This review began with an interest in treatment of child abuse and in how a study of social isolation might lend direction to treatment of abusing families. The literature leads one to believe that social isolation is somehow involved, but that the process is far from clear. The intent of this review is to synthesize the findings available on the relationship between social isolation and child abuse, to encourage further thought on how the concept of social isolation can be refined and operationalized, and to discuss the implications of that relationship for treatment and prevention of physical abuse. The information gained might assist those responsible for community programs to understand the role of social resources in the prevention of child abuse.

This study evaluated a physical activity-based residential treatment program. It explored the current literature on adolescent treatment implementing physical exercise with parental participation, specifically at residential treatment centers. While the current literature strongly supports physical exercise and family involvement in adolescent treatment, research on combining physical exercise with family involvement is insufficient at best. The data were obtained from Telos Residential Treatment Center, an all-boys treatment program that incorporates a triathlon into their treatment curriculum and keeps pre- and posttest scores of the Youth Outcome Questionnaire for their students as well as completed questionnaires from students' parents. Research questions addressed whether or not the pre- and posttest scores support Telos' treatment program in terms of standardized test scores as well as possible differences in outcomes based on parent participation in the triathlon. Missing data and data corruption were major flaws in the study, significantly limiting the sample size. Consequently, the research questions could not be tested appropriately; however, there were statistically significant relationships (p < .05) between pre and post scores of intrapersonal distress as well as scores from the Global Assessment of Functioning, with both scores indicating change in a positive direction. Cohen's d also showed change in the desired direction in regards to interpersonal relationships and somatic symptoms. Students of parents who did not participate in a triathlon showed more improvement in interpersonal relationships as well as in intrapersonal distress and somatic symptoms. Parents who trained and physically participated in at least a portion of the triathlon with their son attributed their sons' treatment gains to the emotional intensity of the triathlon more than nonparticipating parents. Contrary to expectation, however, they did not weigh their own participation in the triathlon as heavily as nonparticipating parents in explaining treatment gains, specifically in improvements in how they and their son perceive and experience each other.

It was early in the life of primitive man that he felt the need of a home to protect and shelter his family. This home, if he lived in the tropics, was a tree house or if he happened to be a mountaineer, a cave. In either case it consisted of one room only, where all the activities of the fmaily group took place. From this very primitive home we have a gradual evolution taking place until we have some of the convenient, well planned homes of today. They not only afford protection and shelter, but it is here that the child receives his first lessons in health, citizenship, and opportunities for self-expression. The effect of the home on the child is told by Ilse Forest, "Bad housing is a serious limitation upon the educational possibilities of the home with regard to the pre-school child; poor sanitary conditions directly endanger his physical health. Overcrowding, at best, encourages poor habits of living; at worst, it endangers morality; and it cannot fail to do some damage from the standpoint of hygeine". The influence of the home on its members cannot be overemphasized. "No external feature of man's life is more important to his growth in character and comfort than is his home," writes R. E. Thompson.

This study compared the goals of middle-aged student and non-student homemakers. Achieved, current and future goals were investigated. The student sample was composed of twenty-five married , female, full-time students between the ages of thirty and fifty enrolled at Utah State University and was matched with a non-student sample as closely as possible. At least one full year of college had been attained by all subjects before marriage. Data were collected through interviews conducted by the researcher during fall quarter, 1973. A non-directional t test was used to analyze the differences be tween the number of goals identified by both samples. Three hypotheses were tested. Analysis of the results failed to prove their validity, therefore, they could not be accepted. When the goals of the two groups of women were compared, few differences were found. Family goals were unanimously ranked as most important by both samples for all areas studied. Throughout this study the non-student sample seemed to have more goals, although not a significant difference, and to hold more conventional attitudes regarding the goals and roles of women than the student sample.

The purpose of this study was to determine children's awareness of environmental pollution and the effect of environmental education on the awareness of preschool children. Data for this study were collected by individually interviewing 20 preschool, 20 first grade and 20 third grade children. These 60 children were presented 15 colored slides and 9 words denoting various types of pollution and environmental symbols and slogans. The slides varied from litter on a beach, chimneys emitting black smoke, and polluted water to such environmental symbols as Smokey Bear, Johnny Horizon, and Woodsy Owl. In addition, the environmental symbols were also presented verbally, accompanied by such words as litter, pollution, and ecology. The children's responses were evaluated and used to indicate the effect of age and sex upon children's awareness, the relationship between children's responses to pictorial and verbal stimuli, and the effects of an environmental education program on the awareness of preschool children. The findings of this study indicate that there are differences in awareness of environmental pollution between d1fferent ages of children, but not between males and females. As children become older, there is both an increasing awareness of environmental pollution and an increasing correlation between the recognition of visual and verbal stimuli. An environmental education unit was also found to influence the environmental awareness of preschool children. While the experimental group, which was involved in an environmental education unit showed significant increases in environmental awareness, the control group did not.

Research on parenting is increasingly being studied from a biological perspective. An understanding of the biological mechanisms leading to individual differences in maternal behaviors can help direct research toward more focused intervention resulting in closer mother-infant attachment relationships, and therefore, positive child outcomes. This research was a preliminary study that tested mothers' ability to taste a harmless chemical, 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), in relation to their responses to a questionnaire about the emotional investment they experience towards their infant. Although research attempting to relate these two variables together has not been carried out before, individual studies show potential links between these two. The model underlying this research is that the hormones involved in parent investment, such as oxytocin and estrogen, are mediated on a cellular level by second messenger systems which vary in individuals, and that the ability to taste PROP, a chemical that some people can taste and others can not, has genetic connections to this second messenger system. Although the lack of previous research limited strong predictions, it was expected that tasters of PROP would possess a hormonal milieu that would relate to more invested parenting, compared to non-tasters. This study tested 220 low-income mothers of one-year-old infants enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and Early Head Start (EHS) program for their ability to taste PROP, and correlated their taste sensitivity with parent investment as measured by a questionnaire. Additional questionnaires assessed adult attachment, breastfeeding, and close physical contact as possible mediators and moderators in the association between parent investment and PROP taste sensitivity. Findings were statistically significant, although in the opposite direction than hypothesized. Non-tasters of PROP, rather than tasters, had higher overall parent investment responses than tasters. Non-tasters also rated higher than tasters in secure adult attachment attitudes. Close physical contact related to increased parent investment. There was no relationship between taste sensitivity and duration of breast feeding or between taste sensitivity and close physical contact.

Comparisons were made to determine which appliances owned by homemakers were used often and which appliances were used seldom or never and to relate areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction to the amount of appliance use. The sample consisted of 123 homemakers from Cache and Weber counties in Utah. Five hypotheses were tested. The amount of appliance use was significantly related to method of acquisition, performance, design and knowledge factors. The amount of appliance use was not significantly related to storage factors.

Adolescent parenting research has typically focused on the mother and ignored the father . Researchers have suggested that adolescent fathers are disregarded as the child's other parent because their parenting role is devalued. An emerging body of literature indicates that adolescent fathers are excluded from the pregnancy and parenting services provided to adolescent mothers because they are viewed as unnecessary to the parenting process and unimportant to the child's development. Moreover, researchers have alleged that service providers treat adolescent fathers as outcasts based on stereotypical beliefs that they are uncaring, irresponsible victimizers who disappear at the first mention of pregnancy. However, there is no empirical evidence to support these claims. The purpose of this thesis is to question these allegations and provide some evidence to either support or refute them. A survey of northern Utah agencies and the personnel who provide pregnancy and parenting services to adolescent mothers was conducted as the means to investigate this issue. The results of the survey do not provide conclusive evidence although they do suggest that the participating agencies and their personnel do not have policies or attitudes that intentionally exclude adolescent fathers from receiving services. Those surveyed consider fathers to be important to the pregnancy experience and the child's development. However , they do not make a deliberate effort to encourage adolescent fathers to take advantage of their services, nor do they employ effective strategies for making adolescent males aware of their services.

The purpose of this study was to examine the types, frequency, and meaningfulness of connection rituals and the relation ship between these items and marital satisfaction. Past research has shown that rituals correlate with marital satisfaction. Three research questions guided the study: ( I) What connection rituals do couples participate in and with what frequency? (2) How meaningful are the connection rituals to the husband or wife? and (3) Are some connection rituals more strongly associated to marital satisfaction? The research questions were tested with data from eighty couples who completed a survey designed specifically for this study. The top three reported rituals in each category among men and women were obtained. Results found that men and women participate in many different types of rituals, with daily greeting being used most often and love rituals having the most meaning on ave rage for participants. A modest relationship was reported among husbands' report of meaningfulness in regular talk time, religious/spiritual activities and other categories and marital sat isfaction. A modest relationship was also reported among wives' report of meaningfulness in regular talk time and love rituals and marital satisfaction. Implications and suggestio ns for future research are also presented.

Implementation science is a relatively new field focused on ensuring that programs are planned well and then delivered as planned. This thesis describes the implementation process for a nursery-level charity school in Kigali, Rwanda, focusing on the facilitators and difficulties encountered in establishing this school. The research process consisted of interviewing 13 individuals that are a part of the school in question. The researcher transcribed the interviews using an implementation science framework and found trends in their statements that shed light on the establishment of the school. With the help of three coders, the researcher assessed their comments for evidence of helps and hindrances through the implementation process. This thesis presents the results and the implications for implementation science. It will provide valuable information for those wishing to start and maintain grassroots, charitable programs for children in the developing world.