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.
The number of children born in the U.S. to nonmarried parents is increasing, and these children are at risk of deleterious outcomes. However, little is known about relationships between unmarried fathers and mothers. Based on a review of extant empirical research and on a multilevel social systems theoretical framework, a practice model is proposed that identifies 12 key factors for further knowledge-development: child well-being, mother's well-being, father's well-being, mother–child relationship, father–child relationship, mother–father relationship, maternal extended family relationships, paternal extended family relationships, neighborhood characteristics, mother's family background, father's family background, and public services and institutional structures. Implications for multilevel approaches to social work practice include needed interventions at both macro and micro levels that address poverty, housing and neighborhood stabilization, employment, child care, human capital development, health and mental health services, family and individual counseling, and parenting skills. Further research must focus on this specific population of “fragile families,” including development and evaluation of effective policies, programs, and services.
This study reports on a triangulation strategy for assessing family interaction, involving family members, their therapist and coders independently viewing videotapes. Utilizing a standardized scale, the Beavers-Timberlawn Model of Family Competence, the study found weak agreement between paired assessments within the family triad, and within the therapist-coder dyad. I n addition, more complex scaling techniques such as composite "family scores" or discrepancy scores between family member dyads added no predictive power. The findings suggest that a l i m i t of concordance" may exist when comparing varying raters' assessments of a given family, and that methodological andlor scaling strategies designed to maximize agreement may be both fruitless and diversionary.
Differences and similarities in family and child functioning by family structure were studied in a child guidance clinic population. Single-parent families showed more social–environmental stress, and remarried families showed the highest number of within-family problems. Two-parent biological families reported the fewest problems and stressors. Although some similarities among families were found, the differences shown have important implications for practice.
Using all five axes of the DSM-III, this study explored variations by gender, race age, and socioeconomic status in diagnoses given to children at an outpatient child guidance clinic. Overall, boys, minorities, and low income children were more likely to receive the more serious diagnoses on the DSM-III and to be given the diagnoses that are least likely to go into remission with the passage of time. Alternative explanations for these findings of differences are discussed, and implications for practice and research are identified.
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