An estimated 50 to 60% of children from typical families develop secure attachment relationships with their parents (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Van IJzendoorn & Kroonenberg, 1988); however, intervention research has focused primarily on interventions for high-risk clinical samples (Berlin, Zeanah, & Lieberman, 2008). In this project,…

Reviews children's rights since the Supreme Court's decision that parents retain a substantial, if not the dominant, role in institutionalizing children. (Author/DB)

Argues that success in placing the emotionally disturbed older child depends less on the nature and extent of the child's psychopathology than an identifiable configuration of parental characteristics allowing successful adopters to incorporate the child without an intolerable level of family pain or chronic crisis. (Author)

Reports findings from a survey completed by 105 Canadian families with adopted children from Romania. Results reflect the parents' perceptions of the adoption experience, the condition of the child on adoption, the parents' subsequent developmental concerns, and the children's progress. Parents' perceived needs and concerns are reported, and…

"Traumatic bonding" is defined as "the evolution of emotional dependency between...a child and an adult [in] a relationship characterized by periodic sexual abuse." Maintains that the concept holds promise for explaining confusing dynamics of incest. Demonstrates ways in which traumatic bonding can be applied to cases of incest…

For the older child moving into adoptive placement, a careful and knowledgeable preparation of both child and adoptive family is essential for success. (Author/SE)

Toronto's Sexual Abuse Treatment Project (SATP) is described. Results of the evaluation of the first 18 months of the program are reported. The role of a specialized sexual abuse therapy program within a child welfare setting is discussed. (Author/BN)

Discusses legal and psychological issues affecting newly married couples and their children by former marriages. Topics include discipline, premarital contracts, legal rights, personal relationships, and complications posed for the new marriage by settlements agreed to in the divorce. (DB)

Studied the influence of maternal substance abuse upon the placement of children in out-of-home care and the subsequent effects on mother-child visitation. Found five major factors that can promote or inhibit visiting: (1) mother's drug use and health status; (2) effect of visits on child; (3) transportation; (4) scheduling/visit settings; and (5)…

About 800 families who had adopted children with special needs responded to a survey. Most reported good adoption outcomes. The presence of a handicap, such as a vision or hearing handicap, physical impairment, mental retardation, or serious medical condition, was not an important factor influencing outcome. (Author)

Discusses the rationale and strategies needed to help those children placed in long-term foster family care face the reality of their biological parents through some form of relationship. This idea is illustrated by several case study examples. (Author/BB)

Finds the author most effective when recounting personal experiences of dealing with regulations and bureaucratic procedures of adoption. Finds the book ineffective as a critique of adoption because of a fallacious premise that there is a shortage of children available for those waiting to adopt due to a defective adoption system. (Author/SD)

A 2-year-old residential program in which families of abusive and/or neglectful parents live with their preschool children in a supervised environment is described as being an effective way for returning youngsters to their own homes. (Author/MP)

Treatment protocol review technique was used to summarize characteristics of effective interventions from nine studies of child maltreatment examining recovery from abuse or effects of maltreatment on child and parent outcomes. Findings suggested that stronger effects are yielded by: targeting parents and the parent-child interaction context in…

Addressed to judges and the legal profession in juvenile justice, this article argues that social attachment theory, particularly parent-child bonding, can be valuable in conceptualizing child abuse and neglect and making decisions about intervention in child abuse and neglect cases. Three categories of deficient parent-child bonds are described…