Exposure to Interpersonal Violence and Socioemotional Adjustment in Economically Disadvantaged Preschoolers

Focusing specifically on the experiences of economically disadvantaged preschoolers, the relations between interpersonal violence exposure, behavior problems, and social skills were examined in both the home and school settings. In this racially and ethnically diverse sample of preschoolers from poor, urban households (N = 64; 3–6 years old; 56% female), many children (33%) had been exposed to at least 1 type of interpersonal violence, and even more (70%) had been exposed to any type of potentially traumatic event (PTE). Although exposure to interpersonal violence was not directly associated with parent- or teacher-reported behavior problems or social skills, a significant interaction effect was observed between exposure to interpersonal violence and teacher-reported internalizing problems in predicting teacher-reported social skills; specifically, for children with the highest levels of internalizing problems, a positive relation between interpersonal violence exposure and social skills was observed. This indirect effect was observed only in the school setting, whereas children in this high-risk sample appeared to demonstrate resilience in the home setting. Given these high rates of exposure, additional, clinically relevant research is needed to inform interventions for this vulnerable population.     

Establishing Criterion Scores for the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale and the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale

This study demonstrates the usefulness of the KMSS and RDAS in distinguishing between the maritally distressed and nondistressed. For conceptual and statistical clarity, many marital interaction and marital therapy research measures, use a single cutoff score. It was determined that the cutoff score is 17 for the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale (KMSS) and 48 for the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS) for husbands, wives, and couples. An equivalency table of mathematical formulas is also presented, allowing the conversion of individual and couple scores from one measure of marital quality to another. It is now possible to convert a score from any one of a number of instruments (KMSS, RDAS, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Marital Adjustment Test, Revised Marital Adjustment Test) to an equivalent score as measured by another instrument.     

Self-report schedules for use in assessing the marital adjustment of abusive and nonabusive parents

Abstract

Abusive parents and nonabusive parents were compared on three self-report behavioral marital questionnaires. The questionnaires—the Marital Status Inventory, the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test, and the Areas of Change Questionnaire—have been used in pre-post evaluations of treatment and in the discrimination of distressed from nondistressed marriages. The results indicated that both groups reported having only mildly distressed marital relationships. The report presents initial normative data on the questionnaires for abusive parents and nonabusive parents who were seeking help with child management problems.     

Military police investigator perspectives of a new self-reflective approach to strengthening resilience: A qualitative study

In this study, we explored participants’ experiences of a unique form of resilience training. The aims of this study were to obtain rich information about the participants’ experience of the resilience intervention based on adaptive self-reflection, their ability to report the private stress experience and coping efforts when faced with a stressor, their perceptions of training applicability to other contexts, and whether the training was able to encourage the reappraisal of stressors as growth opportunities. A qualitative design was employed with a sample of 21 investigator trainees from the Australian Defence Force School of Policing. Following implementation of the program, trainees provided written responses to seven open ended questions and participated in one focus group designed to embellish understanding of the survey answers. The analysis identified both strengths and limitations in the way respondents were able to recall and report on their private stress experience and coping efforts and several domains where the resilience training seemed to have its effects. Moreover, the respondents reported increased confidence in their ability to manage stressors in the future, recognition of stress in others and the potential to assist them, and a changed view of stress as an opportunity for personal development. Based on these findings, potential improvements in the training materials are recommended. Moreover, the findings suggest coping and emotion regulatory self-reflection may encourage the application of useful strategies and reinforce personal resilient capacities and coping self-efficacy.