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Increasing evidence indicates that children and adolescents who arc informed and educated about issues of sexuality are more likely to be sexually responsible and less likely to put themselves in sexually risky situations. Parents can play a pivotal role in imparting accurate information and values to their children in a developmentally appropriate manner. Such communication can greatly improve their child's potential for making healthy decisions about sexuality. Therefore, it is important that parents understand the rationale for sexuality education and utilize many avenues of communication to reach children and adolescents. Given that family therapists are in an influential role with respect to their clients, it is imperative that they have basic knowledge of sexuality education and bring such knowledge into their work with parents, children, and adolescents. We discuss why it is important for parents to be involved in sexuality education, the obstacles within families and the wider culture that can "get in the way," and research-based information that can help therapists and their clients. Finally, we highlight the specific roles that feminist family therapists can play with parents, children, and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mothers and their infants were observed during naturalistic home observations when infants were on average 9 months, 12 months, and 14 months. Forty-six dyads (25 mother-daughter and 21 mother-son) were observed. The indices assessed in this study included global measures of emotional availability and discrete indices of emotion communication. Two analytic strategies were employed: (a) examination of mean differences in the different indices for mother-son versus mother-daughter dyads; and (b) examination of correlational differences for boys versus girls among the different indices. No significant gender differences (i.e., mean differences) in emotional communications or emotional availability were found. Thus, mothers and infants are approximately equally emotionally communicative and emotionally available with their male versus female infants. However, an examination of the correlations among the different indices of emotional availability and emotion communication revealed a different picture. These results revealed that affectively positive mother-son interactions occur in the context of other emotional "positives," whereas affectively positive mother-daughter interactions occur in the context of greater emotional variety and range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part III. Assesses emotional openness and communication between parents and children in Colorado. Description of the emotional availability scales; Aspects of parental emotional availability; Importance of emotional availability in applied settings within hearing impaired children.

In the course of dally transactions, caregivers and children construct internal working models of self and other in the attachment relationship (Bowlby, 1969). The function of such working models is to guide an individual's own behavior toward the attachment panner and to interpret and forecast the partner's behavior. So far, however, research on internal working models has largely focused on attachment from the filial rather than the parental perspective even when adults were studied. To remedy this situation. 36 middle-class mothers were interviewed regarding their attachment relationship with their 25-month-old children. Attachment-relevant interview questions were open-ended, allowing the mothers to produce their own descriptive categories. The interview took about an hour. Two analyses were performed on the interview transcripts: a content analysis of specific attachment themes and a global evaluation of attachment quality as conveyed by the interview text as a whole. The content analysis provided interesting findings regarding mother—child affect communication, mother—child separation, and autonomy negotiations. For the global analysis a sensitivity/insight scale was applied to the interview text. This scale was significantly correlated with other attachment measures for the same children at 18 months (Strange Situation), 25 months (Waters & Deane Q-sort), and 37 months (Separation-Reunion Procedure, Attachment Story Completion Task). The sensitivity/insight scale was also significantly and meaningfully correlated with maternal and questionnaire dam regarding infant temperament, maternal personality and family climate. In sum, the Parent Attachment Interview provides new insights into parental experiences of the attachment relationship and can also serve as an alternative or additional measure of attachment quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study of infants who were shown moving faces and still faces on videotape in a paired-comparison situation. Preference shown by infants for expressions when the face was still and when it showed internal motion; Equal preference for facial expression and facial motion.

This article reviews the videotape Values-Sensitive Family Therapy With Dr. Bill Doherty: Family Therapy With the Experts. The videotape is in three segments. In the first segment, Doherty is interviewed by Jon Carlson and Diane Kjos about his model. According to the reviewer, he found this part to be the weakest segment. In the next segment, Doherty illustrates his approach through a consultation interview with on of Carlson's clients, who is experiencing difficulty with a moral decision. The final segment of the video involves a discussion with the graduate students who have been watching the session. These students ask some challenging questions and Doherty handles them with aplomb. The reviewer relates that he found it enjoyable to watch Doherty spell out his model and discuss family therapy models, family studies research, and morality with equal facility. This segment lasts about 40 minutes, and the overall videotape is nearly two hours long. According to the reviewer, he enjoyed the video. He had never seen Doherty at work and found him to be an engaging and skilled therapist and a clear-spoken advocate of his model. He believes the video would be beneficial for both beginning and seasoned therapists.

Presents an introduction to the September 2000 special issue of the periodical 'Attachment & Human Development,' which focuses on the relationship between emotional availability and attachment. Emphasis on the role of caregiver sensitivity when conditions of stress/danger call for protection and nurturance; Conceptualization of maternal sensitivity.