Relationships & Marriage: Guides and Handbooks

Explores current issues surrounding adoption in the United States, milestones in adoption history, and individuals who have profoundly affected child welfare and adoption philosophies and practices.

This excellent guide to the history of the American family is composed of 11 chapters written by recognized authorities in the field. The first two chapters deal with the relative recency of the history of the family as a scholarly discipline and the various methodologies for study. The next five chapters divide the subject into chronological periods, from preindustrial times to the post-WW II era. The final four chapters address the special topics of women and the family, African American families, Native American families, and immigrant working-class families. Each chapter consists of a scholarly bibliographic essay that develops the topic and is supported by a lengthy list of references from both books and articles. More than 1,000 entries are included in the selected bibliography at the end of the book. A comprehensive index by subject and author's name is also included. Recent reference works on the family have addressed sociological, psychological, or even criminological aspects; this work on the history of the family is unique and very well done. The readable essays and extensive bibliography put this title on a high priority. c. American Library Association

This reference for students in high school and up surveys the literature and other resources on the causes, treatment, and prevention of childhood sexual abuse, and directs readers to sources for further research. The reference contains a detailed chronology, biographical sketches, facts and data, documents and other primary source material, a directory of organizations and agencies, and annotated lists of print and nonprint resources. Kinnear is a professional researcher who has written other reference books on women's and children's issues. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Askeland (English, Wittenberg University) provides an introductory resource on adoption and foster care as it has been practiced in the US. This collection of original essays reviews the practice of adoption, orphanage placement, and foster care from the colonial period to the present, with a focus on 20th-century issues such as interracial and international adoption. Primary documents and a 40- page bibliography are included. The book will be useful to students, social workers, and general readers. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Provides basic consumer health information about the physical, mental, and social effects of violence against intimate partners, children, teens, parents, and the elderly, along with prevention and intervention strategies. Includes index, glossary of related terms and directory of resources.

Leading scholars in multiple disciplines review the many possible permutations of relationship termination, including variations dependent factors such as legal status, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation. The essays focus on the often-neglected processes that occur during the relationship, including infidelity and disaffection, and cover the legal and policy aspects of divorce. The authors also address mediation, educational programs for parents experiencing divorce, and the demographics and historical aspects of divorce. Commentaries from Alan Booth, Robert Weiss and Ellen Berscheid provide an overview of the field and recommendations for future research and policy directions. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Offers a blueprint for addressing some of the most important measurement issues in family research. This book points out potential pitfalls for researchers and students who may not be familiar with data quality issues. It contributes to the field of family research, serving as a useful resource for scholars.

Helping children who have been sexually abused and their families recover is difficult and often complicated by the same factors that caused the abuse in the first place. This guide provides information on assessment, management, prevention and policy to professionals and families. It starts with the history of abuse from early civilization to recently, then defines what child and adolescent sexual abuse really is, you prevalent it is and associated risk and protection factors, theoretical explanations and ethnic assumptions behind family dysfunction that leads to abuse, intrafamilial abuse, abuse committed outside the family, current empirical assessment methods, treatment for the sexually abused child and adolescent, treatment for non-offending caregivers, prevention and policy and practice implications. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

In common formats designed to facilitate comparison, social scientists from around the world describe typical families in 25 countries in Africa, Asia and the South Pacific, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. After introductions, chapters generally contain sections on family formation, fertility and socialization, gender, marriage, stresses and violence, divorce and remarriage, kinship, aging and death, family and other institutions, and special topics. In any particular case, a section may be omitted if the author has no expertise and cannot find reliable information, or if the topic is sufficiently covered in the introduction. Overall trends visible are the rise in divorce and decline in fertility, changing gender roles, and declining respect by children for their elders. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Brittain (manager, Education and Professional Development, American Humane Association) and Hunt, a licensed clinical social worker, provide child protective services (CPS) workers with essential knowledge and skills in this reference that can serve as both a daily guide for workers and a training tool for supervisors and administrators. Covering such issues as assessment, intervention, child development, and the legal framework, the handbook equips CPS professionals and students to follow the casework process from intake through case closure with step-by-step instructions and examples. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Reprints documents and excerpts from publications issued by U.S. government agencies and non-profit organizations on the neglect and physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children and adolescents. The 68 chapters describe the actions that constitute different types of maltreatment, identify the risk indicators and warning signs of sexually victimized youth, and explain the help available for children experiencing abuse. Previously published in 2004, the second edition adds nine chapters on positive parenting, such as anger management, good sportsmanship, and bullying. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Presents statistical tables that attempt to create a comprehensive picture of children's health and education worldwide, in addition to looking at their family, social, and economic lives. Statistics for every nation in the world are presented, where available. The material is broadly organized into sections on demographics and vital statistics; education; health and nutrition; disease, hunger, and malnutrition; HIV/AIDS; economics; family, social environment, and behavior; and crime, violence, and war. Also included are a number of documents from international bodies related to child and human rights conventions and agreements. Age ranges used in the book depend on data sources that utilize differing definitions of the term "child." Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Provides primary source documents focused family in society in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Contains approximately 175 full or excerpted documents---speeches, legislation, magazine and newspaper articles, essays, memoirs, letters, interviews, novels, songs, and works of art---as well as overview information that places each document in context. International in scope.

A focus on leading social issues of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Each title contains approximately 175 full or excerpted documents---speeches, legislation, magazine and newspaper articles, essays, memoirs, letters, interviews, novels, songs, and works of art---as well as overview information that places each document in context.

Examines theoretical and methodological issues influencing current conceptions of family, research and theory on the family life course, communication in family forms, individual family members and their relationships, and family communication embedded in social, cultural, and physical contexts.

These reports include Pennsylvania Profiles, describing policy implications of data on child well-being, explaining changes and significance of all data elements, and summarizing state-level data.

The Handbook of Family Psychology provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical underpinnings and established practices relating to family psychology. Provides a thorough orientation to the field of family psychology for clinicians. Includes summaries of the most recent research literature and clinical interventions for specific areas of interest to family psychology clinicians. Features essays by recognized experts in a variety of specialized fields.