Families with Adolescents: Bridging the Gaps Between Theory, Research, and Practice

✍ Scribed by Stephen M. Gavazzi (auth.)

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag New York
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 202
• Series: Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Despite their flocking to social networking sites in unprecedented numbers, research confirms that adolescents continue to be influenced primarily by their families rather than their peers and other social contexts. Consequently, the family unit remains a vital setting for understanding and intervening with youth. Synthesizing important findings from the literature on family science and such related fields as psychology, sociology, social work, and public health, Families with Adolescents focuses a unique panoramic lens on the study of adolescent development.

This concise volume offers a clear blueprint for more consistently improved practice, emphasizing family process and structure instead of individual developmental stages. Its chapters deftly summarize the recent knowledge base across the mental health and social services disciplines, illustrating family concerns and theoretical perspectives coupled with real-world vignettes and making cogent use of family assessment measures.

Featured topics include:

• Central concepts of family development, family systems, ecological, attachment, and social learning theories in relation to families with adolescents.
• Impact of the family on adolescent behavior, education, and mental health outcomes.
• Selected studies on parenting behaviors, conflict resolution, and other major aspects of families with adolescents.
• Application topics in family-based intervention and prevention programs.
• Integrating theory, research, and applications to create a “triple threat” model.

Families with Adolescents is an essential resource for researchers and graduate students as well as mental health therapists in clinical child and developmental psychology, family studies, human development, sociology, social work, and education.

✦ Table of Contents

Front Matter....Pages i-xvii
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Introduction....Pages 3-7
Overview of Theory, Research, and Application Topics....Pages 9-21
Front Matter....Pages 23-23
Family Development Theory....Pages 25-32
Family Systems Theory....Pages 33-39
Ecological Theory....Pages 41-47
Attachment Theory....Pages 49-55
Social Learning Theory....Pages 57-64
Front Matter....Pages 65-65
Research on the Parent–Adolescent Dyad....Pages 67-76
Polyadic Research on Families with Adolescents....Pages 77-89
The Family’s Impact on Adolescent Outcomes....Pages 91-109
Front Matter....Pages 111-111
Family Therapy and Other Family Intervention-Based Efforts....Pages 113-123
Family Prevention Programs....Pages 125-135
Front Matter....Pages 137-137
Outlook on Theoretical, Research, and Application Efforts to Date....Pages 139-150
The Need to Integrate Theory, Research, and Application Efforts....Pages 151-158
Back Matter....Pages 159-197

✦ Subjects

Child and School Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Psychotherapy and Counseling; Sociology; Social Work; Sociology of Education