Thesis (M.A. in education)--Washington State University, August 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 40-49).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University, 2008. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 120-133).

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [17-23]).

M.A. / South Africa has an exceptionally high divorce rate. The stressful nature of parental separation and divorce results in higher susceptibility of children to psychological, social, academical and health problems. Parental ability to deal with the divorce transition largely influences the long term adjustment of children after divorce. An effective empirically researched based parentfocused educational programme which addresses the most essential divorce related issues and the effects thereof on children, can be of exceptional value. Supplying parents with sufficient knowledge and information regarding divorce as a process, as well as the way it effects children of different ages en developmental stages, will assist the parents in making better choices concerning the children. By educating parents about the effect of prolonged interparental conflict on children and by supplying them with constructive conflict management skills, the negative consequences of divorce on children may be minimised or even eliminated. In this study an educational programme (k.i.d.s.) was assessed by using a one group pretest- postest design. K.i.d.s. is a short, informative and user friendly educational programme. It comprises two, two hour sessions, scheduled two weeks apart. Statistical significance was achieved when pretest-posttest results were compared regarding knowledge on conflict and the divorce process. Participants also reported a significant decline regarding negative conflict behaviour. An overall high level of consumer satisfaction with the program was reported. Despite the small study sample, the positive results of this study proves the k.i.d.s. program to be a potential promising preventative and intervention method for use with divorcing parents.

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2007 / Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Social Work. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 15-17, 39-42, 60-63).

Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 50-53).

It has only been within the past two decades that a new etiological model of sex offending has emerged that embraces attachment theory in order to provide a more comprehensive understating of how early attachment disruptions may contribute to sexually aggressive behavior. Although there is much theoretical support for the insecure attachment-sex offending paradigm, very little work has been done in the area of empirical validation. Furthermore, the majority of the research that has been conducted in this area focuses on adult offenders and primarily relies on self-report measures of attachment. Therefore, this study examined patterns of attachment in a sample of juvenile sex offenders utilizing a projective instrument, The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP). This new measure assesses the unconscious aspects of one’s representational model of attachment, such as defenses and underlying expectations concerning relationships. In addition to examining the implicit facet of the attachment construct, this study also explored individuals’ conscious perceptions of attachment needs and experiences by means of a self-report measure. Twenty-five male adolescent sex offenders participated in this study. All subjects were administered the AAP and the Inventory of Parental and Peer Attachment. A brief interview was also conducted in order to gather more detailed descriptive information concerning the adolescents’ family relationships and history of sexual offenses. Results from this study indicated that 100% of the adolescents were classified as insecure on the AAP. The majority of subjects were judged to be dismissing (52%), followed closely by the unresolved attachment status (44%). These findings were discussed in terms of the disorganized attachment-sex offending model and in regards to the attachment concept of “failed mourning.” Qualitative data from the subjects’ interviews and AAP stories were used to provide further support for these theories. The divergent objective-projective test scores that emerged from this study were discussed in terms of their utility and the ways in which they complement each other. Overall, results from this study suggested that insecure attachment may play an important role in sexually aggressive behavior and that attachment-based intervention models may be useful when working with this population. / text

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2006. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-98). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR19633

Thesis(M.S.)--Auburn University, 2007. / Abstract. Includes survey instruments. Includes bibliographic references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.