Characteristics of parents of adolescent incest perpetrators: Preliminary findings

Twenty-seven parents of adolescent incest perpetrators were interviewed regarding demographic characteristics, prior victimization and abuse, and attitudes about their sons engaging in incestuous behavior. Results indicated that these parents: (a) under-reported physical and sexual abuse of their sons, (b) had a high incidence of being abused themselves, and (c) demonstrate a high level of denial regarding their sons' incestuous behaviors as reflected by the finding that only 50% of the parents totally admitted to their son's incestuous behavior(s).     

The Evolution and Application of a Screening Instrument to Identify Adolescents with Developmental Disabilities

The evolution and application of this screening instrument, the Adolescent Developmental Disabilities Screening (ADDS), is based on the spectrum model of developmental disabilities. Scale construction is outlined, including the selection and revision of screening criteria and tasks. Results of multiple discriminant, factor, and correlational analyses are reported and suggest the instrument to be a powerfully discriminating measure, and reliable internally as well over time. Development and application of the measure are discussed in the context of an identified need within the juvenile justice system where the prevalence of developmental disabilities far exceeds that of the general population. The screening test appears to be well-suited for a variety of human service and educational settings.     

Ethnic Differences in Trajectories of Family Cohesion for Mexican American and Non-Hispanic White Adolescents

This study examined gender, family structure, SES and language usage as predictors of cultural orientation and family cohesion. Ethnic differences in trajectories of family cohesion were tested within a hierarchical linear modeling framework. The sample consisted of 4156 adolescent respondents, measured at three time points during three consecutive years. The three study groups consisted of Mexican Americans oriented to Mexican culture (N = 738), Mexican Americans oriented to majority American culture (N = 867), and Non-Hispanic Whites (N = 2551). Family cohesion was assessed using the cohesion subscale of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale (FACES III). Analyses consisted of hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) in which a linear trajectory of family cohesion for the three groups was computed followed by a test for the effects of ethnicity with the inclusion of control variables. Thus, ethnic differences in the trajectories of family cohesion over time were examined. Neither group of Mexican Americans was significantly different from Non-Hispanic Whites in initial status. However, Mexican Americans oriented to Mexican culture showed a significant increase in family cohesion at mid adolescence. Judith C. Baer is an Associate Professor at Rutgers University. She received her Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Houston. Her major research interests include the study of adolescent development within the contexts of culture, and family, adolescent sexual risk taking, and the nosology of mental disorders. Mark F. Schmitz is Clinical Assistant Professor at Temple University. He received his Ph.D. in sociology at Iowa State University. His major research interest involves the use of several large epidemiologic datasets for an extensive examination of the empirical basis for the diagnostic criteria of various DSM-IV mental disorders. He also is involved in research on cultural issues in child development and family processes.