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.     

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)     

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)     

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)     

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)     

A developmental psychopathology perspective on child abuse and neglect

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review is to conceptualize child abuse and neglect within a developmental psychopathology perspective. Toward this end, issues of definition and epidemiology, etiology, and sequelae are addressed. METHOD: Research and theory on child abuse and neglect with relevance to a developmental perspective is reviewed. RESULTS: Considerable progress has been made in our understanding of the etiology and consequences of child abuse and neglect. Less progress has been made in utilizing this knowledge to inform treatment efforts. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporation of a developmental psychopathology perspective into efforts to understand and ameliorate the adverse effects of child abuse and neglect holds considerable promise for advancing research and intervention in the area of child maltreatment. The importance of providing comprehensive and coordinated services that incorporate knowledge of how maltreated youngsters negotiate stage-salient issues of development is stressed. The provision of child-focused treatment, parent-based models of intervention, and ecologically driven approaches to prevention all can benefit from an understanding of the adverse effects that maltreatment exerts on the process of development.     

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)     

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)     

A major threat to children's mental health: Psychological maltreatment.

Psychological maltreatment appears to be more prevalent and potentially more destructive than other forms of child abuse and neglect. However, it receives little attention from the public or professional sector and is seldom the target of research or intervention. This article reviews the literature and concludes that psychological maltreatment is the core issue in child maltreatment and poses a serious mental health threat that should be brought to the forefront of psychology's efforts in policy development, research, intervention, and prevention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child abuse reporting in British Columbia: Psychologists' knowledge of and compliance with the reporting law.

Despite mandatory reporting laws, research suggests that psychologists still commonly fail to report suspected child abuse. Psychologists from British Columbia completed a survey concerning their knowledge of, compliance with, and attitudes about reporting laws. Participants also responded to vignettes that varied the type of child abuse presented (i.e., physical, emotional, sexual, and neglect). Results showed that psychologists have a high level of knowledge of the reporting law; however, their knowledge did not influence their reporting behavior. Intention to report differed as a function of type of abuse, with the neglect and sexual abuse vignettes being most likely to be reported. Degree of certainty that abuse was occurring accounted for a substantial amount of the variance in reporting intention. Lack of evidence in detecting maltreatment was indicated as a significant barrier against the reporting of suspected child abuse. Implications for professional training, research, and legislative reform are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Circumstances surrounding the occurrence of child maltreatment.

Examined circumstances surrounding the occurrence of child maltreatment for 825 physical abuse incidents, 188 emotional cruelty incidents, 799 occurrences of neglect, 766 severe but nonabusive physical discipline incidents, and 366 incidents of mild and nonabusive discipline. These incidents occurred in 328 families, which included all the families cited for child abuse over a 10-yr period in a 2-county area of eastern Pennsylvania. The age of all children for whom accidents were recorded ranged from birth through 17 yrs. Results show that physical abuse tended to be associated with child behaviors; emotional cruelty was associated with adult conflict that enlarged to involve the child; and neglect was characterized by failure of parents to assume parental responsibilities. Interpretation of the findings focused on the role of the parent–child interaction in physical abuse, the role of adult interactions in emotional cruelty, and the inadequacy of parental motivation and child-rearing skills in neglect. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Child Maltreatment, Parent Alcohol- and Drug-Related Problems, Polydrug Problems, and Parenting Practices: A Test of Gender Differences and Four Theoretical Perspectives.

The authors tested how adverse childhood experiences (child maltreatment and parent alcohol- and drug-related problems) and adult polydrug use (as a mediator) predict poor parenting in a community sample (237 mothers and 81 fathers). These relationships were framed within several theoretical perspectives, including observational learning, impaired functioning, self-medication, and parentification-pseudomaturity. Structural models revealed that child maltreatment predicted poor parenting practices among mothers. Parent alcohol- and drug-related problems had an indirect detrimental influence on mothers' parenting and practices through self-drug problems. Among fathers, emotional neglect experienced as a child predicted lack of parental warmth more parental neglect, and sexual abuse experienced as a child predicted a rejecting style of parenting. (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.     

The impact of individuals' characteristics and experiences on their definitions of child maltreatment

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to explore the extent to which individuals' own characteristics and experiences, particularly those involving child-rearing and child maltreatment, influence their definitions of abuse and neglect. METHOD: An anonymous written questionnaire asking respondents to rate the importance of individual factors to an abuse determination, as well as to rate the likelihood of specific acts incorporated into vignettes to constitute abuse, was administered to participants (n = 323) representing six groups with diverse relationships and experience with children: mental health professionals, legal professionals, medical professionals, preschool and elementary school teachers, parents, and adult nonparents. RESULTS: Parenting experience had only a minimal effect on assessments of abuse, while having encountered a case or suspected case of maltreatment at work predisposed individuals to view more ambiguous acts as less likely to constitute abuse. Nonetheless, this latter group was less receptive to factors offered in mitigation of perpetrator liability. Surprisingly, no effect was detected for individuals themselves identifying as a victim or perpetrator of abuse or neglect. CONCLUSIONS: Although personal experiences with child-rearing and child maltreatment had only a marginal effect on individuals' assessments of abuse and neglect, the role played by professional experiences with such cases should be investigated further as it does appear to impact these determinations. Along with the delineation of key factors discussed in this study, such work can assist in the development of a much needed standard to guide practitioners, particularly in regard to more ambiguous acts which tended to produce more guarded reactions from professionals.     

Child abuse and neglect—usefulness of the animal data: Comment on Maestripieri and Carroll (1998).

Issues related to definition, epidemiology, and etiology in the human literature are examined to explore possible contributions that D. Maestripieri and K. A. Carroll's (see record 1998-01884-001) discussion of nonhuman primate research can make to an understanding of child maltreatment. Similarities and differences between maltreatment in nonhuman primates and humans are discussed, and recommendations are proffered that could be useful in advancing research on child abuse and neglect in both monkeys and humans. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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)     

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)     

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)     

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)     

Liability issues in child abuse and neglect reporting statutes.

For nearly 30 years, psychologists have relied almost exclusively on child abuse and neglect reporting statutes to understand the legal duty to report child maltreatment. Although these statutes go far in delineating the contours of reporting requirements, mandated reporters may further their understandings of their duties through knowledge of judicial interpretation of these statutes. Accordingly, this article reviews the liability provisions found in the 50 states' child abuse and neglect reporting statutes and summarizes relevant court findings. Courts seem motivated by 2 key considerations, namely, that statutes should be interpreted broadly and that states' interests in such reporting is compelling. These opinions offer practical guidance as well as information relevant to the debate on how these reporting statutes should be reformed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)