A STUDY OF CLIENT SATISFACTION WITH FAMILY COURT COUNSELLING IN CASES INVOLVING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

The Family Court of Australia provides conciliation counselling to couples who are involved in disputes regarding their children following separation. In situations where domestic violence has occurred, the appropriateness of providing counselling to such couples has been seriously questioned This study examines the experience of clients attending counselling at the family court. Two groups of clients are studied—one group who reports domestic violence as a significant issue and a comparison group who does not report domestic violence. The results indicate that the two groups do not differ in their expressed level of satisfaction with the counselling they have received and that both groups consider counselling to have been helpful in resolving their issues. The preliminary results of this study have implications for the provision of postseparation counselling/mediation to couples when domestic violence has occurred.     

RURAL POVERTY, WELFARE ELIGIBILITY, FARM PROGRAMS, AND THE NEGATIVE INCOME TAX

This paper develops four models depicting types and causes of rural poverty in the United States. The recent farm financial crisis has exacerbated rural poverty problems, and many farmers who were not in poverty a few years ago are now in poverty. Policy options for dealing with rural poverty among those farmers who only recently became poor, as well as policy options for dealing with the persistently poor subsistence farmers, are discussed. Implications and options for dealing with poverty within the rural nonfarm sector are also stressed.     

National Styles of Worker Protection in the United States and Japan: The Case of the Automotive Industry

This paper compares and contrasts the national styles or approaches to the regulation and management of occupational safety and health distinctive of the United States and Japan within the context of the automotive industries of these two countries. Referring to comparative workplace injury and illness experience and data on safety and health regulatory activities, strengths and weaknesses of the two approaches are considered. It is suggested that an optimal strategy would contain elements of both approaches. Elements of the two approaches that might be adapted cross-nationally are identified and discussed.