AbstractIn this article, assumptions relating to child custody mediation are presented and analyzed. These assumptions, when not acknowledged as such, can threaten the process and outcome of custody mediation. To help mediators effectively address these assumptions in practical settings, a group of strategies are also offered. Finally, a process model for conceptualizing child custody disputes is provided, which serves as a framework for understanding the interrelationships of these assumptions and strategies.
Researchers have begun examining changes in recreational marijuana use among emerging adults (EAs), however, no studies have examined the influence of parents on EA children's marijuana use due to legalization. We sought to address this gap by using a 2019 cross-sectional online survey of 404 EA students (18–25 years; M = 20.7, SD = 1.9) about their behavioral observations and conversations with parents regarding recreational marijuana legalization in a western U.S. state. Significant increases in reports of parent communication and observed use, as well as EA attitudes and use were found post-legalization. Evaluation of two structural equation models (with configural invariance versus construct-level metric invariance) suggest that the more constrained model did not fit worse and that the relationships between parent communication and modeling are significantly related to EA attitudes and use pre- and post-legalization. Results indicate that parental socialization plays an important role in recreational marijuana attitudes and use among EA children.
Teen parents often experience difficulty in achieving their educational and career aspirations. The study reported here identified the sources and types of support that teen parents consider most useful in reaching these goals. The teens rated relatives as the most helpful source of support and government assistance programs as least helpful. The most useful types of support included having consistent childcare, while establishing good relationships with parents of the father of their child and obtaining government resources were least helpful. Extension professionals are in a unique position to collaborate with schools and community agencies to help teen parents obtain necessary supports.
This study investigated factors associated with gang involvement among rural and urban adolescents. The data were derived from a large self-report survey (N = 2,183) of 7th through 12th grade Nevada students. Surprisingly, there was no significant difference in gang membership or pressure to join gangs between the rural and urban samples. There were differences, however, on other gang and violence indicators between the rural and urban settings. Overall, urban students were significantly more likely to report they had friends in gangs and were threatened by gangs, and had significantly heightened concerns for personal safety, gangs, and violence in their schools and communities. Several rural/urban gender-related differences also were found. Implications for rural communities, prevention and intervention programming, and future research are discussed.
AbstractAlthough all romantic relationships experience stress, some thrive when faced with adversity while others are unable to manage the inevitable relationship ups and downs. Rather than seeing stress as a risk factor, this study applied a Salutogenic framework, which posits that stress is a naturally occurring and potentially beneficial part of relationships, to develop a new measure of relationship health and well‐being. In Study 1, we created and tested a self‐report Relationship Sense of Coherence (RSOC) scale. Study 2 demonstrated evidence of convergent reliability for the RSOC. In Study 3, we tested the RSOC in a two‐wave sample of romantically‐involved individuals with a chronic health condition. Guidelines for use and implications for future research are discussed.
The current study explored how a variety of family-of-origin experiences are related to individuals' infidelity history. A survey was completed by 294 participants and we found that parental infidelity, parental marital status, parental conflict, and parental marital satisfaction were associated with the likelihood of offspring having ever engaged in infidelity. When considered together, parent infidelity and parent satisfaction were uniquely related to offspring infidelity. Additionally, parental marital status moderated the relationship between parent infidelity and offspring infidelity, as individuals who experienced neither event were particularly unlikely to have ever engaged in infidelity. Little evidence was found that individuals' infidelity beliefs were linked with their family-of-origin experiences or their own infidelity behavior. Results indicate that family-of-origin experiences are related to individuals' infidelity behavior, a finding that has implications for future research as well as clinical intervention.
AbstractThe current research tested whether the concept of infidelity is prototypically organized and whether laypeople's conceptualizations of infidelity are consistent with how researchers have operationalized this construct. Across 4 studies, results indicated that infidelity is indeed prototypically organized as individuals are able to list and rate how central certain features are to the infidelity construct. Furthermore, there was evidence that the centrality ratings influenced how individuals processed information in a series of memory tasks and narratives about infidelity experiences. Laypeople are less likely than researchers to consider the presence of particular behaviors (i.e., flirting, kissing, and sexual intercourse) as defining qualities of infidelity. Instead, laypeople focus more on the concealment of behaviors and the resulting emotional fallout from infidelity.
AbstractObjectiveDrawing on a feminist framework and social cognitive theory, we examine parental communications about sexual and relationship violence and gendered patterns of communication.BackgroundLimited research has examined parental communication about sexual and relationship violence, a concern given that parental communication influences children's sexual beliefs in other domains.MethodParticipants were 438 university students who responded to three prompts about parental communication regarding sexual and relationship violence (n = 368 who provided responses). A content analysis was performed to categorize responses. Participants also responded to four subscales about parental communication.ResultsMost participants reported parent communication about consent, sexual assault, and unhealthy relationships. Women and men reported receiving similar, accurate definitions of consent. Women received messages about monitoring behaviors, help‐seeking, and how to give consent as well as messages that encouraged bodily autonomy, emphasized that sexual assault is not the victim's fault, and deemed physical and emotional abuse unacceptable. Men received messages that sexual assault is wrong, that consent is important, and about how to obtain consent.ConclusionsCollectively, these findings highlight that although parents are communicating important messages about consent, many are also reinforcing gendered sexual scripts.ImplicationsImplications for education about parental communication and future directions for research are discussed.
AbstractObjectiveThe goal of this study was to explore the messages young adults received from their parents about sexual morality.BackgroundResearch on parent–child communication about sexuality has shown that parents are likely to convey moral messages about sex, however, little is known about the content of these messages.MethodYoung adults (N = 350) were surveyed about parent–child communication as part of a larger study (N = 425). This paper focuses on perceptions of messages about sexual morality young adults believe they received from their parents while growing up.ResultsResults indicate parents may unknowingly be providing gendered information reinforcing sexual scripts. Specifically, women are differentially taught about relationship structures (e.g., marriage), abstinence, consent, avoidance of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, contraception, and autonomy, while also receiving disproportionately more mixed, unclear messages than men.ConclusionsEmerging adult recollections on parent–child discussions tended to be general in scope and lacked the specificity that could inform sexual knowledge and behaviors.ImplicationsThese thematic messages related to sexual morality can be utilized to inform sexual education and parent education programs related to sexuality, sexual knowledge, and communication. Lack of comprehensive sexual education and parent–child discussions may have implications for health and well‐being.
