Child maltreatment research: Federal support and policy issues.

The recent history of federal support for child maltreatment research paints a mixed picture of inadequate funding and uncertain administrative guidance against a backdrop of growing public concern about the prevalence of child abuse and neglect. This article describes some of the problems that have been identified in federal research funding, administration, and support of research initiatives and training concerning child abuse and neglect. Remedies for these difficulties are outlined, priorities for new research in this area are identified, and ways in which to rejuvenate the federal government's role in this area, in league with a concerted commitment to policy-relevant research by behavioral scientists, are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fighting for children.

Child abuse is a problem of national importance. Nationwide, billions of dollars are spent on the child welfare system, but child abuse rates remain high. At the federal level, new laws, such as the Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act, the Foster Care Independence Act, and the Adoption and Safe Families Act, represent steps toward addressing the problem. However, increased efforts are needed to raise awareness of the problem of child abuse and to prevent it. Furthermore, more attention is needed to address the need for reform of the child welfare system and to involve the private sector in helping abused children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child maltreatment history among newlywed couples: A longitudinal study of marital outcomes and mediating pathways.

Participants included 202 newlywed couples who reported retrospectively about child maltreatment experiences (sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect) and whose marital functioning was assessed 3 times over a 2-year period. Decreased marital satisfaction at T1 was predicted by childhood physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect for husbands; only neglect predicted lower satisfaction for wives. Increased maltreatment of various types was also related to T1 difficulties with marital trust and partner aggression. Dyadic growth curve analyses showed that the marital difficulties reported at T1 tended to remain over the course of the study. Further, in several instances, maltreatment exerted an increasingly detrimental influence on marital functioning over time, particularly for husbands. Examination of possible mediators between maltreatment and reductions in marital satisfaction revealed pathways through decreased sexual activity, increased psychological aggression, and increased trauma symptoms reported by husbands. These findings suggest that clinicians should consider how an adult’s history of child maltreatment may contribute to current marital dysfunction. The authors also identify possible targets for intervention when working with this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reliability of family maltreatment diagnostic criteria: 41 site dissemination field trial.

R. E. Heyman and A. M. S. Slep (see record 2006-10939-007) developed and conducted an effectiveness trial of a diagnostic system for child and partner maltreatment. The current investigation tested the widespread dissemination of the diagnostic system at 41 child and partner maltreatment services sites (n = 549 partner maltreatment cases and n = 342 child maltreatment cases). Agreement between field and master reviewers’ decisions was good for partner physical and emotional abuse (κ = 0.83–0.84). Agreement was also good for child physical, emotional, and sexual abuse (κ = 0.73–0.89) but lagged slightly for child neglect (κ = 0.66). Thus, multifaceted and content valid family maltreatment diagnostic criteria can be disseminated reliably. Replication studies of interrater agreement of the diagnostic system in typical clinical and agency settings are necessary; however, the high levels of agreement in myriad field sites imply that consistency of maltreatment determinations is achievable in widespread use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictive validity of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory.

200 predominantly female parents (average age 22.4 yrs) who were participants in an at-risk parent–child program were administered the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI) to determine the degree of correspondence between Ss' CAPI scores and subsequent confirmed reports of abuse, neglect, or failure to thrive. It was found that 42 parents were reported to a suspected child abuse and neglect team, confirmed for maltreatment, and referred to a human resources department; 11 Ss were reported for abuse, 15 for neglect, and 16 for failure to thrive. Although all abusive Ss earned scores above the CAPI cutoff score for abuse, the majority of Ss earning elevated scores did not abuse. A significant relationship was found between CAPI abuse scores and subsequent abuse and between abuse scores and later neglect. No relationship was found between abuse scores and subsequent failure to thrive. Findings support the predictive validity of the CAPI. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Childhood abuse and current health problems among older adults: The mediating role of self-efficacy.

Objectives: Child abuse has negative consequences on health functioning and the self-concept. Prior studies have garnered support for these relationships in younger adults; yet few studies have looked at the effects of abuse on health in older adults and the psychosocial variables, specifically self-efficacy, that may influence the abuse-health relationship. Methods: Data obtained from the Physical Health and Disability Study were used to explore the impact of child abuse on current medical problems among older adults who were screened on physical disability status (N = 1396, Mean age = 67, SD = 10.2). The study was conducted in South Florida and used a multiethnic sample that is representative of the general population in this area. Results: Child abuse was associated with the number of current medical problems and disability. Child abuse was also related to lower self-efficacy, and self-efficacy explained the relationship between abuse and the number of health problems. Conclusions: There are far-reaching effects of child abuse on older adults' health and self-concept. Health care providers and gerontologists need to be aware that child abuse is a lifelong risk factor for increased disability and specific health problems, especially among the elderly. Future research should examine treatments designed to increase self-efficacy, especially among those who experienced child abuse, and observe any positive effects on health functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child abuse and neglect: Usefulness of the animal data.

This article reviews and critically discusses the relevance of animal data to research on child abuse and neglect. Although parental investment theory can be useful in investigating the adaptiveness, if any, of child abuse and neglect, the evolutionary approach also has some limitations. The most suitable animal models for investigating the psychosocial processes underlying child abuse and neglect are probably found among the nonhuman primates. Whereas the heuristic value of social deprivation paradigms may be limited, recent studies suggest that the spontaneous occurrence of infant maltreatment in monkeys may be the closest approximation to child maltreatment provided by nonhuman animals. The investigation of adaptive and maladaptive processes in the parenting behavior of socially living nonhuman primates can inform research on child abuse and neglect and allow investigators to conduct studies that would be difficult or impossible in humans. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Etiology of child maltreatment: A developmental€cological analysis.

Applies a developmental–ecological perspective to the question of the etiology of physical child abuse and neglect by organizing the paper around a variety of "contexts of maltreatment." The roles of parent and child characteristics and processes are considered ("developmental context"), including an examination of intergenerational transmission. The "immediate interactional context" of maltreatment, which focuses on the parenting and parent–child interactional processes associated with abuse and neglect, is analyzed. Finally, the "broader context" is discussed with 3 specific subsections dealing with the community, cultural, and evoluntionary contexts of child maltreatment. Implications for intervention are considered and future research directions are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differentiation, self–other representations, and rupture–repair processes: Predicting child maltreatment risk.

This set of studies was designed to examine the relational underpinnings of child abuse potential in a sample of 51 urban families. In Study 1, lower maternal differentiation of self—most notably, greater emotional reactivity and greater emotional cutoff—along with self-attacking introjects distinguished mothers at higher risk (vs. lower risk) for child maltreatment. In Study 2, patterns of interactive rupture and repair were examined in a subsample of 15 families and found to vary as a function of risk for child maltreatment. Specifically, Structural Analysis of Social Behavior coding (SASB; Benjamin, 1996, 2003) of mother–children interactions during 2 moderately stressful lab tasks revealed higher rates of interactive mismatch and mother-initiated ruptures and fewer successful repairs in families at higher risk for child maltreatment, relative to families at lower risk. Implications for counseling and directions for further translational research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intergenerational transmission of partner violence: A 20-year prospective study.

An unselected sample of 543 children was followed over 20 years to test the independent effects of parenting, exposure to domestic violence between parents (ETDV), maltreatment, adolescent disruptive behavior disorders, and emerging adult substance abuse disorders, (SUDs) on the risk of violence to and from an adult partner. Conduct disorder (CD) was the strongest risk for perpetrating partner violence for both sexes, followed by ETDV, and power assertive punishment. The effect of child abuse was attributable to these 3 risks. ETDV conferred the greatest risk of receiving partner violence; CD increased the odds of receiving partner violence but did not mediate this effect. Child physical abuse and CD in adolescence were strong independent risks for injury to a partner. SUD mediated the effect of adolescent CD on injury to a partner but not on injury by a partner. Prevention implications are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mother–child interactional style in abuse, neglect, and control groups: Naturalistic observations in the home.

Examined mother–child interactional patterns in an urban environment. Three groups of mothers (n?=?12/group) were included in the study: (a) Ss with a known history of child abuse, (b) Ss with a known history of child neglect, and (c) Ss with no known history of child maltreatment. Ss and their children were observed in their homes on 3 consecutive days for 90 min each day. Interactions were described via a coding system of 11 major interactional patterns; dependent variables included verbal and nonverbal behaviors as well as measures of total interaction. Results indicate that the groups differed on several variables. Dysfunctional Ss showed significantly fewer positive behaviors than did the controls on verbal and nonverbal measures. Also, the abusive Ss showed significantly higher rates of verbal and physical aggression; the neglectful mothers had the lowest overall rates of interaction. The maltreated children also exhibited fewer positive behaviors and more aggressive behaviors. Results are discussed in terms of current theories of child maltreatment and of the treatment of dysfunctional families. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The federal response to child abuse and neglect.

Addressing the problem of child maltreatment is a high priority for the Clinton administration. Guided by the principles of safety, permanency, and the child's well-being, the Administration on Children and Families (ACF) has made great strides in improving the lives of maltreated children. Critical programs administered by ACF include the Adoption and Safe Families Act, Community-Based Family Resource and Support Program grants, Children's Justice Act programs, and Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act research and demonstration projects. Projects serve both to expand existing programs and to develop innovative approaches. ACF has also sponsored several multidisciplinary national conferences designed to generate a sense of shared responsibility and a renewed commitment to solving problems of child abuse and neglect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Association of insulin resistance to electrocardiographic changes in non obese Asian Indian subjects with hypertension

Although it is well documented that child maltreatment exerts a deleterious impact on child adaptation, much less is known about the precise etiological pathways that eventuate in child abuse and neglect. This paper reports on a multimethod ecological study of the relationship between neighborhood structural factors and child maltreatment reports in African American and European American census tracts. The study had two major components. First, in an aggregate analysis, the effects of four measures of community structure (impoverishment, child care burden, instability, and geographic isolation) on child maltreatment report rates were examined separately for predominantly African American (n = 94) and predominantly European American (n = 189) census tracts. Impoverishment in particular had a significantly weaker effect on maltreatment rates in African American than in European American neighborhoods. Second, focused ethnographies were conducted in four selected census tracts with child maltreatment report rates in the highest and lowest quartiles. Ethnographic data point to the importance of the social fabric in accounting for differences in child maltreatment report rates by predominant neighborhood ethnicity.     

Infant abuse and neglect in monkeys—a discussion of definitions, epidemiology, etiology, and implications for child maltreatment: Reply to Cicchetti (1998) and Mason (1998).

In response to D. Cicchetti's (see record 1998-01884-002) and W. A. Mason's (see record 1998-01884-003) commentaries, this article scrutinizes infant maltreatment in monkeys and its public health implications. Studies of infant abuse and neglect in monkeys have used operational definitions based on (a) adult behavior or (b) adult behavior and infant outcome (depending on data available for analysis). Direct comparisons between the incidence of maltreatment in monkey and human populations can be only tentative as a result of differences in operational definitions of maltreatment. A simplified version of the ecological-transactional model of maltreatment can be used in research with nonhuman primates, and different species can be used to model different aspects of the human phenomenon. Although abuse and neglect take different forms in animals and humans, research with animal models can make an important contribution to elucidating the adaptive function, if any, of child maltreatment and the proximate mechanisms underlying its occurrence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A longitudinal analysis of risk factors for child maltreatment: findings of a 17-year prospective study of officially recorded and self-reported child abuse and neglect

OBJECTIVE: To identify demographic, family, parent, and child factors prospectively associated with risk for child abuse and neglect among families in the community, using data on child maltreatment obtained from both official records and youth self-reports. METHOD: Surveys assessing demographic variables, family relationships, parental behavior, and characteristics of parents and children were administered to a representative sample of 644 families in upstate New York on four occasions between 1975 and 1992. Data on child abuse and neglect were obtained from New York State records and retrospective self-report instruments administered when youths were > or = 18 years old. RESULTS: Logistic regression analyses indicated that different patterns of risk factors predicted the occurrence of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect, although maternal youth and maternal sociopathy predicted the occurrence of all three forms of child maltreatment. In addition, the prevalence of child abuse or neglect increased from 3% when no risk factors were present to 24% when > or = 4 risk factors were present. State records and self-reports of child maltreatment did not correspond in most cases when maltreatment was reported through at least one data source, underlining the importance of obtaining data from both official records and self-reports. CONCLUSIONS: Assessment of a number of risk factors may permit health professionals to identify parents and children who are at high risk for child maltreatment, facilitating appropriate implementation of prevention and treatment interventions.     

A retrospective study of risk to siblings in abusing families.

Relatively little research has considered the risk to siblings within maltreating families. The sample in the present study consisted of the 795 siblings from a cohort of 400 "index" children who had been referred to police child protection units in England for abuse and/or neglect. In 44% of families (valid cases), the index child was scapegoated, in 37% maltreatment was nonspecific to all siblings, and in 20% maltreatment was specifically directed at some but not all siblings. Scapegoated children were more likely to be older and to experience physical or sexual abuse, whereas younger children and index child referrals for neglect, emotional abuse, or mixed abuse were associated with risk to some or all siblings. Parental difficulties and family stressors increased the risk of maltreatment to all siblings. There was no evidence of increased risk to stepsiblings or children with difficulties, suggesting that the special victim model has limited application. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A review of programs to promote family wellness and prevent the maltreatment of children.

Reviews research on programs designed to promote family wellness and prevent the maltreatment of children. Based on this review, the authors conclude that there is currently no evidence that educational programs prevent child sexual abuse. Only home visitation programs have been shown to prevent child physical abuse and neglect, and multicomponent, community-based programs have been shown to promote family wellness and prevent a number of negative outcomes for children. The most effective programs are those that address several different ecological levels of analysis, begin at birth, are long-term and intensive, are flexible, responsive, and controlled by the local community, and are based on respectful and trusting relationships between community members and staff, who are well trained and competent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multimodal assessment of impulsiveness in abusing, neglecting, and nonmaltreating mothers and their preschool children.

Three groups of 12 mothers who had a history of child abuse (mean age 26.67 yrs), child neglect (mean age 25.75 yrs), or no known history of child maltreatment (mean age 29.08 yrs) and their 48–70 mo old children were compared on the nature and extent of their impulsiveness in a multimodal assessment procedure. Children were also rated by their mothers on the Revised Conners Parent Rating Scale and by their teachers on the Conners Teacher Rating Scale. Results indicate that comparison mothers performed better than did abusing mothers on 2 measures of motor inhibition, a modified Matching Familiar Figures Test and the Stroop Color and Word Test. Neglectful mothers rated their children as having more conduct problems than did comparison mothers. No significant differences were found on the other child measures of impulsiveness. Implications for assessing and treating child maltreatment are discussed. (48 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An ecological-transactional analysis of children and contexts: the longitudinal interplay among child maltreatment, community violence, and children's symptomatology

Cicchetti and Lynch have conceptualized ecological contexts as consisting of nested levels with varying degrees of proximity to the individual. These levels of the environment interact and transact with each other over time in shaping individual development and adaptation. With a sample of maltreated (n = 188) and nonmaltreated (n = 134) children between the ages of 7 and 12 years, this investigation employed a 1-year longitudinal design to conduct an ecological-transactional analysis of the mutual relationships among community violence, child maltreatment, and children's functioning over time. Indicators of children's functioning were externalizing and internalizing behavior problems and self-rated traumatic stress reactions, depressive symptomatology, and self-esteem. Either full or partial support was obtained for the study's primary hypotheses. Rates of maltreatment, particularly physical abuse, were related to levels of child-reported violence in the community. In addition, child maltreatment and exposure to community violence were related to different aspects of children's functioning. Specific effects were observed for neglect and sexual abuse and for witnessing and being victimized by violence in the community. Finally, there was evidence that children and their contexts mutually influence each other over time. Results were discussed within the framework of an ecological-transactional model of development.     

Clarifying the effects of parental substance abuse, child sexual abuse, and parental caregiving on adult adjustment.

Parental alcoholism, childhood sexual abuse, and other forms of child maltreatment are generally viewed as contributing to adult adjustment problems. The long-term effects of these various factors, however, are actually not well understood. The present study found that the largest amount of variance in 255 college students' psychological distress was explained by parental emotional abuse and neglect, with child sexual abuse, parental substance abuse, and other factors explaining additional but smaller amounts of variance in distress. This suggests that comprehensive conceptualizations of family influences on development will result in a more complete understanding of long-term adjustment outcomes than merely focusing on particular childhood risk factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)