GROUP 1 VIDEO AND TEAM PRESENTATION

1. GROUP 1 VIDEO AND TEAM PRESENTATION ALEX DANESCO, TOBY KIRKLAND, STEPHEN LANCE

2. SCENARIO • Toby is the father of 15-year old Alex. He is unhappy with the volleyball program in which Alex participates in at the local high school and, in particular, the lack of playing time Alex has on the team. He threatens to pull Alex off the team. Toby believes Alex is better than some of the girls who get more minutes in the games. • The coach of the volleyball team (Stephen) is trying to allay Toby’s concerns so that Alex can continue her participation in volleyball.

3. SCENE ONE

4. Alex, I have watched you sit the bench all year? You are a great volleyball player. If your coach can’t see that, he shouldn’t be coaching. I am going to talk to him tomorrow! Please don’t make my coach mad. I like playing on the team.

5. Stephen, I am tired of Alex sitting on the bench every game. She is one of the best volleyball players I have ever seen. Make her a starter or she is off the team! Hello Mr. Flenderson. What can I help you with?

6. Alex is not that great at volleyball and she can be annoying. You can take her off the team if you want. That is your decision. If that’s the way you feel, then she is off the team.

7. Alex, tell your friends goodbye. We are leaving and not coming back! This is the worst day of my life!

8. SCENE TWO

9. Alex, I have watched you sit the bench all year? You are a great volleyball player. If your coach can’t see that, he shouldn’t be coaching. I am going to talk to him tomorrow! Please don’t make my coach mad. I like playing on the team.

10. I am tired of Alex sitting on the bench every game. She is one of the best volleyball players I have ever seen. Make her a starter or she is off the team! Hello Mr. Flenderson. What can I help you with?

11. Alex is has a lot of potential, but she needs to work on some fundamentals. I have made her aware of the areas in which she needs to improve.

12. We love Alex and want her to stay on the team. She has great potential. I hope that I have addressed your concerns.

13. Alex, Your coach says you are doing well and have great potential. I think you should keep playing. I am so glad I get to play volleyball with my friends!

14. THE COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLE • Maxim of Quantity – Make your contribution as informative as is required and not more informative than required • Maxim of Quality - try to make your contribution one that is true • Maxim of Relation – Be relevant • Maxim of Manner – Express your ideas clearly • Maxim of Tact – Be sensitive when dealing with difficult situations References Tveit, A. (2009). Conflict between truthfulness and tact in parent-teacher conferences. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 11(4), 237-256. doi:10.1080/15017410902831346

15. THIS WEEK’S READINGS Hetherington, E. M., Bridges, M., & Insabella, G. M. (1998). What matters? What does not? Five perspectives on the association between marital transitions and children's adjustment. American Psychologist, 53, 167-184.

16. FIVE MAIN THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES Used to explain the links between divorce and remarriage and children's adjustment. • Individual risk and vulnerability • Family composition • Stress (including socioeconomic disadvantage) • Parental distress • Family process

17. QUESTION Which of these five factors has the most empirical support?

18. YOUTH’S ABILITY TO COPE Marital dysfunction and divorce are impacted by several factors: • Age of child at time of divorce • Personality and temperament • Developmental status (stage) • Gender

19. CONSEQUENCES OF DIVORCE ON YOUTH • Marital conflict is associated with a wide range of negative outcomes for children, including depression, poor social competence, low academic performance, and conduct disorders. • Conflicts in which children are caught in the middle while parents denigrate each other, precipitate loyalty conflicts, communicate through the children, or fight about the children are most destructive to children's well-being. • Even when children are not directly involved in their parents’ conflicts, the adverse effects of conflicts may be experienced through increased parental irritability and diminished monitoring, support, and involvement.

20. SINGLE PARENT HOMES Although children usually live with their mothers (approx. 84%) following the dissolution of their parents’ marriage, father-headed families have tripled since 1974, making them the fastest growing family type in the United States. • There are different strengths and weaknesses in the parenting of custodial mothers and fathers: • mothers have more problems with control and with assignment of household tasks • fathers have more problems with communication, self-disclosure, and monitoring of their children's activities (especially adolescent daughters)

21. THIS WEEK’S READINGS Jaffee, S., Moffitt, T.E., Caspi, A., & Taylor, A. (2003). Life with (or without) father: The benefits of living with two biological parents depend on the father’s antisocial behavior. Child Development, 74, 109-126.

22. THE PROBLEM AND THE PREMISE • Children in single parent families are more likely to be at-risk because single mothers typically have: • Lower educational attainment • Less social support • Poorer psychological well-being • The predominant conclusion is that children are better off with a father in the home and government should incentivize marriage.

23. THE EXCEPTION • This study shows that this may be true with the major exception of when the father exhibits anti-social behaviors such as: • Illicit drug use • Domestic violence • Illegal activities • Irritable and aggressive behaviors • Fiscal and emotional impulsivity and irresponsibility

24. CONCLUSION Having these fathers in the home actually increase likelihood of antisocial behavior of children in the home.

25. QUESTION As a YDL how do we compensate for absentee parents and even worse anti-social parents?

26. THIS WEEK’S READING Magnuson, K. & Berger, L.M. (2009) Family structure states and transitions: Associations with children’s well-being during middle school. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71, 575-587.

27. Findings of Longitudinal Study Residing in a single-mother family was associated with small increases in behavior problems and decreases in achievement. Residing in a social-father (a stepparent or unrelated cohabitating partner of their resident biological parent), family was associated with small increases in behavior problems. Family structure transitions, in general, were associated with increases in behavior problems and marginally associated with decreases in achievement.

28. Child Well-Being Four primary mechanisms that explain differences in child well-being across family structures: • Economic resources • Parental time and attention • Family conflict and stress • Social selection Source: Amato, P. (2005). The impact of family formation change on the cognitive, social and emotional well-being of the next generation. Future of Children, 15, 75-96.

29. Transition and Development Experiencing single- or social- parent family structures or family structure transitions during middle years (6-12) may have an impact on developmental tasks.

30. QUESTION As youth development professionals working with many youth in transition, single parent homes, and social-father homes, how can we provide stability through our relationships, programming, etc.?