare and are likely to have more education and fewer children. A hasty marriage makes a bad situation worse. (BJV)

Reviews research on the components and stages of stress in the lives of children, identifying three stages and six categories of stress factors: personal child variables, ecological stressors, socioeconomic status, catastrophes and terrors, family events, and spouse problems. (KS)

Reviews literature on handicapped children and their families, particularly parents. Early studies reported devastating effects of handicapping conditions on families, resulting in certain myths. More recent studies reported less devastating effects. Research regarding several such myths is examined. Providers of professional services should…

Offers a conceptual approach to resistance in marital therapy. Aimed at beginning marital clinicians, provides an understanding of the natural existence of resistance to therapeutic change. Presents a model which can aid the clinician in assessing each individual's willingness to improve throughout therapy. (Author)

Presents the dynamics, implications and treatment of extramarital sex. Discusses historical and cultural perspectives, various types of infidelity experiences, marital styles as they relate to infidelity, and family therapy implications. Offers recommendations for treatment and a brief consideration of extramarital relationships as a healthy…

Describes the need for comprehensive domestic violence programs that include medical, legal, economic, psychological, and child care services. Although most states have family violence legislation, more work is needed to adequately implement these programs. (Author/JAC)

Presents a discussion of issues which may be unique in therapy with divorcing clergy, focusing on the overlap between the minister's marital and occupational roles, and the extent to which such overlap influences the divorce and adjustment process. Special concerns of the divorced clergy are described. (Author)

Problems of today's displaced homemakers overlap with those of women in the 1960s. Problems of women seeking employment are similar to those of minority groups, older workers and welfare recipients. Recent legislation has expanded to fulfill some of the needs of women returning to the labor force. (Author/BEF)

Presents a conceptual framework for the family's reorganization after a divorce, viewed as a crisis of family transition. Social workers must be prepared to help a couple with the complex process of terminating spousal roles but continuing and redefining parental roles, which is central to family redefinition. (Author)

The chronically reconstituting family is a normal and appropriate variation to the traditional pattern. Those processes characteristic of the chronically reconstituting family entail significant psychological and social consequences. Careful evaluation of those norms and values that contribute to this process must be the concern of all clinicians.…