No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Use of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales in child clinical research
Abstract
Although the FACES has become a widely used instrument for assessing children's family relations, the possible linearity vs. curvilinearity of its cohesion and adaptability scales has been treated inconsistently by investigators. This study evaluated whether samples of adolescent repeat offenders, young adult prisoners, and adolescent nonoffenders were discriminated better by a linear or curvilinear treatment of the FACES scores. Between-groups comparisons showed that significant effects were observed for each of the three curvilinear measures (cohesion-curvilinear, adaptability-curvilinear, distance-from-center) and only one of the two linear measures (cohesion-linear). These findings support the superiority of a curvilinear treatment of the FACES. In light of these findings, it is suggested that investigators who use FACES evaluate the linearity of the scales and determine whether a linear or curvilinear treatment of the data produces more meaningful results.
... 162–175. Forte, & Robinson, 1991; Henggler, Burr-Harris, Borduin, & McCallum, 1991; Olson, 1994). Adaptable refers to the family's ability to change its power structure, role relationships , and relationship rules in response to developmental demands. ...
... " A midrange level of cohesion was thought to be the optimal level of family cohesion that, in turn, would promote family functioning. Investigators have provided recent evidence that the concept of cohesion may be linear, meaning the greater the level of cohesion the greater the satisfaction with and the better the functioning of the family (Gaughan, 1995; Green et al., 1991; Henggler et al., 1991; Olson, 1991). Thus, families that score within an enmeshed range may function better than those in the connected or separate ranges. ...
... Olson et al. (1983) developed the Circumplex Model conceiving the concepts of adaptability and cohesion to be curvilinear. Work by other investigators has challenged the curvilinear nature of the adaptability and cohesion concepts (Green et al., 1991; Henggler et al., 1991 ). Cohesion is the variable that has received substantial attention in the literature. ...
What were the effects of a communication skills training intervention among a sample of young adolescents and parents who scored in the "extreme" range of the Circumplex Model of Family Systems?
Thirty-seven young adolescents and a parent (intervention group) participated in communication skills training 2 hours/week for 6 weeks. Their responses on measures of satisfaction with the family system and perceptions of communication were compared with those of 47 young adolescents and a parent who scored in the extreme range but did not participate in the training (control group).
Fathers and young adolescents demonstrated no change as a result of the program. Mothers who participated in skills training perceived communication with their young adolescent as more open than control mothers, but became increasingly dissatisfied with the family system.
This universal, community-based, family-focused intervention may not be indicated for extreme families.
... In many ways (e.g., continuous evaluation of outcome, importance of contextual events, concern for treatment generalization), the multisystemic approach is similar to the behavior-systems perspective described by Mash (1989). Most significantly, however, the conceptual framework of MST fits closely with findings from multidimensional causal models of antisocial behavior in adolescents (Henggeler, 1991 a). A recent volume describes MST in detail , and a treatment manual (Henggeler, 1991b) provides specific guidelines for implementing MST with antisocial adolescents and their families. ...
... The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES-III; Olson, Portner, & Lavee, 1985) were used to assess parental and youth perceptions of family cohesion and adaptability. The 20-item FACES is a reasonably well-validated self-report measure of family relations (Henggeler, Burr-Harris, Borduin, & McCallum, 1991) and has proven useful in the study of general delinquency (Rodick, Tolan, 1988) and violent offenders (Blaske, Borduin, Henggeler, & Mann, 1989). In light of the hypothesized curvilinear association between FACES scores and child psychosocial functioning (Olson et al., 1985), scatterplots were examined. ...
Multisystemic therapy (MST) delivered through a community mental health center was compared with usual services delivered by a Department of Youth Services in the treatment of 84 serious juvenile offenders and their multiproblem families. Offenders were assigned randomly to treatment conditions. Pretreatment and posttreatment assessment batteries evaluating family relations, peer relations, symptomatology, social competence, and self-reported delinquency were completed by the youth and a parent, and archival records were searched at 59 weeks postreferral to obtain data on rearrest and incarceration. In comparison with youths who received usual services, youths who received MST had fewer arrests and self-reported offenses and spent an average of 10 fewer weeks incarcerated. In addition, families in the MST condition reported increased family cohesion and decreased youth aggression in peer relations. The relative effectiveness of MST was neither moderated by demographic characteristics nor mediated by psychosocial variables.
... Parental and youths' reports on the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES-III; Olson et al., 1985) were used to assess two central dimensions of family relations: cohesion and adaptability. The validity of FACES has been supported by numerous investigators (e.g., Henggeler, Burr-Harris, Borduin, & McCallum, 1991). Based on scatterplots, the assumptions ...
Associations among sibling relations and the psychosocial and illness-specific adaptation of youths (N = 66) with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) were examined. The findings suggest that sibling relations, especially sibling conflict, contribute an independent source of variance above and beyond that contributed by demographic characteristics, sibling constellation variables, and important dimensions of family relations in predicting the youths’ adaptation. High family-life stress and high sibling status/power contributed unique variance in predicting internalizing behaviors, and male gender and sibling conflict contributed independently to externalizing problems. Sibling conflict also contributed unique variance to the youths’ general self-esteem, along with social class and family cohesion, and to their adjustment to IDDM. Data suggest that parent–child dyads and sibling dyads represent interrelated and independent subsystems within the family, and that both subsystems may influence the psychosocial functioning of youths with IDDM.
... In 1978 Olson and his colleagues developed a self-report scale which became one of the standard family assessment tools, and has been used in a large number of research studies and clinical assessments. FACES has become a widely used instrument for assessing children's family relations (Henggeler, 1991) Permission to use FACES IV Package was obtained prior to administration from Life For storing and scoring the data, an Excel file was created automatically to score the data. ...
To date there has been little research on family changes caused by having a child of 0 to 7 years old with autism in the family. This thesis examines the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the context of the family and compared families’ experiences in Ireland and Romania. This research took a family system perspective, exploring how families with children on the autism spectrum function during the particularly stressful period of the diagnosis process and thereafter.
This Ph.D. thesis contains the results of a comparative study of Irish and Romanian families of children with ASD.
The analysis of the similarities and differences of how families who are raising a child with autism function during the diagnostic process is expected to provide a better understanding of the overall experience of families and to improve sensitivity during the diagnostic process.
Fifty-four families and their children were recruited from two institutions: 24 families from Ireland (Dublin, Cherry Orchard Hospital) and 30 families from Romania (Timisoara, Casa Faenza). The children were aged between 2 and 7 years. During the process of data collection, a relatively large number of Irish families refused to participate in this research, or accepted the invitation initially and then later refused it or stated that they are very ‘busy’. A total number of 77 Irish families were contacted by the researcher and asked to participate in this study. Only 24 families agreed to participate and 53 refused to participate. In contrast, all of the 30 Romanian families who were contacted and asked to participate in this research accepted.
This comparative research study is unique as no previous studies have focused on the impact of ASD diagnostic on family systems across two cultures in Europe.
The results showed that families of a child with ASD in Ireland had different experiences during the diagnostic process of their child, compared to the Romanian families. Differences were also found between the two groups with regard to the role of mother and father in raising a child with ASD, parents’ worries when received the diagnosis, parents’ awareness/knowledge about ASD, and parents’ level of involvement. A semi-structured interview was used to analyse similarities and differences between the two groups. The duration of the diagnostic process was significantly different between the two countries.
Aspects of family functioning were tested using the family adaptability and cohesion evaluation scale IV (FACES IV) (Olson et al., 2010). The results showed similarities and differences between the two groups in terms of mean scores for family cohesion, flexibility, communication and satisfaction.
Present findings should be used by policymakers in improving parent’s accessibility to ASD services for their children (diagnostic and post-diagnostic) in both countries. There is a crucial need to develop specialized services for children with ASD.
The findings indicate that both instruments used (semi structured interview and FACES IV) provided valuable information about family functioning and family experience during the diagnostic process. The limitations of the study were discussed.
... In 1978 Olson and his colleagues developed a self-report scale which became one of the standard family assessment tools, and has been used in a large number of research studies and clinical assessments. FACES has become a widely used instrument for assessing children's family relations (Henggeler, 1991) Permission to use FACES IV Package was obtained prior to administration from Life For storing and scoring the data, an Excel file was created automatically to score the data. ...
To date there has been little research on family changes caused by having a child of 0 to 7 years old with autism in the family. This thesis examines the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the context of the family and compared families’ experiences in Ireland and Romania. This research took a family system perspective, exploring how families with children on the autism spectrum function during the particularly stressful period of the diagnosis process and thereafter.
This Ph.D. thesis contains the results of a comparative study of Irish and Romanian families of children with ASD.
The analysis of the similarities and differences of how families who are raising a child with autism function during the diagnostic process is expected to provide a better understanding of the overall experience of families and to improve sensitivity during the diagnostic process.
Fifty-four families and their children were recruited from two institutions: 24 families from Ireland (Dublin, Cherry Orchard Hospital) and 30 families from Romania (Timisoara, Casa Faenza). The children were aged between 2 and 7 years. During the process of data collection, a relatively large number of Irish families refused to participate in this research, or accepted the invitation initially and then later refused it or stated that they are very ‘busy’. A total number of 77 Irish families were contacted by the researcher and asked to participate in this study. Only 24 families agreed to participate and 53 refused to participate. In contrast, all of the 30 Romanian families who were contacted and asked to participate in this research accepted.
This comparative research study is unique as no previous studies have focused on the impact of ASD diagnostic on family systems across two cultures in Europe.
The results showed that families of a child with ASD in Ireland had different experiences during the diagnostic process of their child, compared to the Romanian families. Differences were also found between the two groups with regard to the role of mother and father in raising a child with ASD, parents’ worries when received the diagnosis, parents’ awareness/knowledge about ASD, and parents’ level of involvement. A semi-structured interview was used to analyse similarities and differences between the two groups. The duration of the diagnostic process was significantly different between the two countries.
Aspects of family functioning were tested using the family adaptability and cohesion evaluation scale IV (FACES IV) (Olson et al., 2010). The results showed similarities and differences between the two groups in terms of mean scores for family cohesion, flexibility, communication and satisfaction.
Present findings should be used by policymakers in improving parent’s accessibility to ASD services for their children (diagnostic and post-diagnostic) in both countries. There is a crucial need to develop specialized services for children with ASD.
The findings indicate that both instruments used (semi structured interview and FACES IV) provided valuable information about family functioning and family experience during the diagnostic process. The limitations of the study were discussed
... Analyses with PTSD symptom severity were only conducted among the assaulted adolescent girls. Additionally, the caregivers completed the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES) (Rodick et al., 1986;Henggeler et al., 1991;Olson, 1991;Matherne and Thomas, 2001), a self-report measure of family functioning that includes a scale measuring the degree of disengagement in the family (e.g., family members avoid contact with one another). As noted above, social support is a robust predictor of clinical functioning following trauma, so we focused on family disengagement in order to understand the degree to which the support of the immediate family environment modulated brain activity among the assaulted girls. ...
Assaultive violence exposure during childhood is a significant risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The purpose of the present study was to characterize the relationships of assault and PTSD severity with the organization of large-scale networks identified during emotion processing. Adolescent girls aged 12-16 with (N=15) and without (N=15) histories of assault underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while engaged in a task that presented images of fearful or neutral facial expressions. Independent component analysis (ICA) identified a frontocingulate network, a frontoparietal network, and a default mode network. Assault exposure was associated with significantly greater activation of the frontocingulate network for fear versus neutral faces. Within the frontocingulate network, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity was associated with weakened functional connectivity between the left amygdala and the perigenual anterior cingulate. Within the frontoparietal network, assaulted girls demonstrated weakened connectivity of the premotor cortex with the right middle frontal gyrus. Within the default mode network, assault exposure and PTSD severity were associated with strengthening functional connectivity of the parahippocampus with the medial and lateral prefrontal cortex, respectively. Individual differences in functional connections within the frontocingulate network and frontoparietal network among the assaulted group were strongly associated with caregiver-rated family disengagement. These results demonstrate associations between assault and PTSD symptoms with the functional organization of large-scale frontoparietal, frontocingulate, and default mode networks during emotion processing. The relationship with caregiver-rated family disengagement suggests the impact of family support on the neural processing correlates of assault and PTSD symptoms.
... There is also evidence that the behavior of children and adolescents is linked to family functioning. A number of family-based risk factors have been identified as correlates of delinquent behavior in youth including: a family history of the behavior problem or of mental illness (Derisley, Libby, Clar, & Reynolds, 2005;Faraone, Biederman, Keenan, & Tsuang, 1991;Frick et al., 1992;Gabel et al., 1998;Gove & Crutchfield, 1982;Hawkins & Catalano, 1992;Lange et al., 2005;Leinonen, Solantaus, & Punamaki, 2003;Nelson, Stage, Duppong-Hurley, Synhorst, & Epstein, 2007;Offord, 1982;Pressman et al., 2006;Robins, 1981); living in a oneparent or " broken " home (Canter, 1982;Gove & Crutchfield, 1982); neglecting to teach life, social, and academic skills to the child or monitor the child's activities (Ary, Duncan, Duncan, & Hops, 1999); the use of physical punishment (Gove & Crutchfield, 1982); repeated loss of caretakers (Loeber, 1990); negativity and rejection of the child by the parents (Brook, Brook, Gordon, & Whiteman, 1990;Cole & Zahn-Waxler, 1992); lack of involvement and time together (Kumpfer & DeMarsh, 1986); excessive family conflict, marital discord, and family disorganization (Gove & Crutchfield, 1982;Katz & Gottman, 1993); family relationships characterized by high levels of disengagement and either an extremely rigid or extremely chaotic reaction to stress (Blaske, Borduin, & Henggeler, 1989;Canter, 1982;Elgar, Knight, Worrall, & Sherman, 2003;Gabel et al., 1998;Henggeler, Burr-Harris, Borduin, & McCallum, 1991;Matherne & Thomas, 2001;Prange et al., 1992;Tolan, 1988); a lack of extended family networks and community resources (Dilworth-Anderson, 1989;Dumas, 1986). Family functioning in general may also be influenced by external demographic variables such as poverty, neighborhood organization and housing, reduced access to educational, cultural, and job opportunities, and experiences with discrimination (Zill, 1993). ...
... Simple regression models were used to examine the relationship between symptom severity and family functioning variables. As research suggests the utility of curvilinear interpretations of FACES-II ratings (Henggeler, Burr-Harris, Borduin, & McCallum, 1991;Place et al., 2005), models using an additional squared term were also evaluated. ...
This study examined the characteristics of families of adolescents with bipolar disorder during or shortly following a period of mood exacerbation, using measures of family conflict, cohesion, adaptability, and expressed emotion (EE). Demographic, diagnostic, and family functioning data were collected from 58 families (mean age = 14.48; 33 female, 25 male) before entering a randomized trial of family focused treatment. Compared to scale scores reported by healthy adolescents and their families, cohesion and adaptability were more impaired in families with an adolescent with bipolar disorder. Levels of conflict, while higher than normative scores reported by healthy families, were not significantly different from scores gathered from distressed, clinic-referred families. Parents rated high in EE reported less cohesion and adaptability, and more conflict, than parents rated low in EE. Parents expressing greater numbers of critical comments also reported more conflict than those who expressed fewer criticisms. These EE group differences were not accounted for by concurrent adolescent symptom levels. Family adaptability, cohesion, and conflict may be important targets for family treatments administered during the postepisode phases of early onset bipolar disorder.
... Parental and adolescent perceptions of family relations were evaluated with the 30-item Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales—II (FACES-II; Olson, Portner, & Bell, 1982 ), which assesses the constructs of cohesion and adaptability. Following the recommendations of Henggeler, Burr-Harris, Borduin, and McCallum (1991), we treated adaptability and cohesion as linear scales in subsequent statistical analyses. Family composite ratings of adaptability and cohesion were created by averaging together the scores of the individual family members on each scale. ...
This article examined the long-term effects of multisystemic therapy (MST) vs. individual therapy (IT) on the prevention of criminal behavior and violent offending among 176 juvenile offenders at high risk for committing additional serious crimes. Results from multiagent, multimethod assessment batteries conducted before and after treatment showed that MST was more effective than IT in improving key family correlates of antisocial behavior and in ameliorating adjustment problems in individual family members. Moreover, results from a 4-year follow-up of rearrest data showed that MST was more effective than IT in preventing future criminal behavior, including violent offending. The implications of such findings for the design of violence prevention programs are discussed.
... The authors originally conceptualized the adaptability and cohesion scales as measuring two continuous variables, with optimal family functioning in the middle of the range of each scale. However, studies have indicated that the instrument captures a linear rather than curvilinear construct (Henggeler & Burr-Harris, 1991;Volker & Ozechowski, 2000); therefore, we treated adaptability and cohesion as linear scales. 1 Because the distributions of these two variables were negatively skewed (and to maintain consistency with our approach to the CBCL), we dichotomized adaptability and cohesion by splitting the distributions at the mean of the normative sample's distribution. For this study, we used the norms for the ''families with adolescents,'' as published in the test manual, and assigned scores of 0 5 low and 1 5 high, which refers to below or above the normative mean with respect to family adaptability and cohesion. ...
This prospective study examined how child behavior problems and family functioning predict adherence behavior and glucose regulation (glycemic control) in a sample of economically disadvantaged children.
Children with type 1 diabetes (N = 116; 58.6% African American) were assessed for externalizing and internalizing behavior problems and family adaptability and cohesion and followed for a mean of 3.8 years. Glycemic control (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c]) was assessed at baseline and follow-up, and adherence was assessed at follow-up.
Analyses controlled for baseline HbA1c and years to follow-up. Multivariate analyses indicated that better adherence was predicted by high family cohesion. Better glycemic control was predicted by high family cohesion, the absence of externalizing behavior problems, and the presence of internalizing behavior problems. In addition, tests of moderation indicated that better follow-up glycemic control occurred among girls from high cohesion families and younger children from low adaptability families. Although better adherence predicted better glycemic control, adherence did not mediate the relationships of behavior problems or family functioning with glycemic control.
A child's behavior problems and family functioning may influence both adherence to the diabetes regimen and glycemic control several years later, suggesting the potential value of interventions that address child behavior and family functioning.
This chapter explores the social factors such as family functioning in the lives of adolescents. Family issues play a central role in many adolescent suicide attempts. Prolonged and progressive family disruptions, inadequate family relationships, and ineffective parent–child relationships may result in adolescent suicidal behavior. Multigenerational familial difficulties, such as isolation, abandonment, long-lasting feuds, emotional cutoffs, violence, and abuse, may also result in an adolescent's suicidal behavior. Family influences on the suicidal behavior of adolescents have therefore been investigated from multiple conceptual bases including familial psychopathology, such as a family history of suicidal behavior, family composition, family histories of abuse, and family conflict. Adaptive factors including perceived support, communication, and problem solving have also been studied. Families may have strengths in a variety of areas, such as conflict resolution, communication, parental relationships, or extended family support. Highlighting these areas can be healing and normalizing for the family and set the stage for the difficult work of addressing dysfunctional aspects of the family system. Findings from studies in these areas of family functioning conducted in the past decade are summarized in this chapter.
The current study was conducted to explore the family communication and family system as the predictors of family satisfaction in adolescents. A Purposive sample comprised of 120 adolescents from nuclear (n = 60) and joint family (n = 60) were equally taken comprised of girls (n = 30) and boys (n = 30) having age range of 14 to 19 years. A demographic form was used to obtain the information about variables of interest e.g., age, sex, family system (Nuclear & joint) & education. Family Communication Scale (Olson et al., 2004) and Family Satisfaction Scale (Olson, 1995) were administered to measure family communication and satisfaction respectively. The reliability for FCS was α .60 and for FSC was α .71. Correlation, Multiple Regression Analysis and Independent Sample t-test was performed with SPSS (version 17). The results suggested that family communication is the most significant predictor of family satisfaction in adolescents (β = .37, p < .001). Moreover, family system found to be non significant predictor (β =-.12, p < .001).Furthermore, results of correlation also indicated that there is a significant positive relationship between family communication and family satisfaction (r = .37, p < .001 respectively). However, the non significant differences in the scores of adolescents for nuclear and joint family on FSS and FCS (β = .37, p < .001).These results are consistent with the prior findings of Western countries. The current research findings have implications for the researchers who are interested in the impact of family dynamics in adolescent development.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of teaching communicate with adolescents to their mothers and the methods of emotion regulation to adolescents on reducing stress
and depression in adolescents of Eshkanan city. This study was a quasi-experimental research. The statistical population of this study consisted of students and their mothers. Sampling was performed by available sampling method and 40 mothers and 40 girls entered in study and replaced in two experimental (n = 20) and control (n =20) groups. The research instruments were adolescent depression (2000), the adolescent stress (2000), and questionnaires. The data was analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. The mean and standard deviation of the descriptive statistics, statistical analysis using SPSS and repeated measures analysis of inferential statistics were used to
examine the hypotheses. The results showed that teaching communicate with adolescents to mothers and teaching the methods of emotion regulation to the adolescents were effective on reducing adolescents stress and depression during the time.
Background
Patients with parkinsonism exhibit motor symptoms, cognitive impairment, and neuropsychiatric changes, and these symptoms increase caregiver burden. Family dynamics can be influenced by the presence of comorbidities, which is especially important in diseases causing caregiver burden. We investigated the effects of spousal parkinsonism on family functioning and communication.
Methods
Couples without parkinsonism, who visited hospital-based family practices, were recruited by 28 family physicians from 22 hospitals between April 2009 and June 2011; patients with parkinsonism and their spouses were recruited from a single institution. The participants completed questionnaires on demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, family functioning (the Korean version of the Family Adaptation and Cohesion Evaluation Scale [FACES] III), and family communication (the Family Communication Scale of the FACES-IV). We compared family functioning and communication between spouses of the patients with and without parkinsonism.
Results
The mean family adaptability and cohesion scores of the spouses of the patients with parkinsonism were 23.09±6.48 and 32.40±8.43, respectively, whereas those of the control group were 23.84±5.88 and 34.89±7.59, respectively. Family functioning and family communication were significantly different between the spouses of individuals with and without parkinsonism. After adjusting for age, sex, income, and cardiovascular disease in the logistic regression analysis, family functioning was found to significantly deteriorate in the spouses of patients with parkinsonism but not the control group. Family communication decreased significantly in spouses of patients with parkinsonism.
Conclusion
Family functioning and family communication significantly deteriorated in spouses of patients with parkinsonism.
The Family Circumplex Model and its self-report instruments, FACES II and FACES III, have been used in hundreds of research studies, which consistently find positive, linear relationships between one of its dimensions—cohesion or flexibility—and various family health outcomes. The number of studies in the disciplines of psychology, medicine, and psychiatry has grown to represent half of all studies conducted with FACES. This research provides strong support for a biopsychosocial approach to treatment, confirming that the social context of the family is useful to study and the family serves as an important resource for dealing with psychological disorders as well as physical illness. The Circumplex Model and its instruments show great promise for future research on family health behaviors and outcomes. 1 An abbreviated version of this paper will appear as a chapter in the forthcoming Family Assessment Package (FAP), to be published by Life Innovations, Inc. The FAP will introduce FACES IV, which is designed to measure the dimensions of cohesion and
Using archived data a multilevel model examined change in negative communication behaviors of three family members (mother, father and preadolescent) across four sequential family problem solving sessions in the home. The sample included 756 problem-solving sessions, nested within 189 individuals, within 63 families. Basic tenets of family therapy were used to examine the effect of the occasions of measurement, revealing that communication was less negative when the adolescent selected the problem. The individual level analysis was guided by a conflict structure perspective that found adolescents (in general) showed more negative communication behaviors than parents. At the family level, scores on the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III) were significantly related to changes in negative communication behaviors. A significant interaction between FACES III scores and negative communication behaviors showed negativity increased across sessions in families that scored lower on the FACES III, but decreased in families that scored higher.
Using archived data a multilevel model examined change in negative communication behaviors of
three family members (mother, father and preadolescent) across four sequential family problem
solving sessions in the home. The sample included 756 problem-solving sessions, nested within
189 individuals, within 63 families. Basic tenets of family therapy were used to examine the effect of
the occasions of measurement, revealing that communication was less negative when the adolescent
selected the problem. The individual level analysis was guided by a conflict structure perspective that
found adolescents (in general) showed more negative communication behaviors than parents. At the
family level, scores on the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III) were significantly
related to changes in negative communication behaviors. A significant interaction between
FACES III scores and negative communication behaviors showed negativity increased across sessions
in families that scored lower on the FACES III, but decreased in families that scored higher.
Differences between abused and nonabused adolescent male sex offenders on familial, social, and personal variables were investigated. Participants were 20 molested, and 19 non molested adolescent sex offenders, and a comparison group of 15 nonsex offending, juvenile delinquents. All participants completed questionnaires on family environment (Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales), peer support (People in My Life), and antisocial beliefs (Beliefs and Attitudes Scale). The adolescent’s care giver completed a measure of social isolation and conduct disorder in the adolescent (Child Behavior Checklist). Three significant ANOV As resulted for the Social Isolation scales of Withdrawn. Social Problems. and Social Participation. The three groups were on a continuum: molested sex offenders scored highest on Withdrawn and Social Problems and lowest on Social Participation, nonmolested adolescent sex offenders scored in the middle. while the comparison group scored lowest on Withdrawn and Social Problems and highest on Social Participation. The findings are discussed in relation to furthering understanding of assessment and treatment needs of adolescent male sex offenders.
From several theoretical perspectives as well as in psychotherapeutic practice it is assumed
that family characteristics have a causal influence on the course of emotional and / or
behavioral problems of children and adolescents (e.g., Boszonneny-Nagy & Sparke, 1973;
Dadds, 1995; Hetherington & Mat1in, 1986; Jacob & Tennenbaum, 1988; Minuchin, 1974;
Patterson, 1982). However, although there is an enollatous amount of evidence for the
presence of an association between family functioning and children's problem behavior (e.g.,
Adams, Overholser, & Lehnert, 1994; Davies & Cunnnings, 1994; Emery, 1982; Grych &
Fincham, 1990; Hollis, 1996; Patterson, 1982; Reid & Crisafulli, 1989; Rollins & Thomas,
1979; Rothbaum & Weisz, 1994; Simons, Robertson & Downs, 1989), it has hardly been
shown whether family functioning and family relations, and changes therein are causative of
changes in children's intematizing and / or extemalizing problem behavior, or vice versa. In
other words, empirical support for the above stated assumption is rather lacking. Therefore,
the primary aim of the research project which is reported in this thesis was to examine the
causal relation between the course of family characteristics and the course of problem
behavior in children and adolescents referred to outpatient mental health services.
In order to improve our understanding of the nature and direction of the relation between
family characteristics and child problem behavior longitudinal studies are indispensable.
The development and validation of culturally competent mental health services requires that culturally equivalent instrumentation be used in evaluations of such services. Unfortunately, cross-ethnic equivalence has rarely been examined for research instruments commonly used with Black and White children. In a sample of 117 juvenile offenders with diagnosed substance abuse or dependence disorders and considerable psychiatric comorbidities, the present study examined the cross-ethnic equivalence of several measures commonly used by services researchers to tap contextual correlates (i.e., parental symptomatology, family relations, peer relations) of serious emotional disturbance in children. Results indicated that associations between these measures and criterion measures of youth' behavior problems and social competence did not vary as a function of ethnicity. Thus, the findings support the cultural equivalence of the measures used in this study; as such, they support the validity of findings from studies that have used these measures with Black and White youth and their families.
This study examined the linkages of trauma exposure and protective factors with important aspects of mental health and behavioral functioning in a sample of youth presenting serious clinical difficulties. In general, results suggest that the effects of trauma vary considerably with the nature of the trauma. Specifically, findings indicated that, after controlling for important third variable explanations, violence exposure was linked with adolescent criminal offending, whereas sexual abuse was linked with psychiatric comorbidity. Additionally, several of the demographic and protective factors showed significant associations with measures of criminal activity and mental health. Implications of these findings are discussed and directions for future research are suggested.
This study examined the relationship of individual family members' perceptions and family mean and discrepancy scores of cohesion and adaptability with child psychopathology in a sample of 138 families, referred to Regional Mental Health Agencies. The results indicate that the family mean scores, contrary to the family discrepancy scores, explain more of the variance in parent-reported child psychopathology than individual scores. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.
Family psychosocial functioning and its relation to psychopathology among adolescents with severe emotional disturbances (SED) was assessed. Subjects were 353 adolescents with SED, ages 12–18, and their parents. During a semistructured interview, adolescents were administered Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-III), Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Child Version (DISC-C), and the Self-Derogation Scale. Parents were administered FACES-IIII and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) in a phone interview. Results indicated that on the FACES-IIII cohesion dimension, both parents and adolescents perceived their family relations as more disengaged and less connected than did normative families (p < .001).="" in="" contrast,="" only="" parent="" faces-iiii="" adaptability="" scores="" were="" significantly="" more="" extreme="" than="" a="" normative="" sample="" (p="">< .01).="" additionally,="" both="" parent="" and="" adolescent="" cohesion="" scores="" were="" significantly="" correlated="" with="" adolescent="" psyehopathology="" measures:="" disc-c="" conduct="" disorder="" (p="">< .01),="" depression="" (p="">< .05),="" alcohol/marijuana="" (p="">< .01),="" and="" cbcl="" externalizing="" symptoms="" (p="">< .01).="" these="" relationships="" did="" not="" deviate="" from="">
To examine the relation between characteristics of a person's family of origin and cardiovascular, behavioral, cognitive, and affective response to interpersonal conflict, responses of 15 young males from families rated as extreme (EXT) on scales of cohesion (enmeshed or disengaged) or adaptability (chaotic or rigid) were compared to those of 25 young males from families rated as balanced (BAL) on measures of cohesion and adaptability. Subjects participated in two interpersonal role-play conflict situations, one with a male confederate and the other with a female confederate. Measures of heart rate (HR), blood pressure, and indices of both positive and negative verbal and nonverbal behaviors were obtained during each scenario and self-reported measures of positive and negative cognitive self-statements and affective response were obtained following each conflict scene. Results showed that, in contrast to BAL males, EXT males exhibited more negative verbal and nonverbal behavior, less positive nonverbal behavior, higher ratings of state anxiousness during conflict, and higher HR responses during the interaction with the male confederate than the female confederate. These findings suggest that exposure to a family environment with extreme levels of cohesion and adaptability impacts how an individual responds to interpersonal conflict in young adulthood.
The involvement of school psychologists with families has received considerable attention in the recent literature (e.g., Erchul, School Psychology Review, 16, 427–428, 1987), but most articles have been of a theoretical or conceptual nature or have been concerned with intervention. Little has appeared regarding useful procedures for integrating family assessment into school psychology practice. This article suggests an existing self-report measure that may be a useful addition to psychoeducational evaluations. The device, its psychometric properties, and its underlying theoretical model are explained, and four case studies using the technique are presented. The strengths and limitations of the instrument are discussed, and suggestions are made for future studies of the procedure and its underlying model as tools for school psychology practice.
Objective:
This study investigated parents' willingness to pursue treatment for attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder (ADHD).
Method:
A self-administered questionnaire (the ADHD Knowledge and Opinion Scale--AKOS) was developed and administered to a sample of 116 families attending an outpatient ADHD clinic. Socioeconomic status, parenting stress, family adaptability and cohesion, degree of child's externalizing behavior, and treatment history were obtained for each family.
Results:
Parents' willingness to use medication or to pursue counseling were not related to family factors. History of the child receiving medication was mildly correlated with willingness to use medication. History of counseling was mildly correlated with willingness to use medication and to pursue counseling. Mothers who viewed their family as "enmeshed" reported significantly higher sense of competence than those viewing the family as "connected" or "disengaged."
Conclusion:
The AKOS is an instrument that may help clinicians identify and address parents' concerns about treatment for ADHD as well as parents' perceptions about their parenting skills.
The purpose of this study was to further investigate the tripartite typology of batterers, proposed initially by Holtzworth-Munroe and Stuart (1994). This study empirically examined the typologies of male batterers based on personality characteristics followed by an examination of the possible differences between batterer typologies based on attachment dimensions, severity of violence in current adult romantic relationships, witnessing or experiencing family of origin violence, and family of origin dynamics. Participants in this study include a sample of 93 court-mandated adult males who were on probation for some type of spousal abuse. Data was obtained by administering a demographic form, severity of abuse rating form, the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory- III (Millon, Davis, Millon, 1997), Straus?? (1979) Conflict Tactics Scale, the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES-III)(Olson, Portner, & Labee, 1985), and the Adult Attachment Scale (Collins & Reid, 1990). Four clusters of men were identified as Borderline/Dysphoric (B/D), Antisocial (A), Non-Pathological (N-P), and Depressive (D). Three of the groups resembled the predicted subtypes (B/D, A, and N-P). The results of this study indicated that the N-P subtype is most consistent with the proposed typology and with previous literature. Distinctions between the B/D and A subtypes were not as clear and differences were inconsistent with the manner predicted by the theoretical typology on several of the research questions. Scores on the attachment dimensions were consistent for the B/D and N-P groups, but not for the A group. Severity of violence for the N-P group was supported but results indicated that the B/D subtype reported greater severity of violence than the A subtype, contrary to the theoretical typology. Differences in violence frequencies outside the home were not found. Support was found for the hypothesis that the N-P subtype would report experiencing and witnessing the least amounts of family of origin violence but results indicated that the B/D and A subtypes differed in a manner inconsistent with the proposed typology. Lastly, support was not found for the hypothesized differences between the subtypes on family of origin measure. Recommendations for future research are discussed.
Evaluated social learning and family systems theoretical models to determine (a) whether illness-specific family relations
(based on social learning theory) and general family behaviors (based on family systems theory) relate uniquely to the youths'
illness-specific and psychosocial adaptation, and (b) whether these types of family relations covary or whether they represent
distinct aspects of family functioning. Participants included 95 youths with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and
their parents. Positive and supportive family relations (illness-specific family support, general family affection, general
family adaptability) as well as conflictual and nonsupportive relations (i.e., illnessspecific family nonsupport, general
family conflict) were assessed. Results suggest that both illness-specific and general family relations uniquely predict the
youths' dietary adherence and general psychosocial adaptation. Because illness specific and general family relations also
covary, broad-based models that include both types of family functioning seem warranted.
Juvenile gang members present serious problems to society, yet few empirical studies have examined their criminal activity, family relations, and peer relations in comparison with other highly antisocial youths. In a 2 (Gang Membership) x 2 (Ethnicity: Hispanic-American vs. Caucasian) design, 131 incarcerated male juvenile offenders were administered a battery assessing criminal activity, family relations, and peer relations. Results demonstrated (a) higher rates of criminal behavior (i.e., general delinquency, index offenses, school delinquency) among gang members than among offenders who did not belong to gangs, (b) higher rates of general delinquency and home delinquency among Caucasian offenders than among Hispanic-American offenders, and (c) greater aggression and less social maturity in the peer relations of gang members than in the peer relations of offenders who did not belong to gangs. In addition, gang membership mediated sociocultural differences in hard drug use. Findings are integrated with the extant literature.
The convergent validity of the two most frequently used methods for assessing violent offending in juveniles (i.e., self-reports and arrests) was evaluated. Participants were 87 serious juvenile offenders and their maternal figures, primarily from disadvantaged families. Validation measures tapped established behavioral, family, and peer correlates of delinquency. Results failed to support the ability of either arrests for violent crimes or self-reported violent offenses to index violent criminal behavior accurately. Several methodological features of the study support our hypothesis that the findings were not spurious. Procedural and conceptual implications of the findings are discussed.
The purpose of the current study was to explore the relationship between childhood depression and family functioning. 11 children with depression and 11 children without depression were compared via scores on the adaptability and cohesion dimensions of the FACES-III-K. Children with depression reported significantly less cohesive and more disengaged (displaying emotional separateness and lack of closeness) families than children without depression. Cohesion (the emotional bonding and individual autonomy of family members), but not adaptability, appears to be an important factor in the relationship between family functioning and childhood depression. Clinicians are advised to use treatments designed to help alleviate low family cohesion for children with depression.
The effects of multisystemic therapy (MST) in treating violent and chronic juvenile offenders and their families in the absence of ongoing treatment fidelity checks were examined. Across 2 public sector mental health sites, 155 youths and their families were randomly assigned to MST versus usual juvenile justice services. Although MST improved adolescent symptomology at posttreatment and decreased incarceration by 47% at a 1.7-year follow-up, findings for decreased criminal activity were not as favorable as observed on other recent trials of MST. Analyses of parent, adolescent, and therapist reports of MST treatment adherence, however, indicated that outcomes were substantially better in cases where treatment adherence ratings were high. These results highlight the importance of maintaining treatment fidelity when disseminating complex family-based services to community settings.
The associations of the mutual mother-child, father-child, and mother-father relationship and various patterns of family relations with child psychopathology were investigated in a sample of 137 families referred to outpatient mental health services. Assessment of the relative association of the different family dyads showed that both the mother-child and the mother-father relationship were related to child problem behaviour. However, whereas the mother-child relationship was consistently more related to externalising behaviour, the mother-father relationship was particularly related to internalising behaviour. Our findings gave clear support for the cumulative risk model: having more negatively qualified relationships was associated with more problem behaviour. Furthermore, our results suggested a protective influence of the parent-child relationship: having one or two positive parent-child relationships was associated with less problem behaviour. No support was found for the cross-generational coalition hypothesis. Implications for future research are discussed.
Considerable evidence suggests that there is a relationship between pathologic aggressive behavior and low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of the serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) in both humans and non-human primates. The purpose of this investigation is to examine the relationship between CSF concentrations of human newborn 5-HIAA and subsequent aggressive behavior observed at 30 months of age. Leftover portions of culture negative CSF drawn from febrile infants (age, birth to 3 months) were assayed for 5-HIAA. Family environment and child behavior were assessed at 30 months by parent report. Subjects with 5-HIAA levels below the median of the distribution had higher externalizing behavior scores at 30 months than did subjects whose 5-HIAA levels fell above the median (P = 0.02). While it is likely that serotonin mediates one component of genetic liability to antisocial outcome, the magnitude of that component may be less than what has been inferred from previously published reports.
To examine the concurrent correlates of internalizing and externalizing disorders among substance-abusing and substance-dependent juvenile offenders and to determine the association between psychiatric comorbidity and psychosocial functioning of the youths 16 months later.
Participants were 118 juvenile offenders meeting DSM-III-R criteria for substance abuse or dependence and their families. A multisource measurement battery was used to assess drug use, criminal activity, family relations, peer relations, school functioning, and out-of-home placements.
Comorbidity for externalizing disorders was associated with high rates of antisocial behavior and predicted worse 16-month outcomes than substance abuse alone or substance abuse with comorbid internalizing disorders. For criminal activity and drug use, the presence of internalizing disorders buffered the deleterious effect of externalizing disorders on substance-abusing and substance-dependent juvenile offenders.
Even in substance-abusing delinquents, a population already extreme in antisocial behavior, the presence of externalizing disorders indicates high risk for deterioration.
This study examined the individual functioning, interpersonal relations, and academic performance of 115 male juveniles who were divided into 5 demographically matched groups (sexual offenders with peer/adult victims, sexual offenders with child victims, violent nonsexual offenders, nonviolent nonsexual offenders, and nondelinquent youths). Parents and youths completed self-report instruments, behavior rating inventories, and a video-recorded interaction task, and teachers completed a rating measure. Results showed that juvenile sexual offenders, like juvenile nonsexual offenders, had more behavior problems, more difficulties in family and peer relations, and poorer academic performance than did nondelinquent youths. However, juvenile sexual offenders and nonsexual offenders did not differ on any of the measures of individual or interpersonal adjustment. The implications of these findings for research, theory, and treatment are discussed.
This study examined the individual functioning, family relations, and peer relations of 60 male adolescents who were divided into 4 demographically matched groups (sex offenders, assaultive offenders, nonviolent offenders, and nondelinquent controls). Mothers and adolescents completed self-report inventories and a video-taped interaction task, and teachers completed a rating measure. Results showed that assaultive offenders' family relations were characterized by rigidity and low cohesion and that their peer relations evidenced high levels of aggression. Nevertheless, assaultive offenders and their mothers reported little anxiety or interpersonal discomfort. In contrast, sex offenders and their mothers reported high rates of neurotic symptoms, and the peer relations of sex offenders showed relatively low levels of emotional bonding. Implications for research and emerging theories of delinquency are discussed.
Negative life events have been linked to physical and emotional problems in adolescents, but there is little research on factors that may modify the relationship between these events and adolescent health. We investigated contributions of personal, family, and peer resources in protecting adolescents from psychophysiological symptoms associated with negative life events. Participants were 123 new patients at an adolescent outpatient medical clinic. Results provided evidence that perceived personal efficacy, peer support, and family cohesion have direct effects on the symptom levels of males and females. For males, the interaction between peer support and negative life events indicated that peer support was a buffer against stress. For females, high peer support did not buffer stress, and low peer support was associated with high symptom levels regardless of frequency of negative life events. Low family cohesion was associated with high symptom levels for both males and females in the absence of negative life events, indicating that lack of family cohesion may itself be a stressor.
This study investigated the associations between important dimensions of family relations and the metabolic control of adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). Participants were 94 intact families (mother, father, and adolescent) of adolescents with IDDM. Metabolic control was determined by the adolescents’ level of HbA1c, and family relations were assessed with the Marital Adjustment Scale and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales-II. Although zero-order correlations showed that good metabolic control was associated with high family cohesion, family flexibility, and high marital satisfaction, hierarchical regression analyses revealed that these associations were considerably attenuated when participant demographic variables, especially the duration of IDDM, were controlled. Follow-up analyses showed that the associations between family relations and metabolic control were mediated by the duration of IDDM. Under conditions of short duration, there were strong associations between family relations and metabolic control. As duration lengthened, however, these associations decreased substantially. These results suggest that the associations between family relations and health are relatively complex in this sample of adolescents with IDDM.
Key words: insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), HbA1c, metabolic control, family relations, duration of IDDM, adolescents
Examined the relationship between family functioning and regimen knowledge, medication compliance, and disease activity for
children with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. A strong relationship was found across several measures of family functioning
and a self-monitoring index of medication compliance. Family functioning was not related to regimen knowledge or disease activity.
The implications of these findings for the continued study of chronically ill children are discussed.
Miscarriage is generally overlooked as a potentially disruptive stressor event. Little research has been done to identify its general magnitude of disruption or the speed of individual recovery. One hundred two randomly selected Midwestern women were surveyed about their experience with miscarriage. It was found that family resource variables were a much stronger predictor of level of crisis and recovery than were personal or community resource variables. Specifically, adaptation and cohesion were significant in predicting speed of recovery and level of crisis, respectively. Additionally, suggestions were made about dealing with miscarriage before, during, and after it occurs.
In this study 28 stepfamilies were compared with 28 first-marriage families on family functioning and the quality of the stepfather-adolescent relationship. As hypothesized, ratings by the mother, father or stepfather, and adolescent indicated lower family cohesion and adaptability and lower quality in the male parent-adolescent relationship in stepfamilies. Quality of the mother-adolescent relationship and marital satisfaction did not differ by family type. Length of remarriage, amount and quality of contact with the biological father, and adolescent gender were not related to stepfamily functioning. Implications of these findings are discussed.
The FACES instrument, based on Olson's Circumplex Model of family functioning, was administered to 96 adolescent drug-abuse clients and their parents. The majority of these families categorized themselves as “disengaged” (rather than “enmeshed) on the cohesion dimension, and as “rigid” (rather than “chaotic”) on the adaptability dimension. These findings were unexpected as they were substantially different from published findings on families with other types of problems. Family therapists, utilizing Olson's Clinical Rating Scale for the Circumplex Model, characterized significantly more of these same families as “enmeshed,” rather than “disengaged.” rather than “disengaged.” Possible explanations for the difference between the therapists' perceptions and the families' self-perceptions are discussed.
Longitudinal research involves study, over time, of a group of people, or of samples from the same population, using records, interviews, or both. Studies which extend over a long period, which are prospective, and which include interviews with the subjects are especially useful. The longitudinal method has been used to investigate criminal careers, especially the incidence and prevalence of official delinquency at different ages, the peak age for convictions, the relationship between juvenile delinquency and adult crime, and offense specialization. It has also been used to predict the onset of convictions, recidivism, and the ending of criminal careers; to study the effects of penal treatments and other events such as marriage on delinquency; and to investigate the transmission of criminality from one generation to the next. Longitudinal and cross-sectional methods each have a part to play in research into crime and delinquency and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Major methodological questions concern the relative value of prospective versus retrospective research, and of interviews versus official records. Practical problems of longitudinal surveys include funding, staffing, attrition, and ethical issues. More prospective longitudinal research projects, including interviews, should be undertaken to provide basic information about the natural history of delinquent behavior and about the progression of detected offenders through the criminal justice system.
This study assessed intrafamily agreement and family member-observer agreement concerning three dimensions of family relations. Subjects included 130 normal families and 135 families of deliquents. Analyses revealed that the members' reports showed low-moderate agreement about the quality of family relations and that family disturbance was not generally related to intrafamily agreement. Although individual member's ratings of family relations showed some association with social desirability, especially for members of disturbed families, there was little change in the magnitudes of intrafamily correlations when social desirability was partialed out. In addition, there was very low agreement between the reports of individual family members and observers who rated family interaction. It is suggested that investigators and clinicians should be cautious about generalizing from the perceptions of one family member to the rest of the family and that multimethod evaluations may provide more useful data than those derived from either self-report or observational methods alone.
This book reviews studies of the correlates of delinquent behavior that have been published in the psychological, sociological, and psychiatric literatures. The book focuses on the empirical findings in these literatures, rather than on discussions of the numerous theoretical models that have guided research.
Several chapters address important areas of research that have been largely neglected by previous reviewers. Studies by researchers who have recently developed multidimensional causal models of delinquent behavior are examined in Chapter 4. In Chapter 5 the correlates of delinquent behavior in female adolescents are reviewed. And the small extant literatures regarding the correlates of sexual offending and violent offending are examined in Chapter 6.
Chapters 7 and 8 examine treatments that focus on individual adolescent offenders and treatments that focus on important systems of the offenders, respectively. . . . Finally, methodological and conceptual recommendations for future research are presented in Chapter 9. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This paper updates the theoretical work on the Circumplex Model and provides revised and new hypotheses. Similarities and contrasts to the Beavers Systems Model are made along with comments regarding Beavers and Voeller's critique. FACES II, a newly revised assessment tool, provides both “perceived” and “ideal” family assessment that is useful empirically and clinically.
This study compared clinical rating scales and self-report scales from the McMaster and Circumplex models of family functioning. Forty-one families were given self-report measures, while clinicians assessed the families using clinical rating scales. There are three main findings: (a) The McMaster instruments have superior sensitivity (i.e., ability to correctly identify clinical families based on instrument scores); (b) there is greater correspondence between clinical rating scales and family member self-report inventories on the McMaster instruments; (c) there is lack of support for the curvilinear model of pathology suggested by the Circumplex model, as evidenced by unequal and linear distribution of scores on the Circumplex dimensions.
The conceptual clustering of numerous concepts from family therapy and other social science fields reveals two significant dimensions of family behavior, cohesion and adaptability. These two dimensions are placed into a circumplex model that is used to identify 16 types of marital and family systems. The model proposes that a balanced level of both cohesion and adaptability is the most functional to marital and family development. It postulates the need for a balance on the cohesion dimension between too much closeness (which leads to enmeshed systems) and too little closeness (which leads to disengaged systems). There also needs to be a balance on the adaptability dimension between too much change (which leads to chaotic systems) and too little change (which leads to rigid systems). The model was developed as a tool for clinical diagnosis and for specifying treatment goals with couples and families.
Methodological issues confronting psychologists who conduct research with correctional populations are examined in 5 major areas: (a) the intrusion of values; (b) problems with trait-derived methodologies in correctional population research, including inadequate construct validity, ignoring environmental influences, and ignoring Ss; (c) naturalness and the problem of external validity; (d) recidivism; and (e) ethics. General recommendations are offered for each section. (3 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Young adolescent (10-15 year old) survivors of childhood cancer and their families (n = 35) completed self-report measures of perceived self-competence, social support, child behavior, parental distress, and family adaptability and cohesion, at two data points, 6 months apart. Relative to instrument norms and a comparison group (n = 13), survivors and their families scored within normative levels. The overall lack of group differences is discussed in terms of the implications of tests of the null hypothesis for families with chronically ill children. Changes over time for the survivors suggest a decline in available social support. Parents of survivors who received educational assistance reported less family adaptability and more distress than parents of survivors not receiving these services.
Adaptability, cohesion, and communication patterns were studied in 30 families of learning-handicapped adolescents and 30 families of nonhandicapped adolescents. Parent and adolescent perspectives on each of these variables were solicited. The results indicated that adolescents in each of these groups had similar perspectives on adaptability, cohesion, and communication. The parents of the learning-handicapped adolescents, however, felt that their families were less cohesive and had lower levels of communication about problems than did their offspring. When levels of communication were related to adaptability and cohesion, it was evident for both groups that the families with high reported cohesiveness had the most positive communication patterns. Additionally, adolescents rated their families higher on communication if they also perceived a greater amount of flexibility in adaptation.
The relation between family systems and child symptomatology was examined among children aged 6 to 11 and adolescents aged 12 to 16 who had been referred for clinical services. On the basis of an assessment of family cohesion and adaptability, the families were divided into three groups: extreme, midrange, and balanced. Problem behaviors were assessed with a symptoms checklist, and the child's self-esteem was also measured. Families in the balanced range had children with fewer symptoms than did midrange or extreme families; this relation was less strong among families with adolescents. Self-esteem and symptoms were negatively correlated in these samples. Self-esteem did not moderate the relation between systems and symptoms but was independently related to family functioning. These results suggest the operation of bilateral processes within the family that link cohesion and adaptability, on the one hand, with low self-esteem and indications of psychopathology, on the other.
A total of 84 male and female adolescents were surveyed for SFS, family systemic functioning, and four types of social stress (Induced Transitions, Daily Hassles, Developmental Transitions, and Circumscribed Life Events) in relation to level of antisocial and delinquent behavior to determine the individual and cumulative effect of these psychosocial predictors. Univariate analyses indicated that perceived and Desired Family Cohesion, Daily Hassles, Circumscribed Life Events, and Developmental Transitions correlated significantly with reported antisocial and delinquent behavior, but SES and gender did not. Multivariate analyses affirmed that SES was of little use in understanding such behavior, at least among the general population, and that family functioning and social stress contributed interactively. Desired Cohesion was the most reliable indicator, with other family and stress variables' importance differing for males and females. These findings suggest that a family's ability to support each other and to harness that support to cope with transitions and stress during adolescence relates to a lower level of antisocial behavior.
Attempted to explain the criminal offenses, particularly criminal violence, of 60 violent and 60 nonviolent prisoners, by investigating their attachment to and relationships with their families. Dependent variables were total number of offenses and the number of violent offenses. Independent variables included a number of indices representing aspects of family life (e.g., income, shopping, playing with the children). Data indicate that the independent variables had little to do with amount of violence; rather, they explained the type of violence engaged in. Attachment to family was negatively associated with impulsive violence, and parents who were described as impunitive were positively associated with relatively planned violence. Thus questions concerning childhood socialization may be less valid than questions about present behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Two basis assumptions of the Circumplex Model of family systems were evaluated: Healthy families evidence balanced degrees of cohesion and adaptability, whereas problem families evidence extreme degrees, and families with balanced degrees of cohesion and adaptability possess more positive communication skills than families with extreme degrees. Subjects were 58 mother-son dyads from father-absent families. In 29 of the families the adolescent was a juvenile offender, while in the remaining families there was no history of arrest or psychiatric referral. The dyads completed the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales (FACES) and an unrevealed differences interaction task. FACES was highly proficient at differentiating delinquent from nondelinquent families. Moreover, in families with balanced degrees of cohesion and adaptability, the mothers' communication was significantly more supportive and explicit, and the dyads evidenced significantly greater warmth and affection than dyads with extreme degrees.
An empirical examination of the association between instruments measuring the Beavers-Timberlawn Model of family competence and the Circumplex Model of adaptability and cohesion is presented. Even when triangulated measures were utilized to control for the divergent methods of data collection traditionally employed to operationalize these models of family health, family competence as measured by the Beavers-Timberlawn Family Evaluation Scales was either minimally (mothers) or not associated at all (fathers and children) with balanced and thereby optimal dimensions of adaptability and cohesion as measured by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales. Methodological and substantive explanations for the surprising lack of association between measures of these two prominent family assessment models are explored and short- and long-range implications for the growth and practice of family therapy are discussed.
Studies on the stability of antisocial and delinquent behavior are reviewed, showing that children who initially display high rates of antisocial behavior are more likely to persist in this behavior than children who initially show lower rates of antisocial behavior. Evidence is presented that chronic delinquents, compared with nonchronic or nondelinquent individuals, tend to have been children who were antisocial in more than 1 setting, who displayed a higher variety of antisocial behaviors, and who showed an early onset of such behaviors. Once high levels of antisocial behavior have been established, youths tend to maintain such levels rather than to revert to lower levels of antisocial behavior. Studies suggest that more children drift into higher levels of antisocial behavior than revert to a lower level. Patterns of antisocial behavior tend to change during preadolescence and adolescence: the number of youths who engage in overt antisocial acts (fighting, disobedience, etc.) declines between ages 6 and 16, whereas in that period the number of youths who engage in covert antisocial acts (theft, alcohol and drug use, etc.) increases. Implications are discussed for the early identification of chronic offenders.
This paper updates the theoretical work on the Circumplex Model and provides revised and new hypotheses. Similarities and contrasts to the Beavers Systems Model are made along with comments regarding Beavers and Voeller's critique. FACES II, a newly revised assessment tool, provides both "perceived" and "ideal" family assessment that is useful empirically and clinically.
The stability of antisocial and delinquent child behavior A review Socialization in the context of the family: Parent-child interaction
- R Loeber
- E E Maccoby
- J A Martin
Loeber, R. (1982). The stability of antisocial and delinquent child behavior A review. Child Development, 53, 1431-1446. FACES 63 Maccoby, E. E., & Martin, J. A. (1983). Socialization in the context of the family: Parent-child interaction. In E. M. Hetherington (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol. 4. Socialization, personality, and social development (pp. 1-101). New York: Wiley.
Family therapy and beyond: A multisystemic approach to treating the behavior problems of children and adolescents
- S W Henggeler
- C M Borduin
- S. W. Henggeler
Juvenile justice and the family: A systems approach to family assessment
- J E Mcgaha
- D G Fournier
- J. E. McGaha
Families of the slums
- S Minuchin
- B Montalvo
- B G Guerney
- B C Rosman
- F Schumer
- S. Minuchin
Family and delinquency: Resocializing the young offender
- L L Geismar
- K Wood
- L. L. Geismar
The four-factor index of social status. Unpublished manuscript
- A B Hollingshead
- A. B. Hollingshead
Delinquency: Its roots, careers, and prospects
- D J West
- D. J. West