Program Outcomes for Parents & Families

Families

Spirituality

Bibliography

Benson, P. L. and Roehlkepartain, E. C. (1993). Youth in single parent families: Risk and resiliency. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. 360462.

Abstract: Data from the Search Institute's national study of 47,000 students are examined to gain greater insight into how family structure impacts young people. The authors focus on three issues: at-risk behavior, deficits, and the dynamics of healthy single-parent families that contribute to child resiliency. Although youth in single parent families were found to be more likely to report engaging in high-risk behaviors than youth in two-parent families, they also reported a number of "assets" which seemed to make a difference in their and foster resiliency. Those assets included support from family, positive school climate, positive peer influence, educational aspiration, and involvement in religious institutions.

Abstract: Respondents from nine Latin American countries who considered their families to be strong answered the Family Strengths Inventory, an instrument designed to measure factors contributing to healthy family functioning. The six most frequently mentioned factors were 1) love and affection, 2) family togetherness, 3) understanding and acceptance, 4) mutual respect and appreciation, 5) communication/relationship skills, and 6) religion. A majority of the respondents also indicated high marital satisfaction, high parent-child relationship satisfaction, high self-esteem within the family, and frequent contact with extended family.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the coping strategies predictive of family strengths in Hispanic, African-American, and Caucasian families of young children with and without disabilities. Two hundred six Hispanic, African-American, and Caucasian mothers completed the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale (F COPES) and the Family Strengths Questionnaire. Differences in coping strategies and family strengths between and within ethnic groups were examined. The results indicated that coping strategies internal to the family (i.e., reframing events to make them more manageable and minimizing reactivity to problematic issues) were more likely to be predictive of family strengths than external coping strategies (i.e., social support) for families in all three ethnic groups. Within the group of Hispanic families (those with and without children with disabilities), no differences were found in coping strategies and family strengths. The only difference found between African American families of children with and without disabilities was found in the use of external social support. Specifically, African-American families of children with disabilities were more likely to mobilize the family to acquire help from community resources. Many differences were found among Caucasian families. Caucasian families of children with disabilities were more likely to use the coping strategies of minimizing reactivity to problematic issues, social support, spiritual support, and mobilizing the family to acquire help from community services.

Abstract: The characteristics of healthy single parent families are examined using factors identified in the research literature on healthy two-parent nuclear families. Attention is given to the following variables: social support, socioeconomic status, communication, degree of religiousness, and problem solving ability. The author sought to determine whether or not these variables were related to the physical and mental health of single parents and their children. Social support and good communication were found to be most predictive of the single parents' physical and mental health. Social support, good communication, and religiousness emerged as predictors of the physical and mental health of the children. Socioeconomic status and problem solving ability were not strongly related to parents' or children's physical and mental health.

Abstract: Fifty-three African American parents were interviewed concerning their perceptions of their parenting strengths. Related areas also examined were parenting support from external caregivers and the contribution African American men make to the care of children. Results revealed 3 trends and 8 themes that contributed to parenting strengths. The 3 themes that emerged were substantial parental involvement, considerable support from external caregivers, and a great deal of male involvement. The most often cited themes were connection with family, emphasis on achievement, respect for others, spirituality, self-reliance, importance of education, coping skills, and self respect and racial pride. The implications of these findings for social work and family practice are discussed.

Abstract: The authors define family strengths as "those relationship patterns, interpersonal competencies, and social and psychological characteristics that create a sense of positive family identity." Four strengths of African-American families are identified: 1) religion and spirituality, 2) household elasticity (the taking in of family members and friends who need financial and/or emotional support), 3) resiliency in the face of adversity, and 4) family members' strong sense of self and heritage. These strengths are considered functionally adaptive and have developed in response to adverse external conditions. The authors apply various conceptual and theoretical perspectives such as exchange theory and the structural functional model in their analysis of the resiliency of African-American family patterns in an effort to explain the adaptive nature of these patterns. Methodological issues are also addressed. The authors argue that flawed sampling procedures can result in a distorted image of African-Americans and stress the importance of including African-American families of all class levels. Interviewer characteristics should also be a concern. Interviewers of the same racial back ground as the respondents are more likely to collect valid data and approach topics in a racially sensitive manner. The authors also suggest greater collection of qualitative data rather than quantitative data arguing that qualitative approaches provide more richly detailed data. Their recommendations for future research include cross-cultural comparisons of family strengths, theory development through interrelating the concepts presented in the family strengths literature, and a greater focus on African-American family stability and cultural identity.

Abstract: Theory-based proposal integrating Stinnett and DeFrain's family strengths model. This article presents a model of family strengths which attempts to address the lack of integration of concepts in the family strengths literature by illustrating how these concepts are related to one another. An analysis of the contents of several family strengths articles revealed six family strengths which seem to be interrelated: religious orientation, appreciation, time together, open communication, and conflict/crisis coping or resolution. Religious orientation is considered the "prime mover" variable in the model because it indirectly influences all the other variables, however, it is not a necessary and sufficient cause of the other five family strength variables. The author believes that the proposed model lays the groundwork for family strengths theory development and contends that all the relationships in the model can be empirically tested. The model is applicable to the area of family therapy and can be used by clinicians to pinpoint areas where improvement is needed in families seeking treatment.

Abstract: This article focuses specifically on family ministry in Protestant denominations, the religious groups with which the author is most familiar. The author believes that the family ministry is well suited for the promotion of family wellness due to its focus on the importance of the family to its members, to society, and to God. Family ministry treats individuals as family members and views families as social units. Consideration is also given to the environmental factors that impact families and there is a recognition of family potential as well as family problems. The author recommends the development of ministries focusing on many different family concerns such as communication, sexuality, marriage preparation, and parenthood. The author also suggests a family life cycle approach with a focus on ten developmental tasks. Healthy family functioning, marriage, and sexuality were also noted as areas in which family ministry should devote special attention. Suggestions for implementation include professional training for church leaders, involving family members in the development of programs, and forging relationships with other religious groups and community agencies.

Abstract: The authors, who have been studying healthy families since the 1970s, discuss the six qualities of strong families consistently found in their studies: commitment, appreciation, communication, time together, spiritual wellness, and the ability to cope with stress and crisis. The authors argue that commitment binds the members of a family together and may act as the foundation for the other five family strengths. Committed family members consider the family their first priority and invest a great deal of time and energy in family activities. Appreciation is the expression of gratitude between family members. The authors suggest following the 10 to 1 rule: expressing appreciation for something positive a family member does at least 10 times for each negative thing you say. Communication in healthy families entails discussing major as well as trivial issues. Discussions are often task oriented and members are intent on getting problems solved. The communication patterns in strong families are characterized by factors like understanding the other person's view and breaking down problems into logical components. Members of strong families enjoy time with one another engaging in activities such as eating together, house hold chores, outdoor recreation, and church. Religion or spiritual wellness is important in many strong families. The authors describe it as a unifying force that promotes sharing, love, and compassion. Strong families successfully cope with stress and crisis and are creative and adaptable in the face of adversity. Their coping resources include pulling together, seeking help for their problems, and openly expressing emotion. The authors list and suggest reading the work of researchers like Otto and Olson whose findings are similar. They also recommend using family strengths concepts in parent education and programming.

Abstract: Husbands and wives from families in all regions of the country were obtained through a news release announcing a National Study on Family Strengths. Four hundred thirty eight respondents from 283 families completed and returned the Family Strengths Inventory, an instrument designed to measure the components the contribute to family strengths. Five factors emerged as the most important family strengths: love (14.2%), religion (10.9%), respect (9.8%), communication (9.1%), and individuality (9.0%). When asked what activities served to make their families strong, the most frequently mentioned were enjoying the outdoors together (12.5%), vacations (10.3%), attending church (9.6%), sports (8.6%), and eating together (8.6%). A majority of the respondents reported that they enjoyed a very high or high degree of happiness in their relationships with their spouses and children. Husband wife and parent-child relationships were also shown to involve a very high degree of commitment (84% for husband wife relationships and 77.4% for parent-child relationships). Understanding (61.3%), commitment (15.4%), communication (12.0%), and love (11.9%) were the most important factors contributing to marital satisfaction. The factors that were found to contribute to parent-child relationship satisfaction were love (16.9%), communication (14.7%), and understanding wants and needs (8.9%). Most of the respondents reported that they contributed to their spouse's good feelings about self (81.8%) and that their spouses did the same for them (71.8%). Knowledge of the components of family strengths can be applied by counselors, educators, and ministers in the development of programs to strengthen family life. Further research should be conducted in these areas: strengths of families of different cultures, cross-cultural comparisons of family strengths, family strength scale development, and the use of the Family Strengths Inventory to study the differences between strong and weak families.

Abstract: This article promotes a focus on family strengths instead of family problems or pathology. Many studies conducted by the author and his colleagues have provided information about strong families. Six qualities of strong families consistently emerged in this research: appreciation, spending time together, commitment, good communication patterns, a high degree of religious orientation, and the ability to deal with crises in a positive manner. The ways in which knowledge of the characteristics of strong families can be used in the development of programs to increase family satisfaction are discussed.

Abstract: Sixty-six married couples responded to a questionnaire consisting of primarily open-ended questions pertaining to family reactions and attitudes towards crises and the resources used in the coping process. The study reveals that most of the strong families perceived crises as growth experiences and the family unit itself became a major resource in coping with crises through open communication and cooperative effort. Religion also played a central role in the coping process.

Abstract: Husbands and wives from across the country responded to the Family Strengths Inventory, an instrument designed to measure components of family life that contribute to family strengths. Five factors emerged as the most important family strengths: love, religion, respect, communication, and individuality. These same factors were considered by the respondents to be important in husband-wife and parent-child relationships. The majority of the respondents also reported that they enjoyed a high degree of satisfaction in their relationships with their spouses and their children. Spending quality time together was found to be important in the areas of family relationships and strengths.

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