Over 530,000 children are in foster care in the United States, living in a variety of settings, including non-relative foster homes, the homes of relatives, and group homes. However, little research has been available to provide a national picture of the circumstances in which these children reside. The National Survey of Child and Adolescent…

Longitudinally examined the effects of foster care placement versus remaining at home upon the psychological function of 64 African American, sexually abused girls 5-16 years old. Both groups showed declines in affective distress and depression. Overall, there were no significant differences in the psychological function of the girls who remained…

Levels of involvement in household work were compared for sibling pairs in 172 families. In families where mothers had high work demands, daughters performed significantly more work than sons, and younger sisters did more work than older brothers. The gap in siblings' gender role attitudes was significantly greater in families wherein girls…

In order to determine the applicability of Contextual Family Therapy concepts such as loyalty, trust, and reciprocity to eastern as well as western cultures, Japanese and American college students completed the Relational Ethics Scale (RES), a measure of these contextual constructs. The subjects were 173 undergraduate students; 80 from an…

The project report (Project Interact) describes the outcome of 3 years of research on the nature, causes, and consequences of child abuse and neglect. The family as a locus of violence and the frequency of family violence (including homicide, police calls, physical punishment, and child abuse) are considered. Three models are presented to help…

Studied influence of maternal versus paternal support for pregnant and parenting African American adolescents who reported supportive or problematic interactions, or both, with their parents. Found more support from mothers despite equal relationship problem levels with both parents; support of both parents was associated with lower depression…

This study examined the association between the therapeutic alliance in family therapy and changes in symptom distress, interpersonal relationships, and family coping. The participants (N = 81) were members of low socioeconomic status families referred to a university clinic for in-home family therapy. Participants completed the Outcome…

This paper has a dual purpose. First, it relates the research and writings of DuBois, a social scientist and humanist in the best intellectual tradition of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, to the sociology of the black family in the United States; and second, it presents selected data having to do with the structure and functioning of…

Presents a framework for assessing kinship homes that differs from traditional family foster home evaluation due to the differences between kinship homes and those of other prospective foster parents. Argues that distinctive criteria for approving placement of children in kinship homes are needed in the areas of home evaluation before placement…

Background: Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for the development of comorbid conduct disorder (CD) and depression. The current study examined potential psychosocial risk factors for CD and depression in a clinic-based sample of 203 boys (aged 6-10 years) with ADHD. Methods: The boys and their mothers…

This monograph describes the developmental context of disadvantaged children in the English-speaking Caribbean. Reported in nontechnical language are the frequencies of responses on a parent interview schedule made by a sample of heads of households with children 0 to 3 years of age. Section 1, part 1 presents information on type of family union,…

The Home Environment Variable Questionnaire was given to guardians of 73 fifth grade students enrolled in bilingual-bicultural education programs in Espanola, New Mexico, for the purpose of identifying those home environment variables which predicted academic achievement. Grade Equivalent Scores from the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills were…

Examined associations between perceived family relationships and depressive symptoms in two ethnic contexts--European American and Asian American--at two developmentally important points--early adolescence and late adolescence/early adulthood. Found that ethnic differences in depressed mood not evident in the early adolescent sample emerged in the…

A survey of 258 North Carolina families with children (ages 3 to 12) having emotional disturbances focused on: (1) the wide range of characteristics of the child, family, and community; (2) characteristics that families bring to their situation as well as characteristics that can be changed by experience and the use of resources and services; and…

In order to assess the effects of home backgrounds upon a child's performance in school, data were collected from 518 students and their mothers. Interviews with mothers covered topics such as: family background and parental expectations and aspirations; parental contact with the school; use of communication media; child management and personal…