<p>The main purpose of this study was to assess the psychological well-being of mothers and their pre-adolescent children (aged 10-12). Specifically, the study used a mixed methods sequential explanatory design to compare and understand the interaction between 245 single and married mother-pre adolescent relationships with regard to self esteem, autonomously-supportive and psychologically controlling parenting practices. And their familial enviironment within low and high socio-economic settings. A qualitative component was used to explore mothers' understanding of their relationships with their pre adolescent children. The Coppersmith- Self-steem Inventory and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were used to assess the psychological well-being of mothers and children, the Perceptions of Parents Scale for autonomously-supportive maternal parenting practices, Parent Psychological Control for psychologically controlling parenting practices and the environment Scale for family functioning. The findings provide an understanding of how healthy families function within enhancing and hindering environments and empasises the importance of parenting.</p>

<p>The main purpose of this study was to assess the psychological well-being of mothers and their pre-adolescent children (aged 10-12). Specifically, the study used a mixed methods sequential explanatory design to compare and understand the interaction between 245 single and married mother-pre adolescent relationships with regard to self esteem, autonomously-supportive and psychologically controlling parenting practices. And their familial enviironment within low and high socio-economic settings. A qualitative component was used to explore mothers' understanding of their relationships with their pre adolescent children. The Coppersmith- Self-steem Inventory and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were used to assess the psychological well-being of mothers and children, the Perceptions of Parents Scale for autonomously-supportive maternal parenting practices, Parent Psychological Control for psychologically controlling parenting practices and the environment Scale for family functioning. The findings provide an understanding of how healthy families function within enhancing and hindering environments and empasises the importance of parenting.</p>

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The main purpose of this study was to assess the psychological well-being of mothers and their pre-adolescent children (aged 10-12). Specifically, the study used a mixed methods sequential explanatory design to compare and understand the interaction between 245 single and married mother-pre adolescent relationships with regard to self esteem, autonomously-supportive and psychologically controlling parenting practices. And their familial enviironment within low and high socio-economic settings. A qualitative component was used to explore mothers' understanding of their relationships with their pre adolescent children. The Coppersmith- Self-steem Inventory and the Satisfaction with Life Scale were used to assess the psychological well-being of mothers and children, the Perceptions of Parents Scale for autonomously-supportive maternal parenting practices, Parent Psychological Control for psychologically controlling parenting practices and the environment Scale for family functioning. The findings provide an understanding of how healthy families function within enhancing and hindering environments and empasises the importance of parenting. / South Africa

Abstract This research is to probe into the parent-child relationship and the learning adaptation of the foreign spouses¡¦ children. This study used a questionnaire that was designed using the ¡§Demographic Survey¡¨, the ¡§Father-Child Relationship Scale¡¨, the ¡§Mother-Child Relationship Scale¡¨, and the ¡§Learning Adaptation Scale¡¨. We received 161 usable samples from third to sixth-grade. The data was analyzed using statistical methods such as descriptive statistics, t-test, one way ANOVA , Pearson¡¦s correlation , and multiple regression. The major results are as follows: 1.The some demographic variables including birth order , grade level of elementary school and the contact windows with the teacher in a family of the foreign spouses¡¦ children had no significant influence on their learning adaptation. 2.The girls are significant superior to the boys in learning adaptation. 3.The foreign spouses¡¦ children from small families are significant superior to the foreign spouses¡¦ children from the extended families and the kinship families. 4.The foreign spouses¡¦ children whose mothers¡¦ nationality had significant influence on their learning adaptation. 5.The foreign spouses¡¦ children whose mothers can write Chinese are significant superior to the foreign spouses¡¦ children whose mothers can¡¦t write Chinese. 6.All aspects of the father-child relationships had significant influence on the learning adaptation of the foreign spouse ¡¦ children , the foreign spouses¡¦ children had the better father-child relationship , they had better learning adaptation. 7.All aspects of the mother-child relationships had significant influence on the learning adaptation of the foreign spouse ¡¦ children , the foreign spouses¡¦ children had the better mother-child relationship , they had better learning adaptation. 8.This study compared with the study with no foreign spouses prove that parent-child relationship is the chief reason in learning adaptation. According to the findings , suggestions were provided for the parents , educational authorities and the future researches.

It has long been recognized that childhood bereavement is a risk factor for depression in adulthood. Research also has consistently demonstrated that parental depression is linked to poor parent-child relationship quality. The current study examined whether bereavement in childhood increases likelihood of current depressive symptoms among parents and explored whether this vulnerability in the parent then alters the quality of the parent-child relationship. Archival data for a sample of 86 families (N=176 parents) are drawn from the Family & Kid Connection project led by Dr. Shelley Riggs. Instruments utilized include the Background Information Questionnaire, the Symptom Assessment-45 Questionnaire, and the Parenting Relationship Questionnaire. Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, Multilevel Modeling procedures explored the hypothesis that parental depression mediates the association between parents’ childhood bereavement and their perception of the parent-child relationship. Results show a significant relationship between parental (actor) depressive symptoms and parent-child attachment, indicating the need for therapeutic interventions targeting the parent-child relationship, and not just parents, for parents suffering from depression.

Magister Artium (Child and Family Studies) - MA(CFS) / Parents become the first teachers of the child and therefore the parent-child relationship is important for the development of a child. Parents who have a child with a disability are often more challenged than parents who do not. In South Africa, there are programmes and policies which are implemented to support parents or primary caregivers who have children with disabilities; however, there is no data or reviews available that provide information regarding the capability of parental strategies to ensure the health and well-being of their children with disabilities.

archives@tulane.edu / Background Few studies have examined the association between parenting quality and behavioral adjustment in children and asthma incidence. Medication non-adherence is a proposed mechanism for the association between caregiver stress and asthma morbidity, but research on the association is limited. Aims To examine the association between parent-child relationship and child’s behavioral adjustment and asthma incidence, and to explore the association between caregiver stress and medication non-adherence in children with asthma. Methods Secondary analyses were conducted in two study populations: a birth cohort study in the United Kingdom and an intervention trial of children with asthma in inner-city New Orleans. The first two analyses defined asthma by parent report and current asthma medication use at five or seven years. Mother-child relationship and child’s behavioral adjustment were measured with the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS) and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), respectively, at three years. Caregiver stress and medication non-adherence were measured using Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4) and caregiver self-report, respectively, at baseline and twelve months. Results Among families with the most major life events, children with mothers reporting poorest compared to best CPRS had an adjusted OR=2.8 (95% CI: 2.3-3.6) for asthma. Adjusted odds ratios for the association between abnormal versus normal SDQ at 3 years and asthma at 5 or 7 years was 1.2 (95% CI: 1.0-1.5). Adjusted odds ratios for non-adherence due to running out of medications were 6.8 (95% CI: 1.0-47.6) in high versus normal stress caregivers. Conclusions Increased risk of asthma was observed among those with the poorest mother-child relationships and the most major life events, and in children with abnormal behavioral adjustment. A statistically significant adjusted association between caregiver stress and overall medication non-adherence was not observed, but an association between increased caregiver stress and non-adherence due to running out of medications was suggested. / 1 / Fritha Morrison

Children’s rights to participate in decision-making in matters which impact them directly, is a topic leading to increased research since the 1990s. Today, most countries, including South Africa, have included the right of children to participate and to be heard, in their legislation. In reality, however, there is still a big gap in the implementation of children’s right to participation. Home schooling as an alternative to mainstream schooling has also gained momentum in South Africa with an estimated 50 000 – 75 000 children being home schooled. When children are home schooled, the families spend more time together than children who spend 6-8 hours per day attending a local school. Decisions with regard to curriculum, subjects and social interaction which would normally be the responsibility of the school, now become the responsibility of the parents. Children in the adolescent life phase have an increasing need to gain independence from their parents. In the home school context, the fact that the parents are also the teachers, could lead to increased frustration and conflict between adolescents and parents. In this context it would therefore be important that the adolescents should be allowed to participate in decisions pertaining to their schooling. This study focused on exploring adolescents’ participation in decision-making in the home schooling context. This research is important as little is known about the perceptions of adolescents and their parents about participation in the home schooling context. The research took place in the Western Cape. Eight families, which consisted of 21 participants, were involved in the study. Data saturation determined the sample size. The participants were selected from specific home schooling forums and had to reside in the Western Cape. Semi-structured interviews were held with all the participants and an interview guide was used for consistency. Different themes were identified by using thematic analysis. The study found that families have different views about the adolescents’ role in participation. It varied from adolescents who were allowed to initiate change to adolescents not allowed to participate in decisions at all. In the families where the adolescents were allowed limited or no participation in decision-making, the adolescents indicated that they understood that their parents had their best interest at heart, although they felt that they (the adolescents) would welcome a bigger say. It is recommended that home schooling families be made aware of the need of their adolescent children to be allowed to participate more in decision-making in the home schooling context on all levels, ranging from educational matters to social interaction. / MSW, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Children’s rights to participate in decision-making in matters which impact them directly, is a topic leading to increased research since the 1990s. Today, most countries, including South Africa, have included the right of children to participate and to be heard, in their legislation. In reality, however, there is still a big gap in the implementation of children’s right to participation. Home schooling as an alternative to mainstream schooling has also gained momentum in South Africa with an estimated 50 000 – 75 000 children being home schooled. When children are home schooled, the families spend more time together than children who spend 6-8 hours per day attending a local school. Decisions with regard to curriculum, subjects and social interaction which would normally be the responsibility of the school, now become the responsibility of the parents. Children in the adolescent life phase have an increasing need to gain independence from their parents. In the home school context, the fact that the parents are also the teachers, could lead to increased frustration and conflict between adolescents and parents. In this context it would therefore be important that the adolescents should be allowed to participate in decisions pertaining to their schooling. This study focused on exploring adolescents’ participation in decision-making in the home schooling context. This research is important as little is known about the perceptions of adolescents and their parents about participation in the home schooling context. The research took place in the Western Cape. Eight families, which consisted of 21 participants, were involved in the study. Data saturation determined the sample size. The participants were selected from specific home schooling forums and had to reside in the Western Cape. Semi-structured interviews were held with all the participants and an interview guide was used for consistency. Different themes were identified by using thematic analysis. The study found that families have different views about the adolescents’ role in participation. It varied from adolescents who were allowed to initiate change to adolescents not allowed to participate in decisions at all. In the families where the adolescents were allowed limited or no participation in decision-making, the adolescents indicated that they understood that their parents had their best interest at heart, although they felt that they (the adolescents) would welcome a bigger say. It is recommended that home schooling families be made aware of the need of their adolescent children to be allowed to participate more in decision-making in the home schooling context on all levels, ranging from educational matters to social interaction. / MSW, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Studies investigating the etiology of delinquent involvement have pointed to two influential theories: Differential Association Theory and Social Control Theory. Both theories suggest that bonding can impact delinquent behavior. Strong friend relationships influence delinquent involvement while strong parental relationships serve as a positive influence in the curtailment of adolescent delinquency. Indeed, a great deal of research has shown that both friends and families are an integral part of adolescent delinquent involvement. Although these theories provide us with a framework for understanding adolescent delinquency, the contextual nuances of the connections among friend relationships, parental relationships, and delinquency are still unclear. In this project, I investigate the gender and race/ethnicity of the respondent as well as the predominant race/ethnicity and gender of the respondents’ friendship networks to better understand how both friend and parent-child relationships affect adolescent delinquency. I utilize data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS). Results suggest that both friend relationships and parental relationships impact respondent delinquency; however, such effects differ by the gender and race/ethnicity of the respondent. Furthermore, the predominant race/ethnicity and predominant gender of the respondents’ friendship network appear to effect delinquent involvement for some groups and not others. The exploration of this topic provides a much-needed look into some understudied areas in human behavior. The long-standing tradition of investigating the role of peers in criminal offending has certainly examined the importance of family and the dynamics of friendships. However, few studies have incorporated both gender and race/ethnicity in their investigations into the relationship between friendships and delinquency. In addition, this study is unique in that it examines friendship network characteristics and how they relate to delinquency. Furthermore, this project explores how family and friend influences on delinquent behavior vary across different groups. Neither of these aspects have been adequately explored in past research. It is the purpose of this study to being to fill this gap in the literature and highlight how both gender and race/ethnicity influence involvement in delinquency. / text