This study examined the specific relations and processes underlying the association between marital disturbance and child maladjustment. Data were gathered on 51 9- through 12-year-olds, along with their parents, on specific dimensions of marital discord, children's coping responses to conflict, and child adjustment. Parent reports, child reports…

Evaluation of child-centered families with mentally retarded children has generated a body of theory based on new concepts of these families. Evidence suggests that relational processes interfering with functional structure in these families also give rise to significant emotional development problems for the retarded child. In turn, symptoms are…

This paper considers the effects of martial disruption on families and the associated risks to children. It discusses opportunities for reducing risk and fostering the psychological well-being of children and families, through research, carefully designed interventions, and proactive social policies. A theory of resilience as cumulative competence…

Presented at the National Conference of the Forum for Death Education and Counselling, Washington, 1978, this paper explores the effects of childhood malignancy on family dynamics. Problem areas include marital difficulties, forgotten siblings, and the necessity of alternating between a "sick" and "well" world. Constructive approaches are…

One of the most dramatic changes in the American culture in recent years is the emergence of a family unit experiencing stages of disruption and reorganization as a common pattern. The stereotypical middle-class, suburban family continues to exist, but other variations of families exist also, family units for which past guidelines and assumptions…

The breakdown of marriage within American society is a serious problem as evidenced by high divorce rates and numerous separations and family problems. A Marriage Values Questionnaire, developed to determine reasons for marrying and staying married and the impact of religion on marital stability, was completed by 305 subjects, ranging in age from…

Guided by the cognitive-contextual theory of J. H. Grych and F. D. Fincham (1990), which emphasizes the importance of children's perceptions of conflict as well as conflict characteristics and contextual factors, this study investigated children's appraisals of various types of simulated marital conflict. Seventy Latino children, aged 7 to 12…

Domestic violence is the most frequent type of violent crime, thus children are likely to experience or witness violence at home. In this study, familial variables predictive of domestic violence were investigated. Data were collected from 64 intake forms at a battered women's shelter in the Mississippi Delta. Most clients were white and had…

This study examines changes in parents' marriages following older-child adoption, using in-depth interviews with seven couples prior to and following placement. The interviews indicated that parents' experiences followed similar patterns. Children's acting-out behavior and their ability to exploit parents' vulnerabilities placed stress on the…

The national divorce rate has risen since the Civil War from less than two per 1,000 to one of every two married in 1976, with a continuing increase likely. Implications for divorced people suggest an increase in mental and physical illness concurrent with increase in stress. The impact appears to diminish with time. Divorce is a legal, emotional…

The frequent occurrence of childbirth during periods of marital disruption is discussed. Life table procedures based on 1970 information show, from a sample of 1,054 women, that slightly more than 25% of separated, divorced, or widowed women had given birth within 48 months of marital disruption. The variables affecting these statistics are…

Counselors should begin to think not only of the needs of children involved in the process of their parents' divorce, but of an approach to marriage counseling as a whole. Children participate in the context of divorce as family members in the social interaction that makes a family work or not work; there are, therefore, various stages or points…

The effects of parental separation and home environment factors on children's cognitive creative abilities, specifically in the area of divergent thinking, were studied. A total of 64 female and 52 male children from 58 single-parent families and 58 two-parent families enrolled in grades 3 through 5 participated in the study. Subjects were sampled…