Asserting that the welfare reform proposals of the mid-1990s drew attention to the problem of domestic violence among individuals receiving public assistance who are among the poorest of the poor, this report examines what is known from past research on domestic violence that may inform policies related to marriage and child well-being. In…

Explores a structural exchange theory of marital interaction. Discusses importance of considering structural and temporal dimensions involved in marital exchange. Suggests examining the influence of the social structure on the cognitive orientations of marital partners and the subsequent exchange relationship. Examines how trust and commitment…

Interviewed a national panel of 1,668 married women and men in 1980 and 1983 to assess effects of shift work on 6 measures of marital quality (marital happiness, interaction, disagreements, general problems, sexual problems, and child-related problems) and probability of divorce. Results suggested that shift work has a modest but general adverse…

Argues for two distinct forms of couple violence. Review of large-sample surveys and data gathered from women's shelters suggests that some families suffer from occasional violence by either husbands or wives (common couple violence), while other families are terrorized by systematic male violence (patriarchal terrorism). Implications are…

Examines a clinical sample of 215 cases of allegations of sexual abuse in families involved in divorce. Cases are categorized according to the circumstances surrounding abuse allegations, clinical substantiation, and legal outcomes. Court substantiation rate is about half the clinic substantiation rate. Nearly one-fifth of parents raising concerns…

Examined whether spouses' attributions for partner behavior are related to their behavior by assessing their attributions and observing the problem-solving discussions of cohabitating couples (n=52) in which neither spouse was depressed or distressed, the wife was depressed and both spouses were distressed, and the wife was not depressed and both…

At mid-life, almost every marriage undergoes a crisis, but most people are looking for a way to get through this crisis, and not for a way out of the marriage. This monograph examines the basic issues surrounding mid-life divorce. Several different perspectives are represented in this collection of articles as various clinicians discuss the…

A study was conducted of the effectiveness of marriage counseling with respect to marital status and the long-term stability of relationships. Data were gathered from clients of approved Australian marriage counseling agencies (n=540) who took a pre-counseling survey during a 4-week period in October-November 1987 and a post-counseling survey 8…

Recent studies have investigated the transition of relationships from a more intimate to a less intimate state--the depenetration process. Various phases of interpersonal conflict in the dissolution of marital dyads have been described, and factors indicating that a marriage might be "in trouble" have been identified. Processes that are…

This essay on marriage and family therapy begins with background information on the institutions of marriage and the family, including religious and social forces, and the effects of the industrial revolution on American society. The impact of the two world wars on the social, political, economic, and psychological climate of the United States is…

New studies demonstrate that many teen marriages are more resilient than had previously been believed; current policies promote single parenthood for teen mothers in the face of very little systemic information about young fathers and their potential for being providers, husbands, or parents. Marriage is a feasible option for many pregnant…

A longitudinal design was used to examine marital change in 98 couples over the first 2.5 years of marriage, comparing parents to nonparents. The degree of congruity between spouses' sex role activities and division of labor explained differences between reports of love and marital conflict. (Author/TE)

Assessed socioeconomic determinants and probability of marital dissolution at five-year intervals for first legal and consensual marriages in Puerto Rico. Determined probability of dissolution was decreased by young children, wives' religious participation, and higher marital age; increased by wives' labor force participation, urban living, and…

Using longitudinal data, examined the impact of parental marital quality, divorce, and remarriage on the exchange of assistance between parents and offspring. Found that family members were able to adapt to alterations in family structure in a way that minimized the effects of changes by maintaining patterns of needed support. (RJM)

Lifestyles of parents of autistic children were assessed through volunteer participation in a telephone survey, and comparisons were made between responses of mothers (N=21) and fathers (N=12). Almost half of the fathers contacted did not answer the survey. The study examined a variety of therapy-related and demographic variables, including…