Juvenile sexual offenders, violent nonsexual offenders, and status offenders were compared using psychometric instruments to assess intrafamily violence, quality of offender social skills, interpersonal relationships, and self-concept. Self-report and record data were gathered on family history, education, behavior problems, criminal history, history of abuse, exposure to pornography, and early childhood memories. Juvenile child molesters were found to have experienced more parental use of violence and to be victims of physical and sexual abuse more often than the other offender groups. Child molesters expressed greater need for control and inclusion in interpersonal relationships and problems related to self-esteem. The content of early childhood memories and exposure to pornographic material differed among the groups. The groups did not differ in assertiveness, self-concept, or family history variables. Implications of these differences for future research are considered.

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Examined the interrelation of maternal adjustment, mother-child interaction, and child adjustment in 29 families of children with spina bifida and without mental retardation and in 28 families of children without handicaps. A multivariate, ecological model proposed that adjustment of mother and child depends on the adaptiveness of maternal response to the stress of the physical handicap and on the ability of mothers to create an optimal caregiving environment through mother-child interaction. Analyses examining the relationships among maternal social support, maternal psychological adjustment, and child adjustment are reported. Social support was found to be related to higher maternal psychological adjustment and to higher child adjustment, and maternal psychological adjustment was related positively to child adjustment in both groups. No significant differences were found between groups in the examined relationships or in the levels of resources and adjustment. Results underscore strengths of families of children with spina bifida in their adaptation to the stress of the handicap.

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