A look at the single parent family: Implications for the school psychologist

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to: (a) review briefly the efects on parents and children of living in a single parent family, and (b) to suggest ways in which a school psychologist can aid schools and single parent families in dealing more effectively with this type of structure. School-based interventions for children and parents are presented. These include achievement and behavioral assessment, evaluation of a child's support systems, counseling groups, bibliotherapy, parent education classes, in-service training for teachers, and referrals to community agencies. Changes in administrative policies to meet the needs of single parent families are suggested.

The identification of alienated parents and children: Implications for school psychologists

“…These inferences are made partly as the result of data that relate to the family's disintegration. For example, researchers argue that family destabilization is caused, in part, by high divorce and illegitimate birth rates, which, in turn, create a society where children are increasingly being raised by single parents (Burns & Brassard, 1982;Fuller, 1984;US News and World Report, 1980). This environment has a negative economic impact on those families and programs them into a continuing cycle of poverty (Bilge & Kaufman, 1983), which creates a strong sense of alienation (Seginer, 1983).…”

“…Children living in this environment react to their parent's sense of alienation through withdrawal or overly aggressive behavior (Burns & Brassard, 1982). This behavior impacts on teachers by reinforcing preconceived ideas that children who are successful in school come from stable, less alienated backgrounds (Darom & Bar-tal, 1981).…”