A Study of Marital Situations as Seen in Mothers' Interviews and Their Influences in Ten Neurotic Children Referred to the Guidance Center of New Rochelle, 1947-1952

John Paul Kane, Fordham University

Abstract

Persons dealing with the treatment of emotionally disturbed children have long realized that parents constitute the chief influence in a child’s development. In working with a child in a guidance clinic, one of the first steps taken is to learn something of the intrafamilial relationships and the emotional tone of the home.In the beginning stages of this work, emphasis was placed upon the relationship between the child and his mother and father. As the understanding of human behavior increased, there was a realization of the need to direct the focus of attention one step further to the marital situation of the parents themselves. With this came the increased awareness of the influence which the total family relationship has upon the child’s personality pattern and behavior. The significance of the marital situation upon the young child is often made evident in instances of marital discord, separation, desertion and divorce. The importance of this situation in the child’s development is also frequently seen in instances of the death of one of the parents. Perhaps we tend to take marital compatibility for granted in families where it is harmonious, while disturbed husband-wife relationships stand out before our eyes because of the negative effects which are produced.

Subject Area

Individual & family studies|Social work

Recommended Citation

Kane, John Paul, "A Study of Marital Situations as Seen in Mothers' Interviews and Their Influences in Ten Neurotic Children Referred to the Guidance Center of New Rochelle, 1947-1952" (1953). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI30557718.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI30557718

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