This article examines effects of separation and divorce on children in the context of possible psychological maltreatment. Common behavior patterns of children in this situation are discussed in terms of those that are acceptable and those that must be considered harmful. (Author/DB)

Examined data on 1,023 married women from 1987-88 National Survey of Families and Households. Found that mothers with at least one boy reported significantly lower propensity to divorce compared to mothers with only girls. Fathers in families with boys were more engaged with children, which was associated with mothers perceiving less disadvantage…

National Longitudinal Survey of Youth data on 1,640 children aged 6-14 indicate that children's anxiety and depression/withdrawal were increased by prior parental marital conflict or disruption. Children remaining in high-conflict environments generally exhibited lower levels of well-being than children with high-conflict experience whose parents…

Parental divorce is associated with problematic offspring adjustment, but the relation may be due to shared genetic or environmental factors. One way to test for these confounds is to study offspring of twins discordant for divorce. The current analyses used this design to separate the mechanisms responsible for the association between parental…

Objective: To determine the independent effects of parental depression and family discord on offspring psychopathology among children at high and low risk of depression. Method: Family discord factors were assessed when subjects were approximately 17 years old, and offspring diagnoses were assessed about 20 years later. Parental and offspring…

Explores the extent to which state divorce laws have an independent effect on divorce rates. Two findings, using regression analysis, are (1) a strong relationship exists between permissiveness of divorce laws and divorce rates; (2) the relationship remains when effects of variations in economic development and social costs are controlled. (Author)

Divorce and remarriage may pose special problems for the grandparent-child-grandchild relationship. The kinship relationships after divorce have not been institutionalized; there are not generally accepted forms of behavior. To examine the role of grandmothers in the divorce of their children, 50 parent-grandmother pairs were interviewed. The…

Men and women were randomly chosen from courthouse divorce files. After initial contact by mail and by phone, those who agreed were mailed questionnaires developed to assess adjustment to divorce and to obtain information about the nature of divorce. Of those sent questionnaires, 44% completed and returned the assessment; the total sample…

Deserting fathers are often the victims of a society which is frustrated, ignorant and failing in its provision of sound family policy. A study of the impact of the criminal justice system on deserting nonsupporting fathers in relation to the fulfillment of their roles as providers indicates that these individuals need assistance in coping with…

This article examines the four options a couple has upon reaching the conclusion that their present marriage is at an end. The options are staying together as they are "for the children", divorcing with "blame's the game", a "re-built" marriage, or a "victimless" divorce. (Author)

Utilizing data from 1970 National Fertility Survey, this paper compares levels of marital homogamy--in age, education and religious identification--of women in their first marriages and women in second marriages, also in previous marriages of twice-wed women. Twice-wed women experience low homogamy in current and first marriages. (Author)

A theory of marital dissolution was developed utilizing the inductive method of grounded theory construction. Approximately 1,300 propositions from the research literature were organized into 20 dynamic and structural categories, yielding a theory that predicts marital dissolution as a combination of cultural, societal, dyadic, and individual…

Counseling processes utilized by the Santa Clara County Conciliation Court in resolving litigated visitation and custody disputes are described. The practical and salutary features of this court-oriented program are set forth. (Author)

Notes that except for black males, a greater transmission effect is found among respondents from childhood homes disrupted by divorce or separation rather than by death. Also suggests that the role model rationale for the transmission of marital instability be elaborated upon. (Author/AM)

The marital histories of 203 young women who became premaritally pregnant in their early teens and 90 of their classmates most of whom married before pregnancy show that disruption in the courtship process and limited economic resources are the most important factors in marital dissolution. (Author/AM)