Harmony in the home

Interventions such as mediation and family therapy are thought to assist family members to renegotiate roles and rules, explore values and expectations and enhance communication and conflict resolution skills that will foster independence, promote self-esteem and maintain family connections. This article presents some of the results of an evaluation conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies in 1991 of eleven Parent-Adolescent Mediation and Family Therapy Programs funded by the Attorney-General's Department. The impact of these services on the resolution of family conflict are discussed, and the life circumstances of young people that affect youth homelessness examined.