ABSTRACT
Following a pilot study in Brisbane (see Scott, Scott and McCabe, 1991), data for this study were collected in seven communities, located in seven citiesBerlin, Canberra, Hong Kong, Osaka, Phoenix, Taipei and Winnipeg-but were by no means representative of their countries. All samples came from urban areas with participation dependent upon the assent of school superintendents, principals, teachers, (sometimes) parents, and students; thus, the samples could not be considered random. The scope of the study was less broad than originally envisaged as initial contacts in some communities were aborted because of delay in administrative arrangements or because school administrators were unwilling to risk possible offence to parents or teachers, due to the subject matter of the study (family relations) or to the imposition on teachers’ time.
