The "new homeless" of the eighties and nineties are not only more numerous; they are younger, more likely to use drugs, and they exhibit symptoms of mental illness. Homeless mentally ill individuals typically have estranged family relationships and fewer supportive relationships compared with other homeless persons. They typically have…

Noting that gender may be an important issue when studying relations between attachment and social functioning, four studies explored whether the relationship between children's internal working models of attachment and their general functioning was gender specific. A total of 246 children, ages 5 to 10 years, were given the Separation Anxiety…

Only children and their parents may have special problems settling the issues of parent-child identification and attachment. Children without siblings and their parents face a continuing oedipal triangle unless the parents maintain united partnership at best, or at least are able to encourage independence in the child. (Author)

A study was done extending work on children's literacy by relating quality of parent-child interactive exchange during book reading to assessments of infant-parent attachment security. Compared to secure mother-child pairs, insecure-avoidant pairs and insecure-resistant pairs were more inclined to encounter distraction and ambivalence on the part…

Evaluates a family-based treatment for childhood anxiety. Children (N=79) with separation anxiety, overanxious disorder or social phobia were randomly allocated to three treatment conditions: cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), CBT and family management, or a waiting list. Indicated 69.8% of the children no longer fulfilled diagnostic criteria for…

Analyzed adoptive parents' view of their children's development within an attachment framework. Found six patterns of adoption ranging from secure/stable to insecure to nonattached. These patterns highlight the influence of care prior to adoption on the quality of present adoption placements. (HTH)

Highlights usefulness of the categorical approach to measuring infant attachment by reviewing some major advances in the field that have been fostered by that approach. Advances include identification of the disorganized attachment group, development of the concept of conditional behavior strategies, creation of systems for coding attachment…

Ainsworth's system of classifying attachment patterns will not be easily displaced primarily because of difficulties involved in a dimensional approach. Problems include the number of dimensions involved, need to develop reliable scales, and need to describe how behavior changes across age and in the Strange Situation. Only when an alternative…

Examines the short- and long-term consequences of working during adolescence. Responses from 1,725 adolescents reveal that the negative short-term effects are in the domains of school, family and friend bonding, beliefs, and substance use. The long-term beneficial effect is that the duration of early work helps employability in adulthood. (GR)

Therapists (N=73) completed measures that assessed levels of self-directed hostility, perceived social supports, and degree of comfort with attachment. Their clients completed a measure that estimated the working alliance between the third and fifth sessions of therapy. Results show that the above factors predicted the working alliance's bond…

Tested an attachment model using 630 late adolescents. The resulting data fit the model reasonably well. The gender of parent differences emerged, in which attachment to father was a more important predictor of social competence than was attachment to mother. Social competence proved a significant predictor of emotional adjustment. (RJM)

Examines the relation of mother and father attachment to self-esteem and self-reported involvement in antisocial behaviors among African American, European American, and Mexican American high school students. Findings indicated that adolescents from the 3 ethnic/racial groups did not differ greatly in their reported attachment. (Contains 70…

Observed preschool children with their parents at two separations and reunions at nursery school to determine the role of proximal and distal factors. Parent and child pairs behaved in reciprocal and complementary ways, indicating mutual influence. (BB)

Analyzes the relationships between family day-care providers and the children in their care, based on questionnaire responses of the providers. Discusses ambiguities of distinguishing between feelings toward their own children and those children for whom they provide paid care. Explores effects of the context of care-giving and relations with…

Literature is reviewed on the topic of blindisms and their possible causes. Studies indicate that the lack of blindisms among Black African blind children is related to the close mother-child contact and the interaction among the extended family unit. Strategies for preventing blindisms are offered. (Author/JDD)