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Family is central to contemporary theories of delinquent and violent behavior. Yet, the processes by which families shape violent behavior in their children are not well understood. In the past, structural views posited that a weak family exposed a child to the evils of the street. More recently, functionalists have suggested that the family plays an active role in socializing youths to violent behaviors through supervision and discipline practices and modeling and reinforcement of antisocial behaviors. Integrated theories presume that socially disorganized families weaken children's conventional bonds and attachments, leading to associations with delinquent peers and in turn antisocial behavior. However, the influence of the family as a socializing environment may shift over time, and some suggest that its influence is overshadowed during adolescence by that of other social domains—schools, neighborhoods, peers, and work. This study describes the family processes and environments of (n = 98) chronically violent delinquents. Interviews with youths and their mothers assessed family social process and environments and the social domains and institutions with which they interact.Analyses of youth reports of family environments and processes yield three family types: "interactionist" families exhibiting a high degree of internal interaction and bonding; "hierarchical" families characterized by parental dominance and the presence of family bond and interaction patterns; and "antisocial" families marked by criminality and family violence. Family variables have weaker explanatory power than do other social influences on violent delinquency. The relative contributions of family supervision practices and school environment varied by crime type. Social influences outside the family appear as stronger contributors to delinquency and violence during adolescence, regardless of early childhood experiences. The results underscore the importance of integrating social policies regarding family, crime, and neighborhood.

Since the passage of the Pa Protection from Abuse Act in 1976, many states have enacted legislation to provide civil restraining orders for battered women. Offering a civil court alternative to criminal sanctions, these court-issued temporary or permanent orders direct an assailant to refrain from further abusive conduct. Interviews with abuse victims who had obtained restraining orders (N = 89) suggest that the orders are generally ineffective in reducing the rate of abuse or violence. However, in these cases, they were effective in reducing abuse for women with less serious histories of family violence or where the assailant was less violent in general. They were ineffective in stopping physical violence. Measures to improve restraining order mechanisms should: more clearly codify abuse & violence, improve access for those not married or cohabitating, streamline procedures & shorten waiting periods, address a full range of child-related concerns, strengthen sanctions, & mandate official responses to violations. Additionally, comprehensive legislation is needed to coordinate civil & criminal remedies. 4 Tables. Modified HA.

The struggles of low-wage workers have increasingly become the focus of public debate, legislative activity, and widespread advocacy. Advocacy can be viewed from the vantage point of claims-making, that is, how individuals and groups define and shape a social problem to influence policy. This paper describes the wage-related claims posted online by 17 experts who testified to a City Council Wage Review Committee in Pittsburgh. Our primary aim was to understand how experts constructed their claims; secondarily, we were interested in the rationales they offered for raising wages. We thematically analyzed the testimonies to identify how they shaped and defined their claims in favor of increasing wages. Experts described the challenges faced by minimum wage workers and their families as well as by the community. They cited economic considerations, social and economic justice concerns, and moral justifications for raising the minimum wage, often combining arguments. Social work advocates are important claims-makers, yet how they "speak truth to power" is not often systematically assessed. Our analysis suggests social work advocates must be prepared to provide multiple arguments and to put a human face to any data presented. Appeals should be made to both the heads and hearts of decision-makers, while keeping social and economic justice arguments front and center.

Many low-wage workers struggle to make ends meet despite working full-time. Surveys find that they confront material, financial, and medical hardships. This article presents hospital workers' descriptions of living on low wages, giving voice to their fears and challenges. These workers ( N = 156) testified to a city council-created Wage Review Committee, which posted the testimonies online. We qualitatively content-analyzed the testimonies to identify and describe their struggles. Hospital workers' testimonies brought depth and new understanding to arguments for raising wages. Low-wage workers can be effective advocates for their own interests.