1. Who makes the rules in the house?
a. We all come to an agreement [2]
b. Father [1] c. Mother [1] d. There are no rules [0]
2. When father makes a rule‚ can it be broken?
a. Never [2] b. Sometimes [1] c.Rarely [1] d. Always [0] e. Does notapply [.]
3. Are the rules made by mother more important than the rules made by father?
4. When there is disagreement about a rule‚ can it be negotiated?
5. Are household tasks distributed fairly among all family members‚ considering the ages of the children?
6. When father arrives home from work‚ is he willing to talk with everyone in the family?
7. When mother is very busy with household tasks‚ does she allow the children to come to her if they have a problem?
8. When everyone in the family is at home‚ is it possible to converse calmly?
9. Is there a harmonious climate in the home?
10.Is there tension in the home?
11.To what extent do family members communicate empathetically?
12.When mother is at home‚ does she communicate in the same way with each of her children?
13.When father arrives home from work‚ does he communicate with mother?
14.Does father communicate in the same way with all the children?
15.How much communication is there between siblings in the family?
16.When there is a problem in the family‚ what do father and mother do?
a. Seek solutions together [2] b. Remain indifferent [0] c. Allow shouting and hitting [0] d. Allow shouting [0]
17.How often do conflicts occur in the family?
18.What does father do when there is a conflict between the children?
a. Proposes a solution [2] b. Remains indifferent [0] c. Hits them and shouts at them [0] d. Shouts at them [0] e. Does not apply [0]
19.What does mother do when there is a conflict between the children?
a. Tries to reach an agreement [2] b. Remains indifferent [0] c. Hits them and shouts at them [0] d. Shouts at them [0] e. Does not apply [0]
20.How do father and mother discuss issues?
a. Peacefully [2] b. Violently‚ in front of the children [0] c. Violently‚ in their bedroom [0] d. Does not apply [0]
21.Do the parents have their own space in the house‚ separate from the children?
22.Do father and mother engage in activities outside the home in which the children are not involved?
23.Can father engage in activities other than work in which mother and the children are not involved?
24.Can mother engage in activities outside the home in which father and the children are not involved?
25.Can the children engage in activities that do not involve father and mother?
26.Does father respect and enforce the disciplinary limits that mother establishes?
27.Does mother respect and enforce the disciplinary limits that father establishes?
28.On whom can mother rely for support when there are problems?
a. On father [2] b. On one of the children [1] c. On some other family member or friend [0]
29.On whom can father rely for support when there are problems?
a. On mother [2] b. On one of the children [1] c. On some other family member or friend [0]
30.When there are conflicts between siblings‚ do they rely on themselves to find a solution?
31.Do mother and father have the same level of authority in the household?
32.Do mother’s and father’s opinions have the same influence in decision-making?
33.Are mother’s decisions more important than those of father?
34.When conflicts occur‚ are the consequences the responsibility of mother and father equally?
35.Does any child in the family have the same level of authority as father and mother?
36.Can mother openly express her feelings?
37.Can father openly express his feelings?
38.Can every child express his/her feelings‚ whether positive or negative?
39.Are feelings expressed openly within the family?
40.When there is a conflict in the family‚ can every member express his/her feelings openly?
41.If mother is ill‚ does she receive care and support from father?
42.If father is ill‚ does he receive care and support from mother?
43.Do the children support father and mother when the parents have a problem?
44.When the siblings have problems‚ do they support each other?
45.Do all members of the family feel equally supported?
46.Do mother and father agree on the principles that govern this family?
47.Do the children understand the values that govern this family?
a. Very well [2] b. A little [1] c. Not at all [0]
48.Are the important values and principles for this family explained clearly‚ with examples?
49.Do all members of this family feel committed to its values and principles?
50.Is important in this family to have values and principles?
a. Very much [2] b. A little [1] c. Not at all [0]
51.Does mother feel loved and supported by father?
52.Does father feel loved and supported by mother?
53.Do the children feel loved‚ accepted‚ and respected in this family?
54.Does mother feel respected by father?
55.Does father feel respected by mother?
(This part will be answered only by the parents of the family)
56.Does mother feel free to express to father what pleases her sexually?
57.Does father feel satisfied sexually?
58.Can father and mother communicate about sex without fear of being judged by the other?
59.Does mother feel satisfied sexually?
60.Does anyone in the family speak freely with the children about sexuality?
Items without specified response options use the following: a. Always [2] b. Sometimes [1] c.Rarely [1] d. Never [0] e. Does not apply [.] [.] = missing value (only used for questions that refer to the father or the mother)
(1) Problem solving and responsibility 0.95
(2) Parental teamwork and expressing affection 0.96
(3) Negotiating rules and routines and quality of sexual relations 0.94
(4) Communication‚ empathy‚ values‚ and principles 0.92
(5) Maintenance of hierarchies 0.74
- Problem solving
- Communication
- Parental teamwork
This instrument can be found on pages 46-53 of Latino Families and Youth: A Compendium of Assessment Tools‚ available online at: http://www.paho.org/hq/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=23171&Itemid=
a. Always [2]
b. Sometimes [1]
c. Rarely [1]
d. Never [0]
e. Does not apply [.]
The values in brackets indicate how the item is coded.
[.] = missing value. This is only used for questions that refer to either the father or the mother‚ or in cases where the family has a single parent or an only child (this must be taken into account since the scale is designed for two-parent families with more than one child).
GARF (Global Assessment of Relational Functioning)‚ Yingling‚ L.‚ et al. (1998).
Melgarejo‚ M. C. (2008). Construcción y validación de una escala que mide funcionamiento familiar. Tesis de Maestría. Crisol‚ Centro de Posgrado en Terapia Familiar. Cuernavaca‚ Morelos‚ México.