The circumstances which give rise to or "trigger" an abuse incident have been given relatively little systematic attention. In analyzing the case records of all families (N=328) charged with child abuse over a ten-year period in a two-county area of Pennsylvania, all instances of family conflict were identified and the circumstances surrounding…

The connection between parental alcohol abuse and adolescent life stress, adolescent alcohol abuse and adolescent running away is explored in this study of 907 adolescents ranging in age from 12-17. The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not alcohol abuse and running away can be viewed as a response to, or an escape from stress. It…

This annotated bibliography focuses attention on the techniques and training methods used by police during family crisis intervention. The introduction emphasizes the importance of this special aspect of police training, and mentions the different possible target audiences such programs may have: they may be directed to all recruits, to all…

This selected annotated bibliography focuses on women as victims of violence, specifically battered wives and rape victims. Areas of concern include the history of violence, causes, statistics, legal remedies, and suggestions for reform. Case studies highlight the involvement of police, social agencies, hospitals, and the community. Summaries of…

Increasingly in the last decade, adolescent patients have come to the attention of psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers. Characteristically, when a teenager comes for help, he is in a state of crisis. After dealing for two years with adolescents in crisis, the Outpatient Clinic at McLean Hospital has learned to subdivide the great…

Much legislation on child protection has been enacted in the past decade, largely because of the wide public interest that was attracted by the complex and emotional problems related to protecting children from physical maltreatment by their own parents. This paper, one of a series sponsored by the governor's office of education and training,…

This paper utilizes coordinated practice and research observations of the personal and familial accommodations made to disability of an adult member. No assets accrue from disability; a family has only those potentials it had earlier which may be abandoned or poorly used by a family in its coping endeavors, or utilized fully in making needed…

Discusses the prevalence and causes for the physical abuse of women by men, considered a topic requiring investigation. (ED)

Demographically matched groups of normal, nonreferred children who had, or had not, experienced one of four family background problems (lack of educational stimulation in the home, family pressures to succeed, economic difficulties, and general family problems) were compared on teacher ratings of school maladjustment and competencies. (Author)

Group therapy participation and religious conversion have been cited as sources of personal growth by a number of formerly abusive parents. The parallels in the dynamics of change for the two kinds of experiences are discussed in the context of the factors thought to lead to abuse. (Author)

An exploratory study of 38 runaway wives in Metropolitan Toronto found that the decision to leave their husbands came from a long history of marital discord, while the decision to leave their children behind came from concern for the children's welfare. The wives experienced resulting feelings of relief and guilt. (Author)

A pattern common to marital breakdown and divorce is described in which one partner seeks closeness and reassurance while the other desires separateness and independence. The roots of these dynamics in the spouses' families of origin are discussed. Recommendations for family therapy are treated briefly. (Author)

This article discusses data which indicate that the main reason married women tend to be in poorer mental health than men is because of the roles they typically occupy. The kinds of demands found in the home and associated with children create stress in the spouse (usually the wife) responsible for meeting these demands. (Author/GC)

Only in the West, or traditional societies destroyed by contact with the West are there those who define themselves as alcoholics. The alcoholic feels himself to be vulnerable. At the same time, he cannot tolerate the intimacy of a relationship in which he could be protected and dependent. (Author)

The mother of a retarded child recalls the stages she went through in accepting her 5-year-old daughter's handicap. (SBH)