Balancing the roles of parent and partner is challenging for most people and may be especially challenging when extra time and effort are required in the parenting role. The current research compared 25 couples whose children have autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with 20 couples whose children do not have developmental disorders. Comparisons were…

To begin to understand the role that family relationships and interactions play in young gay men's decisions to avoid unsafe sexual practices, parents and sons (ages 16 to 25) in 30 families were qualitatively interviewed about issues and concerns related to HIV risk. Most of the youths reported feeling obliged to their parents to stay healthy,…

Although previous work has attributed the instability of African marriages to the diffusion of Western norms and values in the region, fewer attempts have been made to empirically assess how Africa's internal institutional structures, such as extended kinship ties, impact marital outcomes. Guided by rational choice and exchange theories, we argue…

We used adopted and biological children from Waves 1 and 2 of the National Survey of Families and Households to study the links between parents' marital conflict, divorce and children's behavior problems. The standard family environment model assumes that marital conflict and divorce increase the risk of children's behavior problems. The passive…

Two studies investigated associations between family instability (changes in parents' intimate partners, work hours, residence, children's schools) and adolescent adjustment. In Study 1 (N = 141, M age = 15.23 years), instability was associated with increased caregiver-reported externalizing and internalizing behaviors (including youth-reported…

This document presents a theoretical approach to couple counseling, a systemic approach which views each spouse as having a personal and relationship history that transcends the present marital one. It notes that this approach views a person's life style along two dimensions: the first dimension examines the person's relational experiences at the…

Surveyed married women obtaining abortions to examine assumptions concerning spousal notification held by federal courts. Results suggest that the assumption that notification and discussion promote marital harmony is plausible for only circumscribed subset of women whose marriages are already harmonious. (Author/NB)

By making the husband and wife legal adversaries, the traditional divorce process only reinforces and escalates anger and distrust. In contrast, mediation employs principles of cooperation and conflict resolution. A description of family mediation is provided and includes guidelines for deciding issues about money and children. (Author)

Using data from the June 1980 Current Population Survey, Morgan, Lye, and Condran 1988 reported that families with a daughter have a higher divorce risk than families with a son. They attribute this finding to the higher involvement of fathers in raising a son, which in turn promotes marital stability. We investigate the relation between gender…

This paper is a preliminary statement about morning and night people. The authors collected and analyzed married student responses to open-ended questions concerning "morningness" and "nightness" as factors influencing individual, marital, and family adjustment. This issue has both theoretical and practical significance for marriage and the…

Differentials in separation and divorce among blacks are compared to those among whites. Differences in marital instability depend heavily on the variables included for study. The paper concludes with a methodological analysis of alternative definitions of instability with a focus on the measurement of black white differences. (EH)

Most treatment programs for alcoholics and their families fail to show a systematic understanding of the interaction between the alcoholic, his drinking problem, and the family as a whole. Based on a review of the literature, the author presents a systems approach and ways of utilizing it in practice. (Author)

Relationship education holds much promise for reducing the individual, family, and community costs of relationship distress and breakdown. To realize this, potential educators need to offer evidence-based education that tailors content to the risk and resiliency profiles of the couples. Education needs to be offered at crucial developmental points…