Counselors who take an ecological perspective on family relationships may be more effective in their consultation, prevention, and direct service roles. Summarizes current research on the nature of parent and child attachments and on the importance of monitoring children's environments. Implications of this research are suggested for counselors…

Child custody evaluators commonly find themselves confronted with resistance when they attempt to use the term parental alienation syndrome (PAS) in courts of law. The purpose of this article is to elucidate the reasons for the reluctance to use the PAS diagnosis and the applicability of parental alienation, as well as current DSM-IV substitute…

Asserts that as parents spend less time with their children and try to assuage their guilt by buying children things, the many effects of materialism must be prevented. Children need help understanding that spending time with friends and family is more rewarding than spending money. They need to be taught the strategies of media literacy while…

Explores the relationship of parent-child communication to youth drug involvement by analyzing data from substance abuse surveys. It was found that: parents are most often identified as the individuals who have talked to children about drugs; youth consider parents to be credible sources of information about drugs; and as perceived family…

Reviews research and outlines patterns of support among in-laws. Examines parental aid to married children and indirectly to their spouses, help directed specifically toward children-in-law, in-law support in later life, and effects of marital dissolution on in-law support. Includes discussion of how various demographic factors may affect nature…

Examined coparenting among nearly 1,000 divorcing families approximately 18 months after parental separation. Compared three patterns of de facto residential custody (children living with mother, with father, or having dual residence). Amount of conflict in coparenting was related to intensity of earlier interparental hostility. (Author/NB)

Parents of highly gifted children are offered advice from the work of Leta Hollingworth (1886-1939) concerning helping the child accept his/her differences, reconcile opposites, and do no harm. Parents need to appreciate their own differences and support appropriate educational programs. (DB)

Examined associations between children's psychological adjustment in stepfather families and their relationships with their noncustodial fathers and paternal grandparents. Results from 98 children and their families indicated no differences in contact or relationship quality with noncustodial fathers or paternal grandparents for boys or girls or…

Parents should let children know that sexual abuse does occur and that children have some power to act if they are being exploited. This article describes common myths about child sexual abuse, what parents can do to help protect their children, and indicators of sexual abuse. (IAH)

Assessed behavior-state matching and synchrony in interactions in 48 depressed and nondepressed mother-infant dyads when infants were 3 months old. Depressed mothers and their infants matched negative behavior states more often and positive behavior states less often than did nondepressed dyads. (RH)

Considers six questions relating to effects of parental depression on parent-child interaction and on children's psychological functions. (RH)

Suggestions are made for encouraging conversation skills in the deaf child at the family dinner table. Among suggestions to families are to use dinnertime to catch up on each other's news, make the physical environment pleasant, use modes of communication accessible to the deaf child, and be responsive to the deaf child. (DB)

Investigated intergenerational conflict when parents shared home with adult child. Results from 372 elderly parents revealed surprisingly low levels of conflict with resident adult children. Conflict was lower in dyads with older resident child and in dyads where parent and child occupied similar marital status. Conflict was not related to parent…

Used naturalistic observation method to study interaction of children and their male and female adult caretakers in public places in San Diego, California (N=2,050), and Lincoln, Nebraska (N=450). Found male involvement rate higher for boys, older children, recreational settings, mixed-sex dyads, and Caucasion caretakers as compared to Asian…

Links infrahuman and human research in an examination of sensory and experiential factors that regulate early mothering behavior. (PCB)