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Drug abuse is the persistent and excessive use of any drug that results

in psychological or physical dependence, or that the society labels

as dangerous or illegal.

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Drug Abuse

Defining the term drug is difficult. One definition of a drug is any substance taken for medical purposes or for pleasure that affects bodily functions.

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Continuum of Drug Action

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Family violence

Alcohol and or drug abuse often trigger emotional outbursts that culminate in violent behavior

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Family violence

Violence within a family almost always leads to a crisis

The family is an emotional hothouse Support network? Poor communication?

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Family Violence

The most life-threatening situation a police officer can enter is a family dispute What is the most dangerous room in the

household?

Most physical violence between spouses involves the man hurting his wife or girldfriend

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Factors leading toward Spousal violence

1. A short relationship duration

2. Forming a union at a young age

3. Substance abuse

4. Frequent disagreements

5. A heated disagreement style

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Factors leading toward Spousal violence

1. Cohabitating

2. Living in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood

3. Having more children in the household

4. Non traditional woman matched with a traditional man

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Factors Associated with Family Violence

1. The cycle of violence § Get handouts

2. Socioeconomic status

3. Stress

4. Social isolation

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Factors Associated with Family Violence

5. Traditional male-role orientation

6. Low self-esteem, understanding, patience,

and tolerance

7. Alcohol and drug use

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Family Violence

• Violence between Partners

• Child Abuse

• Sibling Abuse

• Peer Abuse

• Parental Abuse by Children

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Child abuse

More female children are abused than male children It has been suggested that child abuse is the most

underreported crime, while at the same time the most falsely reported crime

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Elements of Child Abuse

1. The parent must be a person to whom physical punishment is acceptable.

2. The abusive parent often has unrealistic expectations for the child.

3. The parent perceives the child to be difficult and trying.

4. There is usually a crisis of some kind.

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Sibling abuse

Most common form of family violence The rate of violence decreases as children

become older

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Peer Abuse

Bullying occurs more frequently for grades six to 8

Bullies and victims of bullying have difficulty adjusting to their environments, both socially and psychologically.

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Peer abuse

Males are more likely to be bullies and victims of bullying than females

Victims of bullying have greater difficulty making friends and are lonelier

Bullies are more likely to smoke and drink alcohol, and be poorer students

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Parental abuse by children

Although physical abuse of parents by their children is generally rare, verbal and psychological abuse is common

Abuse of elderly relatives Get the article

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Marriage

Today, the median duration of marriage until a divorce is approximately 11 years

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Serial Marriages

Serial marriages: Marrying, divorcing, and marrying again; a

series of legal marriages

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Reasons for America’s High Divorce Rate

1. Most divorcing couples cite personal reasons, such as unhappiness, poor communication, sexual failure, and general dissatisfaction.

2. Americans ask a great deal of modern marriage. High expectations often lead to disappointment and failure.

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Reasons for America’s High Divorce Rate

3. Tied closely to Americans’ high expectations of marriage is the freedom of individuals to make marital choices.

4. Changing gender roles are part of the American interest in the general concept of change and its benefits.

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Reasons for America’s High Divorce Rate

5. Economic independence of women encourages separation and divorce. When a wife had no economic alternatives, she was forced to tolerate an unsatisfactory marriage, in return for economic security.

6. With so many kinds of people and so many beliefs, attitudes, and value systems, family and marriage will naturally mean many and different things to different individuals.

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Reasons for America’s High Divorce Rate

7. The mobility of Americans may contribute. Families that move often may not create support networks.

8. Social upheaval, economic problems, and the general health of the society.

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Reasons for America’s High Divorce Rate

9. The stigma of divorce has largely vanished over the past 30years.

10. Personal inadequacies, failures, and problems that contribute to each individual divorce.

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Reasons for America’s High Divorce Rate

11. A number of risk factors tend to predict marital instability. Those marrying at a young age are more prone to divorce. Premarital pregnancy, children born out of wedlock, parental divorce, and remarriage all relate to a greater probability of divorce.

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Emotions of Divorce

1. First, there are clouds of doubt, early signs

that the marriage is getting into trouble.

2. This is followed by a variety of distancing

behaviors as the couple becomes more

dissatisfied.

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Emotions of Divorce

3. One of the partners begins to imagine living

apart, or substituting a new partner for the

old partner.

4. The possibility of divorce is first mentioned.

5. The appearance of solidarity is broken

before the public.

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Emotions of Divorce

6. The decision to divorce is made, usually

after long discussion and much vacillation.

7. The crisis of actual physical separation

follows.

8. Final severance comes with the actual

divorce.

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Emotions of Divorce

9. A period of mental conflict and reconstruction follows the divorce.

10. If children are present, the divorced partners’ relationship may never end, because the problems of co-parenting remain.

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Emotions of divorce

The initiator often begins the process of withdrawing from the relationship building a new and separate life Preparing a new world for him/herself long

before partner suspects that the relationship is in real trouble

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Emotions of divorce

Self pity- why did this happen to me Vengeance- I am going to get even Despair- I feel like going to sleep and never

waking up again Wounded pride- I am not as great as I

thought I was Guilt- I am really to blame for everything

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Emotions of divorce

Loneliness- why don’t our friends ever call me?

Fear- no one else will want to marry me. I will never be able to support myself

Distrust- he/she is probably conniving with attorneys to take all of the property.

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Emotions of divorce

Withdrawal- I don’t feel like seeing anybody Relief- well, at least its over, a decision has

finally been made Loss of feelings of psychological well-being:

I feel awful, depressed, nervous, suicidal

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Problems of the newly divorced

They may make a prolonged retreat from social contacts

Some may jump quickly into a new marriage A few may base their life on the hope that

the spouse will return Some my organize their life around hostility

and getting even with the former mate

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Community Divorce

Remaining friends with a newly divorced person is difficult

1. When one couple among a group of friends separates, other couples who are unhappy gain psychological support to also separate

2. The married friends may experience conflict about which partner will remain their friend

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Economic consequences

Feminization of poverty Alimony Child support Deadbeat dads

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Types of Child Custody

1. The most common is sole custody. In this case, the children are assigned to one

parent who has sole responsibility for physically raising the children.

2. In joint custody, the children divide their time between the parents, who share the various decisions about their children.

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Types of Child Custody

3. In split custody, children are divided between the parents.

This method separates the children from each other but reduces the burden on a parent who might otherwise have sole custody of the children.

4. The court may award custody to someone other than a parent or parents.

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Divorce: The Legalities

Divorce was formally forbidden and made legally impossible

Now divorce is considered a proper way to end an unsuccessful marriage

Remember that marriage is a contract between the marrying couple and the state

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Legal terms

• No-fault divorce: Divorce proceeding that

does not place blame for the divorce on one

spouse or the other.

• Reviewable alimony: An award of alimony

that is reviewed periodically and changed if

necessary.

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Do it yourself divorce

couple who can work out their differences in an amicable manner before going to court are in a much better position to obtain a fair and equitable divorce

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Using attorneys

1. Realize that the termination of marital contracts involves both psychological and legal considerations

2. Failure to recognize the psychological aspects of this area of law can lead to a multiplicity of problems and further complicate the situation

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Counseling and mediation

Mediation- sharing ideas about what is fair, with a third party

counseling occurs after the divorce and helps the individual move on

The better the couples communication patterns the less traumatic both will be

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Divorce may not always be the answer

Honeymoon period Communication Defining what you want

Rose colored glasses Readjustment Hard work Huge effort