Is Physical Abuse,Neglect, or a Combination of Both More Predictive of Delinquent Behavior in a High-Risk Population?

This study explored early abuse type and severity in relation to delinquency utilizing an archival longitudinal data set. These data were collected every 2 years, starting at age 4, from the individuals, caregivers, and teachers. Mean differences tests were conducted to determine how delinquency scores varied by abuse type and severity. These analyses used Child Protective Services reports of the type and severity of abuse as independent measures and the behavior problem scale from the Child Behavior Checklist, Youth Self Report, and Teacher Report Form as independent measures. Follow-up analyses of variance and post-hoc tests were conducted as necessary to clarify the relationship between abuse and delinquency. Although results did not reach significance, a relatively small mean difference was discovered between severity types (more severe maltreatment history demonstrating higher levels of delinquency) for teacher ratings of delinquency.     

Child Abuse and Neglect: Counseling and Healing Practices with People of African Ancestry

Communities worldwide condemn child abuse and agree that any form of harm should be mitigated by culturally sensitive methods. In African settings such methods are underrepresented in the literature. This article sought to identify and highlight the healing practices that counselors should consider when dealing with abused children of African descent. It further, proposes prevention that should be prioritized since most African communities are living in precarious circumstances which could expose children to further abuse. The article recommends that counselors in African settings need to adopt holistic approaches such as involving parents, community and other relevant institution when dealing with survivors of abuse, rather than to work in isolation. In addition, the legislation that protects children and the traditional support system needs to be strengthened and aligned to international conventions as inconsistencies could undermine their effectiveness and hamper the implementation of anti-child abuse policies.     

Betrayal trauma theory: a critical appraisal

Freyd's (1996) betrayal trauma theory holds that children sexually abused by their caretakers are prone to develop amnesia for their abuse because awareness of abuse would imperil the survival of victims by disrupting their attachment to caretakers on whom they depend for food, shelter, and clothing. The purpose of this article is to provide an empirical and conceptual critique of betrayal trauma theory. Data from studies adduced as supporting the theory have usually been open to alternative interpretations, whereas other studies have failed to provide any support for the theory. Moreover, there is no convincing evidence that children are incapable of remembering their abuse--develop genuine amnesia for it--shortly after their molestation. Also, even if children abused by caretakers fear disruption of their attachment to the offender, there is no reason to assume that they must develop amnesia for their abuse; they can maintain the relationship merely by failing to disclose their abuse. Finally, a more parsimonious explanation for why some adults may fail to think about their abuse until many years later is provided.     

Trauma-Informed Care for Infant and Early Childhood Abuse

ABSTRACT

Trauma-informed care for those who experienced early childhood maltreatment is being developed to meet the needs of infant, toddler, and preschool victims of child abuse and neglect. This age group experiences a disproportionate amount of abuse, and the resultant toxic stress during this rapid developmental stage is more damaging than it is in later years. The concept of trauma-informed care in general is presented, followed by a focus on trauma care for early childhood abuse. Trauma-informed care for younger children is united by common principles and is seen as developmental, relational, sensory oriented, and evidence based in nature. Dissemination of knowledge about this unique population to every system that encounters survivors of any age has begun, although it must be broadened and increased. Evidence-based treatment programs for young children are available and effective but limited, especially for age 0–2. Home visiting programs for mothers and babies are effective and cost efficient. Major funding by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to each state has significant potential for success because it targets mother-child attachment and care, as well as the disproportionate amount of damage resulting from early childhood abuse. Infants and preschoolers are in some ways comparable to children with disabilities due to their developmental limitations. The nature of this population requires a more rigorous and proactive awareness and identification process because these children are physically dependent on surrounding adults. Addressing child abuse in the first years of life offers an excellent opportunity to assist the most vulnerable victims and effectively reduce the impact to families and communities in the ensuing years.     

Self-Control and Child Abuse Potential in Mothers with an Abuse History and Their Preschool Children

We examined whether physically and sexually abused mothers display lower levels of self-control, whether this explains their higher tendency to abuse their own children, and if this results in lower levels of self-control among their children. In a cross-sectional study, 40 abused and 47 matched, non-abused mothers completed validated self-control and child abuse potential questionnaires. Their preschool children (2.3–3.7 years) were tested for self-control with the effortful control battery and delay of gratification test. Relationships and mediations were tested using stepwise regression analyses and bootstrap mediation tests, while controlling for potential confounders. Mothers with a history of abuse had a significantly higher potential to abuse their children (p < .001) and lower levels of self-control (p < .05) compared to non-abused mothers. Maternal self-control predicted child abuse potential (p < .001) while controlling for maternal history of abuse, revealing that self-control partially mediated the relation between past abuse and current abuse potential. Next, child abuse potential was found to be a borderline significant predictor of child self-control (p = .05) on the delay of gratification task but not on the effortful control battery. We did not discover a correlation between child self-control and maternal self-control. These findings suggest that self-control may be a potentially important mechanism in the intergenerational cycle of child abuse. Further investigation on the topic is needed to confirm this hypothesis, for example through investigating the impact of parental self-control training on abusive parenting and children’s self-control development. Improved child self-control measures or focusing on older children is expected to address the key limitations of the current study.     

Aboriginal Entitlement and Conservative Theory

It is noteworthy that much of recent liberal scholarship aimed at empowering aboriginal peoples, and supporting their land rights, has often unwittingly embraced the conservative Lockean-Nozickian tradition rather than the tradition of left-leaning thinkers. Many of the supporters of aboriginal land rights tend to view property rights as contingently determined historical entitlements which are established independently of the state's authority, thereby creating structures which morally bind the authority of the state. This, in fact, also represents the view of the conservative supporters of untrammelled capitalism. Secondly, there is often little discussion of the bundle of rights which are derived from these acts of original acquisition. This may lead one to the assumption that these supporters of aboriginal land rights agree with the conservative view that all the recognised components of modern liberal ownership, from the right to use, to the right to income, are acquired in the initial events associated with historical entitlement. It is my argument in this paper that basing aboriginal land claims solely on customary historical entitlement results in too close an alignment with a conservative ideology which has been used to support unrestrained capitalism.     

Religio‐Spiritual Participation in Two American Indian Populations

Following a previous investigation of religio‐spiritual beliefs in American Indians, this article examined prevalence and correlates of religio‐spiritual participation in two tribes in the Southwest and Northern Plains (N = 3,084). Analysis suggested a “religious profile” characterized by strong participation across three traditions: aboriginal, Christian, and Native American Church. However, sociodemographic variables that have reliably predicted participation in the general American population, notably gender and age, frequently failed to achieve significance in multivariate analyses for each tradition. Religio‐spiritual participation was strongly and significantly related to belief salience for all traditions. Findings suggest that correlates of religious participation may be unique among American Indians, consistent with their distinctive religious profile. Results promise to inform researchers’ efforts to understand and theorize about religio‐spiritual behavior. They also provide tribal communities with practical information that might assist them in harnessing social networks to confront collective challenges through community‐based participatory research collaborations.     

Fallen women and fatherless children: Jewish domestic servants in eighteenth-century Altona

Records covering a brief period in eighteenth-century Altona reveal a pattern of behavior within the Jewish servant class that was widespread among non-Jewish neighbors. Jewish maidservants bore a significant number of children out of wedlock. These children came to the attention of communal authorities because of the dispute over who was responsible to bury them should they die. The unique arrangement that existed between the three communities Altona-Hamburg-Wandsbek caused these disputes to be recorded; ordinarily the matter would have remained shrouded in silence. Both the pattern of pregnancy and childbirth out of wedlock, as well as the tendency of community or magistracy to place the sole responsibility on the mother, were characteristic of non-Jewish European society in the eighteenth century. A notable departure from the non-Jewish norm was that none of the Jewish mothers in these records was charged with infanticide.     

A Qualitative Exploration of Religion,Gender Norms,and Sexual Decision-Making within African American Faith-Based Communities

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) continues to be a prominent health and social justice issue, especially for African American communities in the Southern United States. Gender role norms, specifically within faith-based communities in the South, pose challenges to empowering women to make safer sexual health decisions. To explore perceptions of gender norms and sexual health, 42 qualitative interviews were gathered from female members of 16 predominantly African American churches in Atlanta, GA. Constructs from the theory of gender and power and the social ecological model were used to guide coding and analysis. Participants discussed their experiences with gender norms and gender-based power differentials at the institutional (i.e., church), familial, and interpersonal (i.e., intimate relationship) levels. Because of the attitudes and beliefs held by their religious communities and families, many participants recalled struggling to assert themselves in sexual relationships and recalled engaging in risky and unwanted sexual behavior, especially during their young adult years. However, as the participants matured, they worked to overturn traditional gender norms, empowering both their children and women in their religious communities to make healthy, autonomous sexual decisions. Moving forward, participants want their churches and members of their faith communities to play an active role in the empowerment of African American women and provide them with the confidence and education necessary to negotiate sexual decisions with their partners.

     

Correlates of child abuse potential

Coercion theory provided the theoretical rationale for the present study. The hypothesis was that mothers' reports of child behavior problems and mothers' reports of external locus of control would be related to abuse potential. A total of 95 mother-child pairs were screened for child abuse potential during visits to a hospital-based pediatrie clinic. Following brief interviews, mothers completed three measures: Milner's Child Abuse Potential Inventory, Levenson's Locus of Control Scales, and the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist. Perceptions of control by powerful others and by chance were related to abuse potential for mothers of both sexes. Mothers' reports of their sons' anxiety-withdrawal and conduct-disorder behavior problems were related to abuse potential. There was a significant association among lie scores, internality, and abuse potential for mothers of female children. Mothers with high abuse potential reported significantly more behavior problems in their children. The findings were discussed in relation to coercion theory.Portions of this paper were presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Detroit, April 1983. This research was conducted by the first author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. at the University of Miami under the direction of Drs. Keith G. Scott and Annette M. La Greca. The first author wishes to thank the members of the committee, Drs. Herbert C. Quay, Simon B. Miranda, Daryl Greenfield, and Julia Rosenkrans, for their many contributions. Also, special thanks to the University of Miami Child Protection Team for their continuous support and guidance, and special appreciation to the mothers and children who participated in the study.     

Cyber- and face-to-face bullying: who crosses over?

A total of 3956 children aged 12–13 years who completed the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC Wave 5) were studied about their experiences of traditional face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying in the last month. In terms of prevalence, sixty percent of the sample had been involved in traditional bullying as the victim and/or the offender whereas eight percent had been involved in cyberbullying as victim and/or offender. The vast majority (95 %) of those involved in cyberbullying were also involved in traditional bullying. Children involved in both traditional bullying and cyberbullying were compared with those involved in only traditional bullying. Boys were more likely to be involved in both types of bullying than girls. Children with friends involved in delinquent activities and who did not have trustworthy and supportive friends were more likely to bully both traditionally and in cyberspace. Computer proficiency and use did not differentiate children who had crossed over from those who had not, although computer use for socializing purposes had some predictive value in identifying those children who crossed over. The study reflects the value of school interventions for children as they approach adolescence, covering both traditional bullying and cyberbullying, and targeting social relationships in order to teach children how to manage them safely and intelligently.     

The Relation of Exposure to Traumatic Events and Longitudinal Mental Health Outcomes for Children Enrolled in Systems of Care: Results from a National System of Care Evaluation

This study examined the relation between children's history of exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and clinical and functional mental health trajectories over a 18‐month period among a national sample of youth referred for services in children's behavioral health systems of care (SOCs). Using data from the national evaluation of the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services program for communities funded from 1997 to 2000, the study sample included 9556 children and their families. Latent growth modeling was used to assess the effect of history of exposure to PTEs on trajectories in a number of behavioral health outcomes during the 3‐year period following referral to services, controlling for child demographic characteristics (gender, race, and age). Results revealed that, on average, children in SOCs exhibited significant improvements over time on all four outcome measures. Children with a history of exposure to PTEs had higher rates of internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors and functional impairments and fewer behavioral and emotional strengths at baseline, but experienced improvements in these outcomes at the same rates as children without exposure to a traumatic event. Finally, child race, gender, and age also were associated with differences in behavioral health trajectories among service recipients. Implications for SOCs, including approaches to make them more trauma‐informed, are discussed.     

感知到亲子间面孔相似性对亲子虐待的影响：一个双重调节模型

由于体内受精,父亲面临着父亲身份不确定性的风险,亲子间面孔相似性是辨别父亲身份的一个常用的有效线索,因此,父亲往往依据亲子间面孔相似性程度调整着亲子投资。而中国传统文化强调重男轻女,因此,父子间面孔相似性比父女间面孔相似性对父亲的亲子投资的预测效应更强。本研究采用自我报告的方法测量了212名中学生感知到亲子间面孔相似性、亲子虐待以及人口学变量。结果表明:（1）感知到的亲子间面孔相似性与亲子虐待中的精神虐待存在显著的相关,与身体虐待的相关没有达到显著水平;（2）父母的性别显著地调节着感知到亲子间面孔相似性对精神虐待的预测,具体而言, 父子（女）间面孔相似性显著地预测父亲的精神虐待,而母子（女）间面孔相似性对母亲精神虐待的预测没有达到显著水平;（3）进一步的分析表明,子女的性别显著地调节着感知到父子（女）间面孔相似性对父亲精神虐待的影响,具体而言,父子间面孔相似性显著地预测父亲对儿子的精神虐待,但父女间面孔相似性对父亲对女儿的精神虐待的预测没有达到显著水平。研究结果支持并拓展了父亲身份不确定性假设。     

感知到亲子间面孔相似性对亲子虐待的影响：一个双重调节模型

由于体内受精,父亲面临着父亲身份不确定性的风险,亲子间面孔相似性是辨别父亲身份的一个常用的有效线索,因此,父亲往往依据亲子间面孔相似性程度调整着亲子投资。而中国传统文化强调重男轻女,因此,父子间面孔相似性比父女间面孔相似性对父亲的亲子投资的预测效应更强。本研究采用自我报告的方法测量了212名中学生感知到亲子间面孔相似性、亲子虐待以及人口学变量。结果表明:（1）感知到的亲子间面孔相似性与亲子虐待中的精神虐待存在显著的相关,与身体虐待的相关没有达到显著水平;（2）父母的性别显著地调节着感知到亲子间面孔相似性对精神虐待的预测,具体而言, 父子（女）间面孔相似性显著地预测父亲的精神虐待,而母子（女）间面孔相似性对母亲精神虐待的预测没有达到显著水平;（3）进一步的分析表明,子女的性别显著地调节着感知到父子（女）间面孔相似性对父亲精神虐待的影响,具体而言,父子间面孔相似性显著地预测父亲对儿子的精神虐待,但父女间面孔相似性对父亲对女儿的精神虐待的预测没有达到显著水平。研究结果支持并拓展了父亲身份不确定性假设。     

Native american alcoholism: A transcultural counseling perspective

Alcohol-related mental and physical health problems are critical problems among Native Americans. The intensity of these problems increased proportionately to the destruction of traditional/aboriginal ways. Despite centuries of attempts at physical and cultural genocide a semblance of traditionalism survived to the presence among many tribal groups. Nonetheless the vast majority of contemporary Native Americans are ‘marginal’—caught between their traditional culture and the demands of the dominant United States society. Treating Native Americans merely from the conventional clinical perspective spells of ethnocentrism while a pure traditional approach often serves to restrict both off-reservation mobility and inter-tribal interactions. Here the transcultural approach offers a needed bridge for effective Native American alcohol and mental health counseling.     

Factors Associated with 3-Year Stability and Change in Parenting Behavior of Abusive Parents

We sought to examine the stability of parenting behaviors among physically abusive parents in the 3-year period between their children’s preschool and first grade years. The second purpose of the study was to identify factors that predicted the levels and rates of change in parenting behaviors. 54 parent/child dyads were recruited following substantiated physical abuse of the child and were assessed in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. Parenting behaviors were measured by observations during Parent–Child Interactions, self-reports from parents, and child reports using a puppet interview. Potential predictors of stability and change examined were demographic factors (SES, child gender, and ethnicity) and parent characteristics (depressive symptomatology, perceptions of child behavior problems, and life stress). Multilevel modeling indicated significant fluctuations in parenting among abusive parents, and these fluctuations were generally attributable to within-person rather than between-person differences. Linear change over time was evidenced in observed positive regard, flat affect, sensitivity, and child-reported structure; changes generally were in the direction of deterioration of parenting over time. Parents’ perceptions of the severity of their children’s behavior problems predicted changes over time in parenting behaviors related to intrusiveness and structure in the home. Demographic factors and parental depression predicted change in select parenting behaviors. Overall, findings indicate instability in parenting during the developmental transition to kindergarten and wide individual differences in patterns of change in parenting. Further, parenting behavior tends to deteriorate rather than improve following substantiation of physical abuse by the child protection system.     

Physical Abuse and Childhood Disability

SUMMARY

Several authors have hypothesized that children with disabilities are at increased risk for physical abuse. Such a finding would be consistent with current ecological models, which posit that certain child characteristics (e.g., behavior problems) in combination with other risk factors can lead to abuse. The paucity of research in this area makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions at this time. However, the few studies conducted suggest that child characteristics play a minor role in the etiology of abuse. Despite the lack of evidence indicating that children with disabilities are at significantly greater risk for abuse than their nondisabled peers, the presence of a disability raises some unique issues in the identification, assessment, and treatment of special needs children. This article reviews the literature linking abuse and disability as a risk factor. In addition, impediments encountered in the assessment and treatment of abused children with disabilities and their families are discussed and guidelines for practice are presented.     

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND WOMEN'S MENTAL HEALTH IN CHILE

Domestic violence against women is a pervasive, global health problem. This study investigates the correlates and psychological outcomes of domestic abuse among women in a semi-industrial country. The participants included 215 mothers residing in working-class communities located on the outskirts of Santiago, Chile. We utilized structural equation modeling to test the hypothesis that poverty and other structural inequalities would be related to incidents of domestic abuse in Chile, as they are in the United States. Our results suggest that lower socioeconomic status, even within poor communities, and stressful life events have a direct relationship to domestic conflict. Domestic abuse was, in turn, associated with women's mental health such that greater domestic conflict was related to higher reports of depressive affect and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. The importance of identifying similarities and differences in the occurrence of domestic violence in developing countries as compared to industrialized countries is discussed.