TITLE: Posttraumatic
Stress and Mental Health Functioning of Sexually Abused Children.
AUTHOR: Avery,
L.; Massat, C. R.; Lundy, M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: University
of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg. School of Social Work.
SOURCE: 17(1):
pp. 19-34; Kluwer Academic-Human Sciences
Press, Inc., Dordrecht (The Netherlands)., February 2000; p. 31
ABSTRACT: The
authors explored the relationships between the mental health functioning of
sexual abuse victims and post traumatic stress disorder, using data collected
from the Non-Offending Parents project, a four-year project funded by the
National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect. Longitudinal data were collected
from 53 sexually abused children; unlike numerous previous studies,
standardized instruments such as the Child Assessment Schedule and the Child
Post-traumatic Stress Reaction Index were used for data collection. Data
analysis supported the hypothesis that the post traumatic stress level of
children who had been sexually abused is associated with level of child mental
health functioning. Nearly all the children experienced a clinical level of
posttraumatic stress and were diagnosed as having posttraumatic stress
disorder. Results suggest that clinicians intervening with children
who have been sexually abused should assess and treat posttraumatic stress
disorder symptoms. Theauthors recommend use of standardized instruments to
facilitate comparison across studies and additional longitudinal studies to add
further depth to the knowledge base. Four tables, numerous references. (Author
abstract modified)
KEY TERMS: post
traumatic stress disorder; mental
health; sexual abuse; research;
longitudinal studies; data
collection; data analysis; psychopathology
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.wkap.nl
TITLE: Medicolegal
Aspects of Child Abuse.
AUTHOR: Myers,
J. E. B.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Pacific
Univ., Sacramento, CA. McGeorge School of Law.
SOURCE: In:
Reece, R. M. (Editor). Treatment of Child Abuse: Common Mental Health, Medical,
and Legal Practitioners. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD.,
2000; p. 36
ABSTRACT: Children
s statements during examinations and interviews have forensic as well as
medical significance. Under certain circumstances, the child s statements are
inadmissible as evidence, due to the hearsay rules of evidence. There are,
however, important exceptions. They include the excited utterance exception,
disclosure under the doctrine of fresh complaint, statements made during
diagnostic or treatment services, and the residual and child hearsay
exceptions. Interviewing techniquesmust include the avoidance of suggestive or leading questions. Confidentiality and privileged communication
have well-defined boundaries, and child abuse reporting laws override
confidentiality and privilege. A professional called upon to appear in court as
an expert witness should review only those portions of the record needed for
the testimony and should document the parts of the record reviewed. Privileged
and nonprivileged materials should be separated in the record. If one takes the
record tocourt, limit what is taken to the intended testimony. If possible, do
not take the record to the witness stand, and if it is taken, refer to it only
if necessary. Expert testimony usually takes one of three forms: an opinion, an
answer to a hypotheticalquestion, or a lecture providing information to the
judge or jury. Be prepared for cross-examination, understanding that the
defense attorney will try to raise doubts about the expert testimony. This is
done by trying to limit the expert s ability to explain, by undermining the
expert s assumptions, by impeaching the expert with a learned treatise, or by
raising the issue of the expert s bias toward the prosecution. 33 references.
(Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: medical
aspects of child abuse; physicians
role; legal processes; expert testimony; expert witnesses; rules
of evidence; hearsay rule; confidentiality
PUBLICATION TYPE: Chapter
in Book
INTERNET URL: http://www.press.jhu.edu
TITLE: No
Ordinary Life: Parenting the Sexually Abused Child and Adolescent.
AUTHOR: Knauer,
S.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
SOURCE: Charles
C. Thomas Publisher, Ltd., Springfield, IL., February 2000; p. 75
ABSTRACT: This
book for survivors of sexual abuse and their caregivers explains the impact of
sexual abuse on child behavior and suggests
parenting strategies for supporting the healing process. It reviews the signs
of sexual abuse and describes how to respond to a disclosure of abuse. Legal
aspects and court processes are addressed, as well as discipline and managing
behaviors such as eating disorders, self-mutilation, anger, and shame. Other
topics include survivors in foster care and group homes, intimacy and sexuality
among survivors, survivors as parents, and how to start a survivor s group. Suggestions for breaking the cycle of abuse are also
presented. The book is intended to provide a sense of kinship for survivors and
understanding for nonsurvivors.
KEY TERMS: sexual
abuse; sequelae; parenting skills; symptoms; disclosure; child behavior; discipline; group
PUBLICATION TYPE: Book
INTERNET URL: www.ccthomas.com
TITLE: A
Theory of Children's Services: Reflections on Epstein's Indictment.
AUTHOR: Stoesz,
D.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Children
and Youth Services Review
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Virginia
Commonwealth Univ., Richmond. School of Social Work.
SOURCE: 22(1):
pp. 1-11; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., January 2000; p. 130
ABSTRACT: This
article reviews criticisms of the current child welfare system and suggests policy changes that will improve services for abused
children and their families. Some of the remarks depict the child welfare
system as perpetuating inferior practices without the desire to assess the
outcomes of its services. The public child welfare system serves primarily
poor, minority families, while wealthier families are treated by private and
sometimes commercial service providers. Workers inthe public sector tend to be
less qualified than those in private services and are expected to care for
children who are more traumatized with multiple risk factors. Recommendations
for child welfare reform include: national certification for children'sservices
workers, focusing on competency in forensic procedures, social policy, child
and family development, research, and finance; tax on alcoholic beverages to be
used for a wide variety of proven child abuse prevention initiatives; tax on
commercialchild and family service providers to fund locally integrated
categorical programs; federal funding based on child morbidity and mortality;
open cases of children with serious injuries or deaths while in care; establish
a child research institute in each federal region; require philanthropies that
are funding children and family issues to allocate 25 percent of their
resources to programs that utilize best practices; and create a tax credit for
children's mentors. 14 references.
KEY TERMS: child
welfare reform; service delivery; program models; public policy; policy
formation; funding; advocacy;
research needs
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Social
Support and the Relationship Between Family and Community Violence Exposure and
Psychopathology Among High Risk Adolescents.
AUTHOR: Muller,
R. T.; Goebel-Fabbri, A. E.; Diamond, T.; Dinklage, D.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: York
Univ., Toronto, ON (Canada). Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: 24(4):
pp. 449-464; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., April 2000; p. 170
ABSTRACT: The
objective of this study was to examine the protective effect of social support
in the relationship between exposure to violence and psychopathology. Exposure
to violence in the family and exposure to violence in the community were
examined separately. Exposure to violence was further divided according to
whether violence was experienced as a victim or as a witness. Internalizing and
externalizing forms of psychopathology, as well as post-traumatic stress
symptomatology were measured. Participants consisted of 65 high-risk
adolescents admitted consecutively to psychiatric inpatient units. Data were
collected by means of individual interviews, self-report questionnaires, and
hospital charts. Social support emerged as a protective factor with respect to
the maladaptive effects of family violence, experienced as either a victim or
as a witness. In contrast, social support did not appear to buffer the
maladaptive effects of community violence, regardless of whether violence was
experienced as a victim or as a witness. In fact, the relationship between community
violence and psychopathology was found to be generally nonsignificant
regardless of social support status. These findings suggest that exposure to family violence may affect development
differently than exposure to community violence, allowing social support to
effectively buffer the effects of family, but not community, violence. This
finding highlights the importance of examining violence exposure that occurs
within the family separately from violence exposure that occurs within the
community. 58 references and 10 tables.
KEY TERMS: adolescents; psychopathology; sequelae; community
violence; family violence; social isolation; resilience; child
witnesses of family violence
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Children
in Foster Care: Factors Influencing Outpatient Mental Health Service Use.
AUTHOR: Leslie,
L. K.; Landsverk, J.; Ezzet-Lofstrom, R.; Tschann, J. M..; et al.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: California
Univ., San Diego. Children's Hospital.
SOURCE: 24(4):
pp. 465-476; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., April 2000; p. 172
ABSTRACT: Detailed
survey and administrative data were collected on 480 children who entered
long-term foster care in San Diego County to determine factors influencing the
utilization of outpatient mental health services by children in foster care.
Data were linked with claims data from Medicaid and San Diego County Mental
Health Services information systems. A Poisson regression model was used to
determine whether the following factors influenced outpatient mental health
service use: age; race-ethnicity; gender; maltreatment history; placement
pattern; and behavioral problems as measured by the Achenbach Child Behavior
Checklist. Except for maltreatment history, all independent variables included
in the multivariate regression model were statistically significant. The total
number of outpatient mental health visits increased with age, male gender, and
non-relative foster placements. Relative to Caucasians, visits were lower for
Latinos, and Asian-Others, but comparable for African-Americans. Concerning
maltreatment history, differences were only found in one category: children
experiencing caretaker absence received fewer visits compared to children who
did not experience caretaker absence. Children with CBCL Total ProblemScale
T-scores of 60 or greater had significantly more visits than those with a score
less than 60. Both clinical and non-clinical factors influence outpatient
mental health service use by foster children. Limitations imposed by gender,
race-ethnicity, and placement setting need to be addressed by child welfare
policies. These findings suggest that guidelines are needed to
systematically link children in foster care with behavioral problems to
appropriate services. 44 references and 2 tables. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: utilization; mental health services; foster children; outpatient treatment;
predictor variables; age
factors; racial factors; child behavior
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: From
Maltreatment Report to Juvenile Incarceration: The Role of Child Welfare
Services.
AUTHOR: Jonson-Reid,
M.; Barth, R. P.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Washington
Univ., St. Louis, MO. George Warren Brown School of Social Work.
SOURCE: 24(4):
pp. 505-520; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., April 2000; p. 188
ABSTRACT: This
study examined whether children who received child welfare services (e.g.,
in-home or out-of-home placement) were more or less likely to become
incarcerated as serious and violent youthful offenders than those children who
were investigated as victims of abuse and neglect but received no further child
welfare intervention. Administrative data on child abuse reporting, foster
care, birth records, and juvenile corrections (CYA) were liked to prospectively
examine the risk of incarceration as an adolescent following an investigation
of abuse or neglect after age 6. The 10 county California sample included
159,549 school-aged children reported for abuse and neglect after 1990. About 8
per 1,000 children in the sample were later incarcerated in CYA. African
American and Hispanic children who received in-home or foster care services
after the index investigation event had a lower risk of incarceration than
those whose cases were closed after the investigation. Among females, the rate
of incarceration was highest for those who experienced foster or group care
placements. Children initially reported for neglect were more likely to be
incarcerated than those reported for physical or sexual abuse. Public child
welfare services have rarely been assessed in terms of future negative child
outcomes. This study finds that one serious negative outcome, CYA involvement,
can only be understood when a number of factors are considered. The importance
of understanding the differences between how different subpopulations respond
to services is highlighted. Specifically, the findings suggest that more attention should be focused on children who are
now receiving no services after an investigated child abuse and neglect report,
on females, and on victims of child neglect. 39 references, 3 figures, and 2
tables. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: child
welfare research; risk factors; sequelae;
delinquent behavior; juvenile
delinquency; child abuse history; child abuse reporting; outcomes
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Coping
Strategies and Burnout Among Veteran Child Protection Workers.
AUTHOR: Anderson,
D. G.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Kentucky
Univ., Lexington. Coll. of Social Work.
SOURCE: 24(6):
pp. 839-848; Elsevier Science, Ltd.,
New York, NY., June 2000; p. 200
ABSTRACT: This
study examined how veteran child protective service investigations workers cope
with job stress and the relationship between coping strategies and levels of
emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and sense of reduced personal
accomplishment (burnout syndrome). Cross-sectional, self-report methodology was
used to measure coping strategies and the burnout syndrome. The voluntary
subjects were 151 front-line child protective service workers with at least 2
years experience in a southeastern Department of Social Services. They attended
one of nine stress management workshops provided in various locations around
the state. Quantitative analyses were run on the data. These workers perceived
themselves to use Engaged (active) coping strategies more than Disengaged
(avoidant) strategies. Sixty-two percent of participants scored in the high
range on Emotional Exhaustion, the aspect some researchers consider to be the
heart of Burnout. Those who used Engaged coping were less likely to feel
depersonalized and more likely to feel a sense of personal accomplishment.
Neither the use of active nor avoidant coping strategies saved these workers
from Emotional Exhaustion. The problem-focused strategies they are taught and
use most do not help deal with the emotional content and context of their work,
suggesting the use of emotion-focused coping to
prevent and remediate burnout. 39 references and 3 tables. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: child
welfare workers; coping skills; well being;
child protective services;
psychological characteristics;
stress management;
investigations; child welfare
research
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: State
Child Well-Being Ranking: Alternative Approaches.
AUTHOR: Engel,
S. M.; Field, C.; Finkelhor, D.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: New
Hampshire Univ., Durham. Family Research Lab.
SOURCE: New
Hampshire Univ., Durham. Family Research Lab., May 2000; p. 202
ABSTRACT: This
paper suggests a method for controlling for race when
ranking states in order of child well being. Data from the Kids Count Data Book
were analyzed to measure the amount of change in well being, as well as to take
into account the proportion of children in the state who are black. Both
methods changed the order of the states in the ranking of well being. When
states are listed according to the amount of change in indicators, Utah,
Alaska, and Maine received the highest scores. Massachusetts and Connecticut s
rankings decreased from the top 25 percent to the lowest 25 percent. When
controlled for the percentage of black children in the state, Maryland was
ranked the best for child well being. These findings illustrate the nature of
rankings systems. Policymakers are advised to apply different statistical
methods for measuring the well being of children and their families. 2 figures
and 20 tables.
KEY TERMS: well
being; state surveys; indicators;
measures; research methodology; statistical data; statistical analysis;
racial factors
PUBLICATION TYPE: Technical
Report
INTERNET URL: http://www.unh.edu/frl
TITLE: Posttraumatic
Response and Children Exposed to Parental Violence.
AUTHOR: Rossman,
B. B. R.; Ho, J.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma
SOURCE: 3(1):
pp. 85-106; Haworth Press, Inc.,
Binghamton, NY., 2000; p. 248
ABSTRACT: Using
a factor analytic procedure, this study attempted to examine how the DSM-IV symptoms
clusters for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder come together for a sample of 285
children living in shelters for battered women and the community. The mothers
of the subjects completed instruments about family background, their
relationship with their partner, and child behavior. Children were assessed for
vocabulary, cognitive skills, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress syndrome.
The findings revealed that children exposed to violence reported higher scores
for posttraumatic stress symptoms than non-exposed children. Although the
clusters of children s symptoms were somewhat similar to the DSM-IV clusters of
re-experiencing-intrusion; arousal-avoidance, and dysphoria, the study should
be replicated to collect further evidence of the pattern. The results demonstrate
the complex nature of diagnosing posttraumatic stress disorder in children
because the symptoms are similar to other conditions, such as depression and
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. General suggestions are made regarding possible intervention
with exposed children experiencing posttraumatic symptoms. 49 references and 7
tables. (Author abstract modified)
KEY TERMS: child
witnesses of family violence;
posttraumatic stress disorder;
sequelae; trauma; symptoms;
intervention strategies; child
abuse research; self report
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.haworthpressinc.com
TITLE: Consider
the Children: Research Informing Interventions for Children Exposed to Domestic
AUTHOR: Pepler,
D. J.; Catallo, R.; Moore, T. E.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: York
Univ., North York, ON (Canada). La Marsh Centre for Research on Violence and
Conflict Resolution.
SOURCE: 3(1):
pp. 37-57; Haworth Press, Inc.,
Binghamton, NY., 2000; p. 250
ABSTRACT: This
article considers interventions for children exposed to family violence in
light of the research on children s problems associated with witnessing family
violence. Risk and protective factors related to these children s adjustment
are identified, emphasizing that all children are not similarly affected by
exposure to family violence. A systemic perspective of intervention is proposed
to address children s relationships with their mother, father, and siblings, as
well as within broader systems such as the peer group, the school, and the
community. The article summarizes the findings of an evaluation of an
intervention that incorporates some of the elements identified by a systemic
perspective. The evaluation revealed a significant improvement in children s
self-reports of depression and anxiety over the course of the program. Mothers
rated their children as significantly improved in emotional and hyperactive behavior
problems. There was no relation between mothers involvement in counseling and
children s improvement. Overall, the results suggest
that the Peer Group Counseling Program effectively provided support to children
exposed to family violence. Finally, the steps necessary to support children
and families in moving toward violence-free lives are described. 33 references
and 3 tables. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: child
witnesses of family violence;
intervention strategies; risk
factors; resilience; program evaluation; therapeutic effectiveness;
group therapy; peer groups
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.haworthpressinc.com
TITLE: Witnessing
Parental Violence as a Traumatic Experience Shaping the Abusive Personality.
AUTHOR: Dutton,
D. G.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: British
Columbia Univ., Vancouver (Canada). Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: 3(1):
pp. 59-67; Haworth Press, Inc.,
Binghamton, NY., 2000; p. 251
ABSTRACT: This
article reviews research about childhood trauma to explain the development of
abusive behaviors perpetrated by batterers. It proposes that a combination of
insecure attachment, exposure to physical abuse, and being shamed by a parent
magnifies trauma and contributes to the imitation of aggressive behavior.
Research has found that exposure to interparental violence can result in
imitative behavior, a weakening of attachment relationships which would
otherwise protect the child from the effects of violence, and high levels of
stress. Previous work by Dutton and his colleagues established a clinical
profile on intimately abusive adult men that is quite similar to profiles of
trauma victims in many essential clinical respects. Dutton showed that arousal
modulation problems, affective monitoring, cognitive problem solving deficits,
externalizing attributional styles, aggression and dissociative states are
common to both groups. Furthermore, intimately abusive men demonstrate similar
profiles as men diagnosed independently with posttraumatic stress disorder. The
trauma was attributed to early assaults on the self through parental shaming,
accompanied by insecure attachment and physical abuse victimization. Although
most of the research has examined the contribution of childhood physical abuse
to the personality development of spouse abusers, some evidence suggests that observation of interparental attacks is an equally
important risk factor. 48 references. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: child
witnesses of family violence;
trauma; child development; characteristics of abuser; child abuse history; research reviews; generational cycle of family violence; sequelae
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.haworthpressinc.com
TITLE: Helping
Children Who Reside at Shelters for Battered Women: Lessons Learned.
AUTHOR: Stephens,
N.; McDonald, R.; Jouriles, E. N.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Houston
Univ., Texas. Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: 3(1):
pp. 147-160; Haworth Press, Inc.,
Binghamton, NY., 2000; p. 255
ABSTRACT: The
need for mental health-psychoeducational services for children in battered
women s shelters is discussed in this article. In addition to questions of
types, targets, and timing of services, the need for a careful evaluation of
all shelter-based services for children is emphasized. Considerations include
the diverse range of needs of children residing in the shelter, causes of
sources of the children s problems, resources available to the shelter,
duration of shelter stays, and readiness for counseling. Suggestions and guidelines are provided in the
article for designing, implementing, and evaluating services for children in
battered women s shelters. In general, shelters should have a well-trained
staff that is knowledgeable about community resources, as well as an array of
activities and programs for helping women and their children feel comfortable
in the shelter. All programs should be evaluated for effectiveness. 25
references and 1 table. (Author abstract modified)
KEY TERMS: child
witnesses of family violence; battered
women; shelters; children in shelters; shelter management; mental health services; program planning; program evaluation
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.haworthpressinc.com
TITLE: Custody
and Visitation Trends in the United States in Domestic Violence Cases.
AUTHOR: Lemon,
N. K. D.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: California
Univ., Berkeley. School of Law.
SOURCE: 3(1):
pp. 329-343; Haworth Press, Inc.,
Binghamton, NY., 2000; p. 263
ABSTRACT: This
article addresses custody and visitation trends in domestic violence cases in
the United States. It defines domestic violence behaviorally, looks briefly at
its prevalence, and discusses national policy statements and studies. It also
examines statutory trends concerning the role of domestic violence in custody
and visitation cases, including the O.J. Simpson guardianship case. Practical suggestions for litigants and judges are included.
The article concludes that the way domestic violence issues are treated in
custody and visitation cases is often problematic, and calls for specific
reforms. 4 tables. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: child
custody; visitation; spouse abuse; prevalence; public
policy; state statutory law; courts role; court reform
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.haworthpressinc.com
TITLE: Tips
for Investigating Child Fatalities.
AUTHOR: Lee,
D.; May, J.; O'Keefe, E.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Update
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: American
Prosecutors Research Institute, Alexandria, VA. National Center for Prosecution
of Child Abuse.
SOURCE: 13(1):
pp. 1-2; American Prosecutors Research
Institute, Alexandria, VA. National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse.,
2000; p. 268
ABSTRACT: This
article provides checklists for the investigation of child fatalities. Suggestions are presented for identifying and
interviewing witnesses, examining the suspected crime scene, creating a
timeline of the child s last hours or days, and analyzing data. Potential
witnesses include the medical professionals who treated the child, emergency
personnel, patrol officers, parents, caregivers, and neighbors. After hearing
the parents explanation of the child s death, investigators should specifically
seize the object involved in the child s death, clothes and diapers of the
child, the caretakers clothes, bottles and food containers, poisons and
medicines, home videos and photographs, and medical records. The timeline will
clarify the progression of the events that lead to the child s death and the
veracity of the caretaker s explanation.
KEY TERMS: investigations; child fatalities; interviews;
protocols; guidelines; police operating procedures; police responsibility; police role
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Counseling
Sexually Abused Girls: The Impact of Sex of the Counselor.
AUTHOR: Moon, L.
T.; Wagner, W. G.; Kazelskis, R.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Virginia
State Univ., Petersburg. Dept. of Education Leadership.
SOURCE: 24(6):
pp. 753-765; Elsevier Science, Ltd.,
New York, NY., June 2000; p. 277
ABSTRACT: This
study was conducted to assess the impact of sex of counselor on the therapeutic
process for sexually abused girls in individual counseling. Raters evaluated
videotapes of counseling sessions recorded for 35 sexually abused girls who had
been systematically assigned to brief-term psychoeducationally oriented
treatment with either a male or female counselor. Clients' in-session behavior
was rated using accepted therapeutic process measures, while statistically
controlling for the effect of girls' pretreatment comfort level with male and
female counselors. Overall, MANCOVA results revealed that girls' participation
in counseling was not significantly related to session number, the child's age
(i.e., preadolescent vs. adolescent), or the sex of counselor who provided
treatment services. However, univariate results and graphic representations of
girls' behavior suggest that adolescent clients, when compared
with their preadolescent counterparts, seemed to be more reluctant to discuss
certain child sexual abuse topics. The findings suggest that caution is warranted regarding categorical recommendations
on the assignment of young female survivors to male counselors. Delimitations
and limitations of the study and directions for future research are discussed.
54 references, 2 figures, and 1 table. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: sexual
abuse; female victim; therapeutic effectiveness; sex factors; counselors; therapists; child abuse research; individual therapy
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: What
Children Learn From Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs: Difficult Concepts and
Developmental Issues.
AUTHOR: Tutty,
L. M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Research
on Social Work Practice
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Calgary
Univ., AL (Canada).
SOURCE: 10(3):
pp. 275-300; Sage Publications, Inc.,
Thousand Oaks, CA., May 2000; p. 279
ABSTRACT: This
study evaluated the effectiveness of a school-based sexual abuse prevention
program. The secondary analysis compared 231 elementary school children who
were randomly assigned and matched for age to participate in the Who Do You
Tell sexual abuse prevention program or in a wait list control condition.
Chi-square analyses compared changes on each item of the Children's Knowledge
of Abuse Questionnaire-Revised based on treatment versus control condition and
developmental level (ages 5 to 7 compared to ages 8 to 13). Three items
significantly improved for children in the program as compared to those in the
control condition across ages, including secrets, permission to tell, and permission
to say no to an adult. The report suggests
several changes in teaching prevention concepts to improve children's retention
of the lessons and their understanding of appropriate and inappropriate touch.
41 references, 2 figures, and 4 tables. (Author abstract modified)
KEY TERMS: primary
prevention; prevention programs; sexual abuse; program evaluation; child
development; age factors; outcomes;
school linked services
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.sagepub.com/
TITLE: Family
Skills Training for Parents and Children.
AUTHOR: Kumpfer,
K. L.; Tait, C. M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Center
for Substance Abuse Prevention (DHHS), Rockville, MD.
SOURCE: Office
of Justice Programs (DOJ), Washington, DC. Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention., April 2000; p.
299
ABSTRACT: The
Strengthening Families Program was designed to improve the parenting skills of
substance abusing parents and to prevent drug use by their children. The
intervention consists of separate training programs for parents and children to
enhance interpersonal family relationships. Children s sessions focus on
behavior and social skills, while parents sessions address parenting,
communication, rules, and family conflict. Two versions were created to respond
to the needs of families of elementary school children and for children ages 10
to 14 years old. Each of the 14 sessions also includes family skills training
time for parents and children to meet together. Emphasis is placed on
communication and problem-solving. Evaluations of the program have found
reductions in drug use among participating children, less family conflict, and
improvements in youth behavior and family communication. Replications of the
program have also reported success among African American and Hispanic
families. The article describes implementation of the program in Utah, Hawaii,
and Iowa, and provides suggestions for recruiting and retaining families and
for training facilitators. 28 references.
KEY TERMS: program
models; prevention programs; juvenile delinquency; family relationships; parent education; parenting skills;
substance abusing parents;
childrens therapy
PUBLICATION TYPE: Technical
Report
INTERNET URL: http://www.ncjrs.org
TITLE: Power
Through Choices: The Development of a Sexuality Education Curriculum for Youths
in Out-of-Home Care.
AUTHOR: Becker,
M. G.; Barth, R. P.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Welfare
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Youth
ALIVE!, Oakland, CA.
SOURCE: 79(3):
pp. 269-282; Child Welfare League of
America, Inc., Washington, DC., May-June 2000;
p. 300
ABSTRACT: This
article profiles the development and characteristics of an innovative
pregnancy-HIV-sexually transmitted disease prevention curriculum tailored to
the needs of youths in out-of-home care. The Power Through Choices program
focuses on self-improvement and the consequences of choice on a person s
future. Participants attend 10 interactive 90-minute sessions that address
choices regarding sexual behavior, utilizing local resources, communication
skills, contraceptive use, risk reduction strategies, and goals. Promising
results from an implementation study suggest the
need for further dissemination and rigorous testing. 20 references. (Author
abstract modified)
KEY TERMS: foster
children; sex education; educational programs; prevention programs; pregnancy;
venereal diseases; program
evaluation; outcomes
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.cwla.org
TITLE: How
Sexual Abuse Interviews Go Astray: Implications for Prosecutors, Police, and
Child Protection Services.
AUTHOR: Wood, J.
M.; Garven, S.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Maltreatment
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Texas
Univ., El Paso. Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: 5(2):
pp. 109-118; Sage Publications, Inc.,
Thousand Oaks, CA., May 2000; p. 304
ABSTRACT: This
article argues that child sexual abuse interviews can go astray in two
different ways: improper interviewing has the potential to elicit false
allegations from children and clumsy interviewing does not typically produce
false allegations, but may have other negative consequences, particularly for
child victims. The article clarifies the distinction between the two kinds of
bad interviewing and suggests that clumsy interviewing is the more
common of the two. The potential negative consequences of both improper and
clumsy interviewing are described, along with implications for prosecutors,
police, and child protection services. Improper interviewing can probably be
eliminated rather easily, but clumsy interviewing may be considerably more
resistant to change. 65 references. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: sexual
abuse; interviews; investigations; child witnesses;
sequelae; leading
questions; methods; false allegations
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Fifteen
Years of Dissociation in Maltreated Children: Where Do We Go From Here.
AUTHOR: Silberg,
J. L.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Maltreatment
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Sheppard
Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD.
SOURCE: 5(2):
pp. 119-136; Sage Publications, Inc.,
Thousand Oaks, CA., May 2000; p. 305
ABSTRACT: Controversies
have centered on the prevalence of dissociative symptoms and disorders in
children and adolescents, recommended treatment approaches, and the potential
effects of suggestive interpersonal influences. Convergence
among diverse practitioners describing dissociative children and adolescents
with similar symptoms and maltreatment histories supports the occurrence of
these symptom patterns. Although prevalence information has not been well
studied, dissociative symptoms may be found in children from a variety of
settings across a continuum of severity. There is not yet agreement on exact
treatment protocols, but successful treatment outcomes have been reported. A
challenge for future research is to develop assessment protocols that are
derived from multiple sources of data, and to incorporate the latest
developmental research findings into theory development that addresses
psychobiological, family, and cultural factors. The study of dissociation in
children and adolescents has the potential to clarify some puzzling child and
adolescent presentations and to identify a process by which some children
respond and adapt to traumatic environments. Numerous references. (Author
abstract)
KEY TERMS: dissociation; prevalence;
symptoms; etiology; intervention strategies; research needs; resilience; child abuse
research
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.sagepub.com/
TITLE: Childhood
Sexual Abuse History and Role Reversal in Parenting.
AUTHOR: Alexander,
P. C.; Teti, L.; Anderson, C. L.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Maryland
Univ., College Park. Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: 24(6):
pp. 829-838; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., June 2000; p. 340
ABSTRACT: This
study explored the main and interactive effects of sexual abuse history and
relationship satisfaction on self-reported parenting, controlling for histories
of physical abuse and parental alcoholism. The community sample consisted of 90
mothers of 5- to 8-year old children. The sample was limited to those mothers
currently in an intimate relationship, 19 of whom reported a history of
childhood sexual abuse. Participants completed the Child Behavior Checklist,
the Parenting Stress Inventory, the Family Cohesion Index, and questions
assessing parent-child role reversal, history of abuse and parental alcoholism,
and current relationship satisfaction. Results of analyses and multivariate
analyses of covariance suggested that sexual abuse survivors with an
unsatisfactory intimate relationship were more likely than either sexual abuse
survivors with a satisfactory relationship or nonabused women to endorse items
on a questionnaire of role reversal (defined as emotional overdependenceupon
one s child). Role reversal was not significantly predicted by histories of
physical abuse or parental alcoholism or child s gender. While parenting stress
was inversely predicted by the significant main effect of relationship
satisfaction, neitherparenting stress nor child behavior problems were
predicted by the main effect of sexual abuse history or by the interaction
between sexual abuse history and relationship satisfaction. These results suggest the unique relevance of sexual abuse history and
relationship satisfaction in the prediction of a specific type of parent-child
role reversal namely, a mother s emotional overdependence upon her child. 35
references and 1 table. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: sexual
abuse; child abuse history; adults abused as children; role reversal; parental behavior;
alcoholism; substance abusing
parents; child abuse research
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: The
Relationship of Social Support to Physically Abused Children's Adjustment.
AUTHOR: Ezzell,
C. E.; Swenson, C. C.; Brondino, M. J.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Medical
Univ. of South Carolina, Charleston. Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences.
SOURCE: 24(5):
pp. 641-651; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., May 2000; p. 356
ABSTRACT: With
a growing body of research linking increased levels of social support with
reduced adjustment difficulties in children experiencing chronic stressors,
this study used data from a sample of physically abused children and their
primary caretakers to address fundamental questions regarding the relationship
between social support and child adjustment. Specifically, the study had three
goals: to assess physically abused children's perceptions of teacher, peer, and
family support; to determine whether the levels of perceived support differ
according to the person's social role; and to assess which sources of social
support show stronger associations with adjustment in a physically abused
sample. Participants included 37 Medicaid-eligible physically abused children
and their self-identified primary parent or caregiver. Methodology included a
shortened version of the Survey of Children's Social Support, and answers were
indexed by child and parent reports of child depression, anxiety, and anger.
Results showed that children reported receiving a high level of support from
all three sources, with families rated as providing significantly greater levels
of support than teachers, while family and peer, and teacher andpeer support
levels did not differ significantly. In regression analyses, perceived peer
support was significantly negatively related to children's and parent's reports
of children's depression and anxiety. Perceived family support was
significantly negatively associated with child-reported depression. Results suggest that peer and family support are particularly important
for physically abused children's psychological functioning, particularly for
internalizing problems. Thirty-two references. (Author abstract modified.)
KEY TERMS: child
abuse; perceptions; support systems; family relationships;
adjustment problems;
research; data analysis; therapists role
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Dissociation
as a Mediator Between Child Abuse History and Adult Abuse Potential.
AUTHOR: Narang,
D. S.; Contreras, J. M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Kent
State Univ., OH. Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: 24(4):
pp. 653-665; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., May 2000; p. 357
ABSTRACT: It
has been commonly found that abused children are at risk for later becoming
abusive parents and observational learning has been discussed as a mechanism
that perpetuates this integrational cycle of abuse. However, two-thirds of
abused children do not become abusive. This study examines whether dissociation
functions as a possible intervening variable explaining the relation between a
history of physical child abuse and physically abusive tendencies. A
cross-sectional design wasused to examine physical abuse history, dissociation,
and physical abuse potential, using a sample of 190 college students who
responded to a questionnaire. Findings indicated that the three constructs were
intercorrelated. Specifically, a newly established association was found between
disassociation and physical abuse potential. The primary finding was that the
relation between physical abuse history and physical abuse potential was
significantly mediated by level of dissociation, with dissociation accounting
for nearly half of the observed relation between history of abuse and abuse
potential. Results suggested that dissociation might be one mechanism that
helps to perpetuate the intergenerational cycle of abuse. Although
dissociationpromotes psychological survival during children's abuse
experiences, it may result in the development of abusive tendencies later in
life. Recommendations suggest that reducing parental dissociation may
assist clinicians in preventing or ending physicalchild abuse. One table; one
figure; numerous references. (Author abstract modified.)
KEY TERMS: child
abuse history; dissociation; abusive parents; research; data
collection; data analysis; mental health; models
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Criminal
Investigation of Child Sexual Abuse: A Comparison of Cases Referred to the
Prosecutor to Those Not Referred.
AUTHOR: Stroud,
D. D.; Martens, S. L.; Barker, J.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: New
Mexico Univ., Albuquerque. Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: 24(5):
pp. 689-700; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., May 2000; p. 359
ABSTRACT: This
study sought to identify characteristics of child sexual abuse cases that
differentiate cases referred for criminal prosecution from those not referred.
Related research had indicated that sexually abused children not involved in
the criminal court process had experienced much greater distress, depression,
and anxiety and were more likely to have a family member as the alleged
perpetrator. The authors conducted an exploratory analysis of children who
completed a forensic interview to determine the differentiation in cases that
were referred to prosecution and those who were not. The study sample consisted
of 1,043 children, of which 587, or 56 percent, had cases referred for criminal
prosecution and 45, or 44 percent, did not. Differences between criminal action
and dropped cases were found in relation to the children (age, sex, and
ethnicity), the alleged offenders (age, sex, and relationship to child), and
the case characteristics (disclosure and injury to the child). Conclusions suggest that due to the adversarial nature of the U.S. criminal
justice system, problems still exist when criminally prosecuting sexual abuse
charges, particularly when the offender involved is related to the victim.
Recommendations include that regular notification of criminal investigation
status be required to the children and families involved, in support of all
children involved in sexual abuse receiving a forensic interview. Three tables,
one figure, 19 references.
KEY TERMS: investigations; sexual abuse; criminal justice system;
sampling studies; data analysis; courts;
child protective services;
families
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: A
History of Abuse and Negative Life Events in Patients With a Sexually
Transmitted Disease in a Community Sample.
AUTHOR: Pitzner,
J. K.; McGarry-Long, J.; Drummond, P. D.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Murdoch
Univ., Perth, WA (Australia). School of Psychology.
SOURCE: 24(5):
pp. 715-731; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., May 2000; p. 361
ABSTRACT: This
study investigated the psychological impact of abuse and negative life events
during childhood, adolescence and adulthood in-patients at a sexual health
clinic. Data were obtained from 62 patients with a sexually transmitted
disease, which were matched on age and sex with a community sample. Forty-two patients
without a sexually transmitted disease formed another control group. Subjects
self-reported their trauma histories and current psychological distress.
Results showed that compared to controls, categories of abuse and negative life
events were more prevalent in patients with sexually transmitted diseases,
particularly physical/sexual abuse in adolescence and adulthood. Both within
the STD and community samples, a negative life event category that measured
illness/death of loved ones during childhood and adolescence predicted current
psychological distress. In addition, control abuse, a form of psychological
abuse involving selfish manipulation and deprivation, was noted in childhood
and adolescence that strongly predicted current psychological stress in STD
patients. In general, effects were stronger in females than in males.
Psychological/verbal abuse did not independently predict current psychological
distress, but accompanied other abuse types and possibly amplified their
adverse effects. Conclusions suggest that
multiple types of abuse and negative life events increase the risk of STD
infection, perhaps by increasing the likelihood of multiple sexual partners.
These patients may ignore social conventions of sexual behavior because they
are bitter about past life experiences. Alternatively, they may persistently
search for affection to compensate for a lack of affection in the past. Four
tables; three figures; numerous references. (Author abstract modified.)
KEY TERMS: child
abuse history; sexually transmitted
diseases; sexual behavior; sexual abuse; psychological abuse; data
collection; data analysis; trauma
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Woman
Abuse and Child Protection: A Tumultuous Marriage.
AUTHOR: Mills,
L. G.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Children
and Youth Services Review
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: New
York Univ., NY. School of Social Work.
SOURCE: 22(3-4):
pp. 199-205; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., March-April 2000; p. 362
ABSTRACT: Protecting
children and their mothers from spouse abuse in the context of child welfare
practice constitutes the focus of this article, the first of several volumes
exploring these issues. The author explores the conflicting demands facing
mothers and child welfare workers in sorting out how to best protect children
at risk. She describes the issues involved, including cultural differences,
intergenerational transmission of abuse, and the specific clinical needs of
abused women and their children, and provides a context for moving the woman
abuse/child protection conflict beyond whether the abused mother deserves
custody of her children at a particular point. The volumes described in this
article reflect a growing awareness of the experiences of abused mothers and
their children and the importance of presenting options to women that recognize
their dilemmas. The findings suggest that
while there is the usual urgency to interrupt patterns of intimate violence,
the state's child welfare agency has a heightened responsibility to respond to
abused women in ways that serve the combined interests of mothers and their
children. Nineteen references.
KEY TERMS: spouse
abuse; child protection; child welfare services; professional training; intervention strategies; children at risk; child custody; state role
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: When
Moms Are Incarcerated: The Needs of Children, Mothers, and Caregivers.
AUTHOR: Young,
D. S.; Smith, C. J.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Families
in Society
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Syracuse
Univ., NY. School of Social Work.
SOURCE: 81(2):
pp. 130-141; Families International,
Inc., Milwaukee, WI., March-April 2000;
p. 364
ABSTRACT: Women
in prison, their children, and the children's caretakers present a special
population with unique life experiences that warrant the attention of
practitioners from a number of fields. The members of this triad experience a
varietyof behavioral, emotional, health-related, and practical difficulties
related to the mother-child separation. This paper examines the needs within
this triad from an ecological theoretical perspective, shifting attention away
from the cause-effect relationships to mutual influence, and suggests rehabilitative interventions when mothers go to prison.
Key findings from evaluation studies of programs designed to strengthen
families affected by maternal imprisonment are presented, noting that while few
in number, nonetheless provide evidence that services targeted toward
imprisoned women for the purpose of enhancing their relationship with their
children and strengthening their parenting skills produce positive results. It
also focuses on interventions that seek to enhance adaptive exchanges among
imprisoned women, their families, and their communities, with the goal of
challenging practitioners to think creatively and collaboratively about ways to
positively assist these families. One table; numerous references.
KEY TERMS: imprisoned
women; kinship care; caretakers;
african americans; ecological
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.manticore.ca
TITLE: Developmental,
Familial, and Peer Determinants to Adoption Placement.
AUTHOR: Weir, K.
N.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Adoption
Quarterly
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: University
of Southern California, Los Angeles. Marriage and Family Therapy Program.
SOURCE: 3(3):
pp. 25-50; Haworth Press, Inc.,
Binghamton, NY., 2000; p. 404
ABSTRACT: This
article focuses on the developmental, familial, and peer deterrents that form
barriers to adoption placement among teen mothers in a residential facility. An
Eriksonian developmental model is used to explore developmental issues
ofidentity, projective identification, and industry among teens. The findings suggest that family cutoffs and re-admissions also serve as
deterrents to adoption placement. Additionally, peer pressure from residents of
the facility form barriers to adoption placement. The teen mothers interviewed
for the study expressed how they were deterred from adoption placement and
constrained into child-rearing as pregnancy resolution strategies. This
qualitative study suggests that family therapy interventions can
facilitate adoption placement by addressing the constraints teen mothers face.
40 references. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: barriers; adoption research; adoption; adolescent
child bearing; adolescent parents; pregnancy counseling; family therapy; intervention strategies
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.haworthpressinc.com
TITLE: SB
2030 Child Welfare Services Workload Study.
INST. AUTHOR: American
Humane Association, Englewood, CO;
Walter R. McDonald and Associates, Inc., Rockville, MD.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
SOURCE: American
Humane Association, Englewood, CO., April 2000; p. 409
ABSTRACT: California
state law, SB 2030, required an evaluation of the methodology used by the
California State Department of Social Services to allocate funds statewide and
to local child welfare programs. Currently, the state agency calculates +;
caseload standards and average monthly case counts to determine the number of
workers needed to serve children and families. The state Senate mandated the
review of the methodology to clarify the duties of child welfare workers and
the time needed to +; complete those activities, as well as to determine the
time required to implement best practices and related budgeting methods. An
advisory group of caseworkers, administrators, and stakeholders provided input
into the evaluation process. Information for+; the assessment was obtained from
workload study data from all 58 counties, a review of laws and policies, and
focus groups. Significant differences were found between the current
standard/expectation of time required and number of cases per month, to +; the
actual reported by caseworkers, and the minimum and optimum requirements
identified by laws and policies. The evaluation suggests that the minimum recommended standards be implemented for
at least some programs with the optimum standard prioritized +; for future
application. In addition, the state should consider training and staff
development time in available staff hours, implement a recruitment plan, and
continue the current budgeting methodology, substituting minimum standards for
the older +; standards. However, the cost-sharing ratios with the counties
should be evaluated. The program evaluation also reviewed specific
considerations for kinship home assessment, health and education passports,
multilingual services, independent living, and +; response to domestic
violence. 66 references, 7 figures, and 23 tables.
KEY TERMS: child
welfare services; program
evaluation; california; program costs; funding; caseload; case management; budgeting
PUBLICATION TYPE: Final
Report
INTERNET URL: http://www.americanhumane.org
TITLE: Children
Don't Do Sex With Adults for Pleasure: Sri Lankan Children's Views on Sex and
Sexual Exploitation.
AUTHOR: Miles,
G. M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Tearfund,
Middlesex (United Kingdom).
SOURCE: 24(7):
pp. 995-1003; Elsevier Science Ltd.,
New York, NY., July 2000; p. 415
ABSTRACT: A
sample of 145 Sri Lankan school children aged 13 to 17 years were surveyed to
ascertain the prevalence, attitudes and practice of sexual behavior in young
adolescent school children at risk of sexual exploitation. Ten percent of
children said they had participated in sexual acts, 8 percent with other
children their age, 5 percent with adults, and 6 percent with adults for money.
Most children felt that it was not acceptable for children to do sexual things
with adults. Children appeared to be strongly against the damage they felt it
could do to children and their communities. Only a small proportion of children
said they learned about sex from school or their parents. They had a number of
misconceptions on AIDS and although a third had been taught about the disease,
nearly half said they wanted to be learn about it. Children had creative ideas
on intervention, but most of their suggestions
focused on what adults could do to address police attitudes that place the
blame on thechild rather than the adult. 12 references and 2 tables. (Author
abstract)
KEY TERMS: sri
lanka; sexual exploitation; sex education; child abuse research;
sexual abuse; prevention; childs attitudes; public opinion
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Perinatal
Complications and Child Abuse in a Poverty Sample.
AUTHOR: Zelenko,
M.; Lock, J.; Kraemer, H. C.; Steiner,
H.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Stanford
Univ. School of Medicine, CA. Div. of Child Psychiatry and Human Development.
SOURCE: 24(7):
pp. 939-950; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., July 2000; p. 422
ABSTRACT: Perinatal
medical illness has been associated with child maltreatment. Using a Child
Protective Service (CPS) report as the defining event, this study explores to
what extent perinatal morbidity is a risk factor for maltreatment. Medical
charts of 206 children ages 0-3 years old were reviewed. Data regarding birth
history were collected and analyzed in three groups of children: children whose
medical record indicated a report to CPS based on prenatal findings (Early
Maternal Inadequacy group- EMI), children whose medical record indicated a
report to CPS based only on postnatal findings (Child Maltreatment group-CM),
and a control group without CPS report (NM). Compared to the CM and the NM
groups, children in the EMI group showed significantly lower birth weight and
higher neonatal morbidity as measured by Apgar scores, frequency of oxygen
requirement and intubation at birth, frequency of admission to Neonatal
Intensive Care unit, and frequency of neonatal medical problems. There was no
significant difference between the CM and the NM groups in birth weight,
gestational age, and other measures of morbidity. The results of the study suggest that perinatal complications are associated with prenatal
maltreatment. Previously reported strong associations between neonatal
morbidity and child abuse are more likely a result of antecedent prenatal
maternal behaviors (early maternal inadequacy). Early maternal inadequacy, a
clinically and demographically distinct phenomenon, is important due to serious
health, development, and financial implications and deserves further
exploration. 51 references and 6 tables. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: risk
factors; perinatal period; poverty;
health status; medical history; newborn infants; child abuse research;
maternal behavior
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Sexual
Abuse Characteristics Associated With Survivor Psychopathology.
AUTHOR: Ruggiero,
K. J.; McLeer, S. V.; Dixon, J. F.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: West
Virginia Univ., Morgantown. Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: 24(7):
pp. 951-964; Elsevier Science Ltd., New
York, NY., July 2000; p. 423
ABSTRACT: Eighty
sexually abused children were administered a structured diagnostic interview
and a variety of rating-scale instruments designed to examine predictors of
psychopathology in non-clinically referred, sexually abused children, ages 6-16
years, 30-60 days following abuse disclosure and termination. Several forms of
psychopathology were assessed, including posttraumatic stress, global
functioning, anxiety, depression, and externalizing behavior. Abuse interviews
also were used to guide the collection of demographic (victim age, gender) and
abuse-related information (e.g., frequency of abuse). Abuse-related factors and
demographic variables accounted for greater than half of the variance
predicting global functioning, and accurately predicted posttraumatic stress
disorder (PTSD) status for 86 percent of the participants. Also, analyses
yielded significant predictors of parent-reported attention problems and sexual
behavior. Of additional importance, none of the abuse-related and demographic
variables predicted scores on measures of general anxiety, depression, and
externalizing behavior. Specific demographic and sexual abuse information may,
to some extent, be used to identify children who are at increased riskfor
short-term post-abuse psychopathology. Although the present findings suggest that such information may not be useful in the prediction
of general anxiety, depression, and externalizing behavior, demographic and
abuse-related variables importantly appear to account for significant variance
in the prediction of global functioning, posttraumatic stress, attentiveness,
and sexual behavior. Additional research is needed to improve mental health
professionals' ability to identify sexually abused children who are at high
risk for psychopathology. 61 references and 1 table. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: sexual
abuse; psychopathology; predictor variables; sequelae;
posttraumatic stress disorder;
depression; child behavior; child abuse research
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Sexual
Offenders' Implicit Planning: A Conceptual Model.
AUTHOR: Ward,
T.; Hudson, S. M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Sexual
Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Melbourne
Univ., Parkville, VIC (Australia). Dept. of Criminology.
SOURCE: 12(3):
pp. 189-201; Kluwer Academic-Plenum
Publishers, Dordrecht (The Netherlands)., 2000; p. 437
ABSTRACT: In
recent years, empirical research, clinical observation, and theoretical models
about sexual offending have emphasized the importance of problem solving and
decision making throughout different phases in the offense chain. This work suggests that sometimes offense planning is explicit, systematic,
and analytical, while at other times it appears to be implicit and intuitive.
This article attempts to provide an explanation of offenders' implicit decision
making and suggests two socialcognitive mechanisms capable of
generating these types of decisions. It is believed that implicit decision
making in offenders has the appearance of automaticity, that is, decision
making that is implicit, fast, relatively autonomous, frequently associated
with a lack of control, effortless, and occurring without conscious awareness.
Drawing from diverse theoretical sources, the article hypothesizes that these
types of decisions are generated by underlying automatic goal dependent action
plans. More specifically, it suggests that
there are at least two types of automatic goal-dependent plans evident in
offenders' decision making: offense scripts and mental simulations.
Implications for generating future hypotheses and suggestions for future research are outlined. 25
references. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: sex
offenders; characteristics of
abuser; decision making; cognitive processes; cognitive abilities; biosocial theories; psychological theories; sexual abuse
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.wkap.nl
TITLE: Developmental
Antecedents of Sexual Coercion in Juvenile Sexual Offenders.
AUTHOR: Johnson,
G. M.; Knight, R. A.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Sexual
Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Brandeis
Univ., Waltham, MA. Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: 12(3):
pp. 165-178; Kluwer Academic-Plenum
Publishers, Dordrecht (The Netherlands)., 2000; p. 441
ABSTRACT: Previous
research has linked adult sex offending behavior to a multiplicity of
variables, including juvenile delinquency and the experience of childhood
abuse. The purpose of this study was to explore developmental pathways among
childhood abuse, juvenile delinquency, and personality dimensions possibly
conducive to adolescent sexual coercion. Using a retrospective self-report
inventory, the extent to which juvenile sexual offenders experienced childhood
trauma, engaged in adolescent delinquency, and exhibited particular
dispositions and cognitive biases was measured. The effects of childhood and
adolescent antecedents on sexual coerciveness were then analyzed through
simultaneous multiple regression path analyses. Resultssuggest that sexual
compulsivity and hypermasculinity, through misogynistic fantasy behavior,
significantly discriminate verbally and physically coercive juvenile offenders
from those offenders who do not report using force in their offenses. Results
also suggest that alcohol abuse may play a more
salient role in the expression of coercive juvenile sexual coercion than
previously hypothesized. 30 references, 2 figures, and 2 tables. (Author
abstract)
KEY TERMS: adolescent
sex offenders; sex offenses; predictor variables; child development; child abuse history;
juvenile delinquency; alcohol
abuse; psychological characteristics
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.wkap.nl
TITLE: General
Practitioners and Child Protection Case Conference Participation: Reasons for
Non-Attendance and Proposals For a Way Forward.
AUTHOR: Polnay,
J. C.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse Review
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Nottingham
City Hospital (United Kingdom).
SOURCE: 9(2):
pp. 108-123; John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.,
Chichester, West Sussex (United Kingdom)., 2000; p. 448
ABSTRACT: General
practitioners' (GPs) attitudes about child protection case conferences were
explored in the belief that commonly cited practical reasons, such as
inconvenient timing, fail to provide a complete explanation for poor
participation. Twelve GPs took part in a preliminary investigation by telephone
interview and a postal questionnaire was then sent to 112 GPs in the Nottingham
area. The response rate was 100 percent for the preliminary study and 82
percent for the questionnaire. The postal survey showed that nearly half the
respondents agreed there were too many other tasks of higher priority than case
conference attendance, confirming that previously mentioned constraints alone
did not account for poor participation. Contrary to previous research, issues
such as confidentiality and parental attendance do not stop the majority of GPs
from contributing. Suggestions that might improve participation, such as
facility to stay for the first half hour of a conference and guidance on
content of reports, had favorable responses. It was concluded that it may be
more fruitful to concentrate on improving report submission rate and content
because of GPs' priorities. Improved education of GPs and social workers with
respect to each other's role and responsibilities would facilitate
communication in case conferences. 25 references and 8 tables. (Author
abstract)
KEY TERMS: physicians
role; child protection; multidisciplinary teams; physicians attitudes; case plans;
great britain; child welfare
research
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.wiley.com
TITLE: Identification
and Care of HIV-Exposed and HIV-Infected Infants, Children, and Adolescents in
Foster Care.
INST. AUTHOR: American
Academy of Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, IL. Committee on Pediatric AIDS.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Pediatrics
SOURCE: 106(1):
pp. 149-153; American Academy of
Pediatrics, Elk Grove Village, IL., July 2000;
p. 451
ABSTRACT: As
a consequence of the expanding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and
major advances in medical management of HIV-exposed and HIV-infected persons,
the American Academy of Pediatrics revised its recommendations for HIV testing
of infants, children, and adolescents in foster care. In general, the
association of pediatricians and other professional organizations suggest that all pregnant women be tested for HIV. In addition,
all foster children with symptoms of HIV or who have been sexually abused
should also be tested. Updated recommendations are provided for the care of
HIV-exposed and HIV-infected persons who are in foster care. 38 references.
(Author
KEY TERMS: hiv
infection; identification; diagnostic tests; foster children; foster care; protocols;
medical treatment; medical
societies
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.pediatrics.org
TITLE: Questioning
the Child Witness: What Can We Conclude From the Research Thus Far?
AUTHOR: Quas, J.
A.; Goodman, G. S.; Ghetti, S.;
Redlich, A. D.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Trauma,
Violence, and Abuse
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: California
Univ., Irvine. Dept. of Psychology and Social Behavior.
SOURCE: 1(3):
pp. 223-249; Sage Publications Inc.,
Thousand Oaks, CA., July 2000; p. 461
ABSTRACT: In
recent years increasing numbers of studies have investigated children's memory,
suggestibility, and false event reports. This article
highlights key findings from and implications of this research for interviewing
child witnesses. First, developmental changes in children s memory and suggestibility are discussed, spanning from the early
childhood years through middle childhood, suggesting that the most consistent and robust predictor of differences in
children's performance is age. Second, theory and research concerning relations
between emotional distress and children's memory are reviewed, with an emphasis
on methodological differences that have led to varied results across studies and
sheds light on the degree to which emotional distress helps versus hinders
children ' memory and suggestibility. Third is a description of factors
associated with the context of an interview that may influence children's
susceptibility to false suggestions, in particular discussing the
implications of questioning tactics and contextual features of forensic
interviews. Fourth, recent studies are discussed concerning individual
differences in children's mnemonic capabilities, suggestibility, and false memories. Finally,
recommendations are provided about what can and cannot be concluded from
research on questioning child witnesses, with an eye on aiding professionals in
understanding the research and its capabilities and limitations. Numerous
references. (Author abstract modified.)
KEY TERMS: child
witnesses; research; false allegations; memory; suggestibility;
stress; risk factors; literature review
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.sagepub.com/
TITLE: Improving
the Effectiveness of Sexual Offender Treatment.
AUTHOR: Marshall,
W. L.; Serran, G. A.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Trauma,
Violence, and Abuse
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Queen's
Univ., Kingston, ON (Canada). Bath Institution Sexual Offender's Program.
SOURCE: 1(3):
pp. 203-222; Sage Publications, Inc.,
Thousand Oaks, CA., July 2000; p. 462
ABSTRACT: The
development of cognitive behavioral treatment programs for sexual offenders is
outlined in this article, with an appraisal of various issues concerning these
treatments. The authors operate on the premise that while the sensible goal of
the treatment of sexual offenders is harm reduction rather than complete
elimination of offending, and the complete abstinence by all treated offenders
remains a desirable, if unrealistic, target, anything that can be done to
improve the efficacyof treatment of sexual offenders is laudable. The authors
make suggestions for modifying the extent of such
treatment and question certain assumptions underlying present treatments. For
example, the authors consider the need to address all instances of offending
and the relevance of planning and deviant fantasizing, and examine the
empirical bases for these issues. Suggestions
are made concerning several components and targets of treatment, and additional
targets are identified. In particular, the process of treatment, rather than
simply the procedures, is emphasized, and proposals are offered for maximizing
the value of these influences. Numerous references. (Author abstract modified.)
KEY TERMS: treatment
programs; sex offenders; cognitive abilities; risk factors; denial; self esteem; coping skills; prevention
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: An
Evaluation of a Biopsychosocial Treatment Model For Drug Dependent Pregnant and
Parenting Women.
AUTHOR: Simons,
L.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Source
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Temple
Univ., Philadelphia, PA. Diagnostic Rehabilitation Center.
SOURCE: 10(1):
pp. 6-10; National Abandoned Infants
Assistance Resource Center, Berkeley, CA., Spring 2000; p. 465
ABSTRACT: The
author states that few programs are designed specifically for drug-dependent
pregnant and/or parenting women, and evaluations of these programs are even
rarer. As a result, women face barriers in addiction treatment that are
exacerbated when they are pregnant or parents of dependent children. The author
proposes a biopsychosocial model treatment program that may be more suitable
for these women. The program was developed from focus groups with
drug-dependent women with children and previous research investigations; the
majority of participants were African-American women, average age 35, with at
least two dependent children with them in treatment. Treatment consisted of
assessment and evaluation; individual, group, family, and psychoeducational
modalities within a nine-month period, and aftercare and follow-up services
after program completion. Findings suggest that
factors from biological, psychological, and social paradigms should be
addressed in treatment in order to understand the coping progress of
drug-dependent women with histories of childhood abuse. Program development and
evaluation should focus on treating drug-dependent women with children from a
multi-system point of view. Future investigations should incorporate rigorous
evaluation methods for biopsychosocial and gender-specific models. One figure;
one table; 15 references.
KEY TERMS: treatment
programs; models; substance abusing mothers; drug addiction; incest; child abuse; barriers;
coping skills
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~aiarc
TITLE: Characteristics
of Crimes Against Juveniles.
AUTHOR: Finkelhor,
D.; Ormrod, R.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Juvenile
Justice Bulletin
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: New
Hampshire Univ., Durham. Crimes Against Children Research Center.
SOURCE: (NCJ179034):
pp. 1-11; Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention (DOJ), Washington, DC., June 2000; p. 469
ABSTRACT: This
report from the U.S. Department of Justice reviews data from the Federal Bureau
of Investigation's National Incident-Based Reporting System data file that
pertain to adolescent victims. That report revealed that while adolescents made
up 26 percent in the population of the 12 states participating in the study,
they accounted for only 12 percent of the reported crime victims, while 71
percent of all sex crime victims and 38 percent of all kidnapping victims
reported to NIBRS were adolescents. Conclusions of the review suggest that if patterns of crime against adolescents in the rest
of the country parallel the patterns from the reporting jurisdictions, it would
appear that crimes against adolescents constitute about one-eighth ofall crimes
currently reported to law enforcement officials. However, these crimes carry
special burdens. Crimes against children involve special investigatory and
prosecutorial challenges. Some of these relate to the ages of the victims, and
some relateto the intimate character of the perpetrators, 20 percent of who are
family and 61 percent of who are acquaintances. The database offers
opportunities for analyzing and tracking these categories of crime victims,
such as in analyzing changes in crime victimization patterns across the state
of childhood. It may also be able to highlight some needs for law enforcement
attention or training, and in improving public policies toward adolescent
victims. Thirteen figures; three tables; seven references.
KEY TERMS: crimes; child abuse; victimization;
adolescents; generational cycle
of child abuse; federal
government; statistical data; interdisciplinary approach
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.ncjrs.org
TITLE: Cultural
Strengths and Challenges in Implementing a System of Care Model in American
Indian Communities.
AUTHOR: Cross,
T. L.; Earle, K.; Solie, H. E. H.; Manness, K.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: National
Indian Child Welfare Association, Portland, OR.
SOURCE: Volume
1. American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC. Center for Effective
Collaboration and Practice., 2000; p.
470
ABSTRACT: Reports
show that mental health services for American Indian children are inadequate
even though Indian children are known to have more serious mental health
problems than all other ethnic groups in the United States. This monograph
examines five American Indian children's mental health projects funded by the
Center for Mental Health Services. The goal of the projects was to examine
promising practice that implements traditional American Indian helping and
healing methods that are rooted in their culture, and represents the strength
and challenges of community-based service designs that draw on culture as a
primary resource. Pertinent literature is reviewed, suggesting that the American Indian sites described here are not
alone intheir pursuit of culturally based mental health methods. As a
framework, the authors use the relational model often associated with the
medicine wheel based on the traditional American Indian worldview. It describes
mental health as a balance among context, mind, body, and spirit. Data from
four of the five sites were obtained from focus groups and key informant
interviews; data from the other site were gathered from written materials. In
reviewing the responses of each site, several recurring themes were identified;
those themes revealed 18 identifiable promising practices that address the
integration of culture as a resource for helping children and their families.
Conclusions suggest that these community based, culturally
rooted programs, with 24-hour wraparound service availability, result in
substantial cost savings by preventing more costly out-of-home services.
Numerous references; two appendixes.
KEY TERMS: american
indians; cultural values; barriers;
program models; grants; mental health; wraparound services;
community based services
PUBLICATION TYPE: Technical
Report
INTERNET URL: http://cecp.air.org/
TITLE: Keeping
Foster Children Connected to Their Biological Parents: The Impact of Foster
Parent Training and Support.
AUTHOR: Sanchirico,
A.; Jablonka, K.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
and Adolescent Social Work Journal
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: New
York State Univ., Albany. Professional Development Program.
SOURCE: 17(3):
pp. 185-203; Kluwer Academic-Human
Sciences Press, Dordrecht (The Netherlands)., June 2000; p. 478
ABSTRACT: The
primary objective of this study is to test a hypothesis that specialized
training and agency support increases foster care parent involvement in the
parent-child connection. It focuses on the primary goal of the foster care
system to reunite foster children with their birth parents. The authors suggest that although the hypothesized relationship appears to be
both logical and intuitive, the actual impact of training and support on foster
parent involvement remains unexamined and unknown. The study is essentially
exploratory in nature and represents a first step toward achieving greater
understanding. The data used in the study were drawn from a survey of New York
State foster parents conducted in 1993, involving 650 respondents.The findings
supported the hypothesis. Respondents who received both specialized training
and ongoing support performed significantly more visitation, non-visitation,
and total activities than those who received neither training nor support. The
analysis also indicated that the combined effects of training and support were
far greater than those of any other variable in the model, including being
birth family-oriented and being related to the foster child. The results suggest that agencies should require specialized training for all
foster parents who are responsible for keeping foster children connected to
their biological parents. The authors also assert that agencies do not view
training and support as either necessary or complementary.Five tables; two
notes; 28 references.
KEY TERMS: foster
children; reunification; birth parents; out of home care; foster
parent training; foster parent support
groups; parent child
relationships; data analysis
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.wkap.nl
TITLE: Thinking
Clearly About Evaluations of Suspected Child Abuse.
AUTHOR: Leventhal,
J. M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Clinical
Child Psychology and Psychiatry
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Yale
Univ., New Haven, CT. Dept. of Pediatrics.
SOURCE: 5(1):
pp. 139-147; Sage Publications, Inc.,
Thousand Oaks, CA., 2000; p. 481
ABSTRACT: Challenges
face professionals who determine whether an injury in a young child is due to
child abuse. Although much has been written about the types of injuries that
are due to abuse, little information is available about the processes of
gathering data and making clinical decisions. This article describes an
approach to providing effective evaluations and offers 14 suggestions focused on the process of conducting an
evaluation and eight focused on decision-making. The 14 suggestions for conducting an evaluation are as
follows: 1. Clarify who you are (so that parents understand why you are
conducting the evaluation. 2. Arrange to have another clinician present at the
interview of the parents. 3. Consider separate interviews of the parents, to
get the parents' views of each other. 4. Listen to the parents' whole story. 5.
Determine who was actually present at the time of the injury. 6. Ask helpful
questions designed to provide answers about the parents' relationship. 7.
Observe theeffect of the questions on the behavior of parents. 8. Do not ignore
the parent-child relationship. 9. A single history can be repeated five times
in the record. 10. Review the x-rays with the attending radiologist. 11. Talk
to the primary care clinician, who may know the family well. 12. Meet with the
clinicians caring for the child and other consultants. 13. Keep the parents
informed. 14. Do not ignore your own feelings or those of your colleagues or
staff. The eight suggestions for decision-making are as follows: 1.
Minor injuries in children are common, and not necessarily indications of
abuse. 2. Unusual events do happen to children, so automatically disbelieving a
story because it seems strange may not be the correct path. 3. Others are often
present when an accident occurs. 4. Be worried about abuse when others are
being blamed for causing the injuries. 5. Be worried about abuse when the
father cares for the child alone. 6. Be cautious when there is an underlying
medical problem, noting that pediatricians often make a single diagnosis whenever
possible. 7. Pay attention to the history so that the details are understood
and to the injuries because sometimes the words lie. 8. You cannot be right
every time. Eight references.
KEY TERMS: child
abuse; evaluation methods; decision making; injuries; clinical
methods training; guidelines; child protective services; professionals role
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.sagepub.com/
TITLE: Harsh
Physical Discipline in Childhood and Violence in Later Romantic Involvements:
The Mediating Role of Problem Behaviors.
AUTHOR: Swinford,
S. P.; DeMaris, A.; Scernkovich, S. A.; Giordano, P. C.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of Marriage and Family
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Montana
State Univ., Bozeman. Dept. of Sociology and Anthropology.
SOURCE: 62(2):
pp. 508-519; Allen Press, Inc.,
Lawrence, KS. Alliance Communications Group., May 2000; p. 498
ABSTRACT: This
study examines the impact that experiencing harsh physical discipline in childhood
and engaging in problem behaviors during adolescence and young adulthood have
on experiencing and perpetrating violence. Testing involved a model +; based on
social learning theory, Freudian theory, and theories of deviance. Analysis
involved 608 cases from a longitudinal study of adolescents conducted in 1982
and in 1992-1993. Results suggest that harsh physical punishment in
childhood is directly +; related to greater perpetration of violence against an
intimate partner later in life. The enactment of problem behaviors in
adolescence and young adulthood was also found to increase the level of
perpetration of violence against an intimate partner. +; Additionally, harsh
physical punishment in childhood was found to be indirectly but significantly
related to increased perpetration via the intervening variables of adolescent
and young adult problem behavior. The authors hypothesize that perpetration +;
and victimization are significantly related to one another bi-directionally,
but the results only support that greater levels of perpetration lead to
increased levels of victimization. One figure; one table; numerous references.
(Author abstract +; modified.)
KEY TERMS: child
abuse; discipline; deviant behavior; spouse abuse;
longitudinal studies; data
analysis; victimization; social values
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://ncfr.allenpress.com
TITLE: The
Impact of Prenatal Substance Exposure: Research Findings and Their Implications
for
AUTHOR: Freundlich,
M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Evan
B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, New York, NY.
SOURCE: In:
Barth, R. P.; Freundlich, M.; and Brodzinsky, D. (Editors). Adoption and
Prenatal Alcohol and Drug Exposure: Research, Policy, and Practice. Child
Welfare League of America,, 2000; p.
503
ABSTRACT: Significant
increases in the number of pregnant women abusing drugs and alcohol have
prompted researchers to examine the short- and long-term effects of prenatal
exposure to substances. Early research in the 1970s and 1980s investigatedthe
prenatal and perinatal effects of alcohol and heroin use. Several conditions
related to substance exposure were identified, including fetal alcohol
syndrome, fetal alcohol effects, and neonatal withdrawal syndrome. Research
conducted after 1993 found variations in the impact of prenatal exposure that
depend on the type of substance used, the stage of fetal development, the
duration of exposure, other maternal characteristics, and characteristics of
the fetus. Typical short-term effects include small head size at birth and
oversensitivity to stimuli. However, long-term studies suggest that the effects decrease with time and that many children
can achieve normal levels of development in certain skills. Early intervention,
especially in a nurturing environment, can help children achieve their academic
and social potential. Originally considered to be unadoptable because of their
difficult behavior, prenatally-exposed children who have been adopted have been
able to establish close relationships and improve their functioning using
adoptive social skill techniques. Longitudinal studies demonstrate the
important role of postnatal environmental factors in the healthy development of
substance-exposed adopted children. 49 references and1 table.
KEY TERMS: prenatal
drug exposure; research reviews; sequelae;
child development; adoption
process; adoption preparation; counseling;
adoption support
PUBLICATION TYPE: Chapter
in Book
INTERNET URL: http://www.cwla.org
TITLE: Evaluating
Child Abuse Prevention Programs.
AUTHOR: Tomison,
A. M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Australian
Institute of Family Studies, Melbourne, VIC. National Child Protection
Clearinghouse.
SOURCE: Paper
Number 12. Australian Institute of Family Studies, Melbourne, VIC. National
Child Protection Clearinghouse., Autumn 2000;
p. 508
ABSTRACT: This
paper provides an overview of the current state of program evaluation as it is
applied to the field of child abuse prevention, the extent to which empirical
evidence has been used, and the degree to which programs have been shown +; to
be effective. Some of the problems that hamper the rigorous evaluation of real
world applied social programs are discussed. A developmental framework for the
comprehensive evaluation prevention programs is described, as are some
alternative approaches+; that are capable of providing a more flexible response
to the demands of evaluation. The author suggests that
in spite of the general acceptance that the evaluation of programs should be a
core element of service provision, and that rigorous, scientific+; evaluation
is essential for the determination of casual relationship, the difficulties
associated with applying such methods in situ have meant that very few gold
standard evaluations have been done in Australia, or internationally. He also
states that +; the majority of evaluations will be modest, internally focused
studies that assess client satisfaction, document the services delivered,
describe program implementation and if possible, the immediate effects of
service provision. Finally, the author +; notes the importance of adequately
grounding evaluation by ensuring the documentation of program activity. Three
notes; numerous references.
KEY TERMS: child
abuse; prevention programs; program evaluation; barriers;
outcomes; australia; theories;
social policies
PUBLICATION TYPE: Technical
Report
INTERNET URL: http://www.aifs.org.au/
TITLE: Ethnicity
and Placement: Beginning the Debate.
AUTHOR: Small,
J.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Adoption
and Fostering
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: West
Indies Univ., Jamaica.
SOURCE: 24(1):
pp. 9-14; British Agencies for Adoption
and Fostering, London (England)., Spring 2000;
p. 520
ABSTRACT: This
article is based on an interview with John Small, a lecturer in social work at
the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, on the importance of racial
identity and the value of placements with black caretakers. The interview +;
examines racial identity issues, discussing psychological research that shows
what constitutes self and how self-image is derivative of the messages obtained
from others. Identity issues in Jamaica are discussed, noting that there,
unlike the United +; Kingdom, the population has generally overcome
psychological messages based on colonial rule that tout the superiority of
whites and the inferiority of blacks. The merits of placements with black
caretakers and white caretakers are discussed, noting that+; white families are
generally not equipped to understand the history and conditions of blacks in
the United Kingdom. The reluctance in the U.K. to place black children with
black caretakers is examined, suggesting
that racism, personal agendas, and fear +; and guilt play major roles. Small suggests that the way forward is multifaceted, requiring
recruitment of black workers, panel members, and caretakers, with black and
white social workers working together for institutional and political change,
both to +; improve placement practice and to eliminate racism. The restating of
the original concepts that fueled the placement of some black children with
black caretakers both sets the record straight and provides a basis for
widening the debate. Ten +; references.
KEY TERMS: ethnic
identity; child placement; transracial adoption; social worker role; united kingdom; jamaica; racism; recruitment
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.baaf.org.uk
TITLE: Why
Black Carers Are Deterred From Adoption.
AUTHOR: Sunmonu,
Y.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Adoption
and Fostering
SOURCE: 24(1):
pp. 59-60; British Agencies for Adoption
and Fostering, London (England)., Spring 2000;
p. 530
ABSTRACT: Within
the black community in the United Kingdom there are a disproportionate number
of mixed-race and black children waiting for adoptive families. The situation
becomes more urgent, the authors assert, when reports suggest that blacksare not coming forward to adopt. The United
Kingdom's national black newspaper conducted a mini-survey to obtain readers
opinions on adoption. The survey generated 150 responses. The results
reinforced key issues found in previously covered research andthrow light on
additional topics that need to be addressed if more black people are to come
forward to adopt or foster black children. The underlying factor is that black
people are not receiving enough information on the process and that few
respondents take the opportunity to ask about it because they feel deterred
from doing so. Some respondents still believed that to have any chance of
success, they must have a high income, own their own home and be married. Ten
percent asked for further information about adoption and fostering. Overall,
the survey shows the strength and importance of the extended black family
within black communities and highlights the need for comparative research to
assess whether long-term fostering is successful. Italso shows that there is
much to be done to convince blacks that local authorities can be accessible and
that adoption is a viable option. One reference.
KEY TERMS: minority
adoption; caretakers; minority recruitment; united kingdom; surveys; barriers; foster care; cultural issues
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.baaf.org.uk
TITLE: Workplace
Violence: Perceptions and Experiences of Local Public Assistance and Child
Support Enforcement Staff and Managers.
INST. AUTHOR: Office
of Inspector General (DHHS), Washington, DC. Office Evalulation and
Inspections.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
SOURCE: Office
of Inspector General (DHHS), Washington, DC. Office of Evaluation and
Inspections., March 2000; p. 534
ABSTRACT: The
Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services submitted this final report on worker safety. The report summarizes
information the department gathered about workplace violence from local welfare
+; and child support enforcement staff. Interestingly, worker safety was not
the original objective of the collection of data; instead the topic was raised
during a pre-inspection process as the department gathered information about
how local offices deal +; with clients who might experience spouse abuse. Staff
from 99 local child support offices and 103 local welfare offices in
California, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia provided
information. Seventy-eight percent of local child support +; enforcement and 61
percent of local welfare managers reported that they have had reason to fear
for the safety of workers in their office. However, they also reported that the
actual incidences of violence in their offices have been rare. Staff reported
+; that the nature of their work often contributes to stress levels of the
individuals they serve, potentially leading to threats of violence or actual
violence. Conclusions suggest that while local office safety is
primarily the responsibility of the +; states, the federal Administration for
Children and Families should discuss the extent and severity of worker safety
with its state partners with a view to promoting the development and sharing of
strategies that effectively address the issue. One +; appendix.
KEY TERMS: us
department of health and human services;
data analysis; worker
safety; spouse abuse; child welfare workers; child support; prevention; welfare
PUBLICATION TYPE: Final
Report
INTERNET URL: http://www.hhs.gov/oig/oei/
TITLE: PTSD
Scale of the Child Behavior Checklist: Concurrent and Discriminant Validity
With Non-Clinic-Referred Sexually Abused Children.
AUTHOR: Ruggiero,
K. J.; McLeer, S. V.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of Traumatic Stress
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: West
Virginia Univ., Morgantown. Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: 13(2):
pp. 287-299; Kluwer Academic-Plenum
Publishers, Dordrecht (The Netherlands)., 2000; p. 537
ABSTRACT: Several
assessment instruments include measures that are purported to assess
characteristics of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although these
measures are used often by researchers and clinicians, few are supported by
extensive validity data. The PTSD scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
is one that has not yet encountered significant challenges to its validity.
This study examined the concurrent and discriminant validity of the CBCL-PTSD
scale. Participants included 63non-clinic-referred sexually abused children, 60
non-sexually abused psychiatric outpatient children, and 61 non-sexually
abused, non-clinic-referred schoolchildren. Results revealed questionable
concurrent validity for this scale, and suggest poor
discriminant validity between sexually abused children and non-sexually abused
psychiatric outpatients. 21 references and 6 tables. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: posttraumatic
stress disorder; child behavior; assessment;
measures; validity; behavior rating scales; sexual abuse; sequelae
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.wkap.nl
TITLE: Grandparent
Caregivers' Perception of the Stress of Surrogate Parenting.
AUTHOR: Sands,
R. G.; Goldberg-Glen, R. S.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of Social Service Research
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Pennsylvania
Univ., Phildelphia. School of Social Work.
SOURCE: 26(3):
pp. 77-95; Haworth Press, Inc.,
Binghamton, NY., 2000; p. 558
ABSTRACT: This
paper examined the relationship between sociodemographic factors, stressors,
and resources, and the perception of stress by grandparents caring for their
grandchildren. A sample of 129 grandparents had face-to-face interviews. A +;
hierarchical block regression analysis produced a model that accounted for 49
percent of the variance. For the first block (sociodemographic factors) younger
age and being white were significant, but in the context of the second block,
these variables +; disappeared and being employed, having conflict with the
children's parent, and grandchild problems were significant. The final block,
in which resources were added, found that being employed, having conflict with
the children's parent, grandchild +; problems, and lack of family resources
were associated with high perception of stress. These findings suggest strategies for social work intervention. 37 references and
3 tables. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: grandparents; kinship care; parental stress; family
characteristics; child welfare
research; parental surrogates; stress;
demography
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.haworthpressinc.com
TITLE: Sexual
Abuse Litigation: A Practical Resource for Attorneys, Clinicians, and
Advocates.
AUTHOR: Rix, R.
(Editor)
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
SOURCE: Haworth
Press, Inc., Binghamton, NY., 2000; p.
607
ABSTRACT: The
articles in this reference provide an overview of considerations in the legal
representation of adults who were sexually abused in childhood. The majority of
the text focuses on lawsuits filed by adults who have repressed memories of
abuse. Chapters present a history of trauma research and delayed discovery
statutes and review sexual abuse litigation, the admissibility of scientific
evidence regarding delayed memories, and accessing insurance for payment of
damages. The role of expert witnesses and the importance of collaboration with
clinicians are also described. Appendices include a state by state analysis of
requirements regarding statutes of limitations in cases of child sexual abuse;
questions for plaintiff forensic experts; and selections of the testimony of
Elizabeth Loftus, PhD about memory and suggestibility.
KEY TERMS: sexual
abuse; lawsuits; adults abused as children; lawyers responsibility; memory;
expert witnesses; false memory
syndrome; evidence presentation
PUBLICATION TYPE: Book
INTERNET URL: http://www.haworthpressinc.com
TITLE: Intergenerational
Continuity: Transmission of Beliefs and Culture.
AUTHOR: Kopera-Frye,
K.; Wiscott, R.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Akron
Univ., OH. Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: In:
Hayslip, B.; Goldberg-Glen, R. (Editors). Grandparents Raising Grandchildren:
Theoretical, Empirical and Clinical Perspectives. Springer Publishing Co.,
Inc., New York, NY., 2000; p. 617
ABSTRACT: Undergraduate
psychology students were surveyed for this study of the influence of
grandparents on belief and value formation, relationship quality, and
intergenerational sharing of culture. The sample included 246 students, 78
percent Caucasian, 16 percent African American, and 6 percent other. Measures included
the Grandparenting Shared Activities Scale, the Belief Development Scale, and
the Bengston Positive Affect Scale, as well as three scales created
specifically for the study toassess shared cultural activities, attitudes about
grandparenting, and attitudes about the transmission of culture. Overall, the
participants reported moderately strong relationships with their grandparents
and the shared activities schedule was positively related to shared beliefs and
relationship quality. Shared cultural activities typically included cultural
customs, listening to stories about the grandparent's life, and looking at
family photographs. Although race had no correlation to relationship quality,
African American grandchildren had significantly more positive responses to
shared everyday activities and cultural activities. Women were more likely to
have been influenced by their grandparents than men. Grandparents had the
greatest impact on religious beliefs and values regarding family, education,
work, and personal identity. These findings suggest
that custodial grandparents who have more opportunities for sharing than
non-custodial grandparents may have even greater influence on the values and
beliefs of their grandchildren. 49 references and 1 table.
KEY TERMS: kinship
care; grandparents; parental role; child custody; cultural
values; cultural identity; identity development; child welfare research
PUBLICATION TYPE: Chapter
in Book
INTERNET URL: http://www.uakron.edu/
TITLE: A
Comparison of Low-Income Caregivers in Public Housing: Differences in
Grandparent and Nongrandparent Needs and Problems.
AUTHOR: Kauffman,
S.; Goldberg-Glen, R. S.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Widener
Univ., Chester, PA. Center for Social Work Education.
SOURCE: In:
Hayslip, B.; Goldberg-Glen, R. (Editors). Grandparents Raising Grandchildren:
Theoretical, Empirical and Clinical Perspectives. Springer Publishing Co.,
Inc., New York, NY., 2000; p. 634
ABSTRACT: This
chapter describes the public housing service system and presents the findings
of an assessment of the needs of 82 public housing residents in Chester,
Pennsylvania. The needs of grandparent caregivers, parent caregivers, and
non-child households are compared. Each study participant was interviewed about
the composition of the family, economic issues, attitudes, service needs, and
barriers to service. Grandparent caregivers reported fewer problems with
transportation, unemployment, juvenile crime, family violence, financial
stress, and mental illness, but they indicated that they had more health
problems and conflicts among children. Teenage children were more difficult for
grandparents to manage and more grandparent caregivers reported the arrest of a
family member. The findings suggest that grandparent caregivers may be better
off financially than other public housing residents, but need assistance with
managing child behavior and coping with the arrest of a child and sudden
caregiving responsibilities. 9 references and 2 tables.
KEY TERMS: grandparents; public housing; low income groups; needs
assessment; kinship care; child custody; social services; service
delivery
PUBLICATION TYPE: Chapter
in Book
INTERNET URL: http://www.springerpub.com
TITLE: The
Ultimate Search Book: Worldwide Adoption, Genealogy, and Other Search Secrets.
AUTHOR: Carangelo,
L.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Americans
for Open Records, Palm Desert, CA.
SOURCE: 2001
Edition. Access Press, Palm Desert, CA., 2000;
p. 648
ABSTRACT: This
guide describes strategies for searching for any individual, from birth
relatives to former classmates. The first chapter offers 40 simple search tips
and resource suggestions for beginners, such as Internet and
telephone directories, department of motor vehicle records, the Social Security
Administration locator service, courthouse records, voter registrations, the
national census, and the Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act. The
remaining chapters address specific search strategies for missing and runaway
children, genealogical research, separations related to adoption or divorce,
and computerized searches. The second part of the book provides information
about search resources in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, United
States possessions, and numerous other countries. Each profile includes contact
information for vital records offices and adoption search and support groups,
as well a summary of adoption disclosure laws and excerpts from letters from searchers
in that jurisdiction.
KEY TERMS: adoption
records access; search for birth
parents; search for birth
children; runaway children; family structure; intercountry adoption;
search guides; search support
PUBLICATION TYPE: Book
INTERNET URL: http://www.accesspressbooks.com
TITLE: Community-Based
Sex Offender Management: Combining Parole Supervision and Treatment to Reduce
Recidivism.
AUTHOR: Wilson,
R. J.; Stewart, L.; Stirpe, T.;
Barrett, M.; Cripps, J. E.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Canadian
Journal of Criminology
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Correctional
Service of Canada, Toronto, ON. Central Ontario District.
SOURCE: 42(2):
pp. 177-188; Canadian Criminal Justice
Association, Ottawa, ON (Canada)., April 2000;
p. 669
ABSTRACT: This
article describes a community-based sexual offender management protocol
implemented by the Central Ontario District (Toronto) over an eight year
period. The program combines parole supervision and relapse prevention
treatment at two levels depending on the risk of reoffense. High risk offenders
received individual and group counseling from the forensic division of a
psychiatric hospital, and low-risk offenders were treated and supervised within
a maintenance program. A review of107 sexual offenders revealed overall rates
of 21.0 percent for general reoffending, 10.2 percent for violence reoffending,
and 3.7 percent for sexual reoffending. Recidivism rates were lower among
offenders in the maintenance program than the high riskprogram. These results
are compared with outcomes found in other treatment sites. The study suggests that valid risk assessment, in combination with a
well-defined supervision strategy (i.e., collaboration of community-based
relapse prevention treatmentand knowledgeable parole supervision) is an
effective method for the management of sexual recidivism in the community. 11
references and 2 tables. (Author abstract modified)
KEY TERMS: sex
offenders therapy; intervention
strategies; recidivism; model programs; community based services;
protocols; laws
enforcement; outcomes
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://home.istar.ca/~ccja/angl/index.shtml
TITLE: Loss
and Grief in Adoption: The Impact of Contact.
AUTHOR: Courtney,
A.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Adoption
and Fostering
SOURCE: 24(2):
pp. 33-44; British Agencies for
Adoption and Fostering, London (United Kingdom)., 2000; p. 732
ABSTRACT: Adopted
children experience the loss of significant attachment relationships, based on
the internal working models of their parents that were formed from birth. Their
memories of their relationship with their parents can strongly affectthem
throughout childhood. This article suggests that
before children can move on to the next stage of mourning their losses, those
original models have to be understood. One method for resolving the birth
parent-child relationship is to incorporate thebirth parent in some way into
the daily life and relationships of the child after he or she is adopted. The
likely effect of contact is discussed in the article, as is the role of the
adoptive parent and possible therapeutic intervention. 45 references.(Author
abstract)
KEY TERMS: attachment; adjustment problems; post adoption contact; birth families; visitation; loss; therapeutic intervention; sequelae
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.baaf.org.uk
TITLE: Adoption
With Contact: A Study of Adoptive Parents and the Impact of Continuing Contact
With Families of Origin.
AUTHOR: Sykes,
M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Adoption
and Fostering
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Wiltshire
Mental Health Care NHS Trust (United Kingdom).
SOURCE: 24(2):
pp. 20-32; British Agencies for
Adoption and Fostering, London (United Kingdom)., 2000; p. 735
ABSTRACT: Adoption
practice in the 1990s has seen a substantial increase in adoptive families
where there continues to be contact with families of origin. This study
examines the impact of contact experiences for adoptive parents at least two
years after placement. Thirty adoptive parents in 17 families completed a
written questionnaire about their experience and about half of the respondents
were interviewed for more information. The analysis of the narratives from the
interviews considered the impact on parenthood, specifically themes of control,
entitlement to parent, communication, bonding, and ownership, as well as the
relationships between adoptive and birth parents. The findings suggest that the passage of time and a greater sense of control
assist in establishing confidence, while adopters develop a more empathic view
towards birth mothers. This has emotional costs to the adoptive mother. The
study suggests that contact is more likely to be
sustained where adoptive parents are able to develop a coherence in their
understanding of their own past experiences. The implications for practice are
discussed. 43 references. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: adoption
research; post adoption contact; open adoption; sequelae; birth mothers; visitation;
emotional response; parental
attitudes
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.baaf.org.uk
TITLE: Pituitary-Adrenal
and Autonomic Responses to Stress in Women After Sexual and Physical Abuse in
Childhood.
AUTHOR: Heim,
C.; Newport, D. J.; Heit, S.;
Graham, Y. P.; et al.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of the American Medical Association
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Trier
Univ. (Germany). Center for Psychobiological and Psychosomatic Research.
SOURCE: 284(5):
pp. 592-597; American Medical
Association, Chicago, IL., August 2, 2000;
p. 740
ABSTRACT: This
study was conducted to determine whether early-life stress in the form of
childhood sexual abuse results in a persistent sensitization of the
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to mild stress in adulthood, thereby
contributing to vulnerability to psychopathological conditions. Forty-nine
healthy women aged 18 to 45 years participated in a prospective controlled
study from May 1997 to July 1999 at the General Clinical Research Center of
Emory University Hospital. Four study groupswere formed: 12 women with no
history of childhood abuse or psychiatric disorder (controls); 13 women with
diagnosis of current major depression who were sexually or physically abused as
children; 14 women without current major depression who were sexually or
physically abused as children; and 10 women with a diagnosis of current major
depression and no history of childhood abuse. Adrenocorticotropic hormone
(ACTH) and cortisol levels and heart rate responses to a standardized
psychosocial laboratory stressor were compared among the four study groups. Women
with a history of childhood abuse exhibited increased pituitary-adrenal and
autonomic responses to stress compared with controls. This effect was
particularly robust in women witn current symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Women with a history of childhood abuse and a current major depression
diagnosis exhibited a more than 6-fold greater ACTH response to stress than
age-matched controls. These findings suggest that
hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and autonomic nervous system
hyperreactivity, presumably due to CRF hypersecretion, is a persistent
consequence of childhood abuse that may contribute to the diathesis for
adulthood psychopathological conditions related to early-life stress. 46
references, 1 figure, and 1 table. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: sexual
abuse; adults abused as children; female victims; sequelae; stress; psychopathology; neurology; neurological
impairments
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: The
Stability of Child Abuse Reports: A Longitudinal Study of the Reporting
Behaviour of Young Adults.
AUTHOR: Fergusson,
D. M.; Horwood, L. J.; Woodward, L. J.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Psychological
Medicine
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Christchurch
School of Medicine (New Zealand). Health and Development Study.
SOURCE: 30(3):
pp. 529-544; Cambridge Univ. Press,
Oxford (United Kingdom)., 2000; p. 752
ABSTRACT: The
aims of this study were to use longitudinal report data on physical and sexual
abuse to examine the stability and consistency of abuse reports. The study was
based on the birth cohort of young people studied in the Christchurch Health
and Development Study. At ages 18 and 21 years, these young people were
questioned about their childhood exposure to physical punishment and sexual
abuse. Concurrent with these assessments, sample members were also assessed on
measures of psychiatric disorder and suicidal behavior. Reports of childhood
sexual abuse and physical punishment were relatively unstable and the values of
kappa for test-retests of abuse reporting were in the region of .45.
Inconsistencies in reporting were unrelated to the subject's psychiatric state.
Latent class analyses suggested that those who were not abused did not falsely
report being abused; and that those who were abused provided unreliable reports
in which the probability of a false negative response was approximately 50
percent. Different approaches to classifying subjects as abused led to wide
variations in the estimated prevalence of abuse but estimates of the relative
risk of psychiatric adjustment problems conditional on abuse exposure remained
relatively stable. These findings suggest that
estimates of abuse prevalence based on a single report are likely to seriously
underestimate the true prevalence of abuse, while estimates of the relative
risk of psychiatric adjustment problems conditional on abuse appear to be
robust to the effects of reporting errors. 49 references and 6 tables. (Author
abstract)
KEY TERMS: child
abuse research; disclosure; longitudinal studies; child abuse reporting; reliability; prevalence;
sequelae; mental disorders
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.cup.org
TITLE: Reconsidering
the Recent History of Child Sexual Abuse, 1910-1960.
AUTHOR: Smart,
C.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of Social Policy
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Leeds,
Univ. (United Kingdom). Dept. of Sociology and Social Policy.
SOURCE: 29(1):
pp. 55-71; Cambridge Univ. Press,
Oxford (United Kingdom)., 2000; p. 771
ABSTRACT: This
paper explores how different discursive sites have sought to define and/or deny
the actuality and harm of child sexual abuse in the first half of the twentieth
century in England and Wales. Primary data from journal and archival sources suggest that there were a range of competing accounts of sexual
abuse (usually referred to as sexual assaults or even just as outrages). It is
argued that there was not a monolithic silencing of this abuse but a context
over the meaning of childhood, over the sexual innocence of girls, and even
over the significance of discovering venereal diseases in babies and in
children's homes. The paper suggests that there has been an overemphasis on
the silencing potential of psychoanalytic discourses during this period, and
insufficient attention paid to the role of the legal establishment and the
practices of the criminal justice system in the persistent, but multifaceted,
inability to define adult/child sexual contact as abusive or harmful. 39
references. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: sexual
abuse; child abuse research; historical perspective; great britain; social policies; public
policy; social values; literature reviews
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.cup.org
TITLE: Mass
Media and Disclosures of Child Abuse in the Perspective of Secondary
Prevention: Putting Ideas Into Practice.
AUTHOR: Hoefnagels,
C.; Mudde, A.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Free
Univ., Amsterdam (The Netherlands).
SOURCE: 24(8):
pp. 1091-1101; Elsevier Science, Inc.,
New York, NY., 2000; p. 792
ABSTRACT: Most
strategies intended to lower the prevalence of child abuse are based on the
exchange of information and communication within an interpersonal setting.
These strategies are limited, though, because of the reduced chance of reaching
at-risk populations and the tendency of families at risk to refuse to
cooperate. This article attempts to provide insight into the developmental
process of a mass-media campaign aimed at the enhancement of children's
disclosure of abuse by describing thevarious phases in development and
implementation, summarizing the different goals and means, and discussing the
shortcomings of the process and campaign. A case study is presented which
describes and analyzes the organization and program development of a Dutch
mass-media intervention aimed at the enhancement of disclosure of abuse by 8-
to 15-year-old children. Results showed that in the developmental process,
several shortcomings were observed with respect to problem analysis, goal
setting, and the assessment of unplanned effects. The authors criticize the
program's intervention density, and the input and output of financial and human
resources. Conclusions suggest that the program described could serve as
an example of an ecological approach that goes beyond the micro-system,
extending the potential in preventing ongoing abuse. One table; two figures; 44
references. (Author abstract modified.)
KEY TERMS: child
abuse; disclosure; mass media;
secondary prevention;
intervention; strategic
planning; program development; netherlands
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Is
Sexual Abuse of Children With Disabilities Disclosed? A Retrospective Analysis
of Child Disability and the Likelihood of Sexual Abuse Among Those Attending
Norwegian Hospitals.
AUTHOR: Kvam, M.
H.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: SINTEF
Unimed, Oslo (Norway).
SOURCE: 24(8):
pp. 1073-1084; Elsevier Science Inc.,
New York, NY., 2000; p. 794
ABSTRACT: According to North American studies, disabled children are two-to-three times more likely to be sexually abused than non-disabled children. The authors hypothesize that if the risk ratio for disabled children in Norway is similar, and the disclosure of sexual abuse is the same for disabled as for non-disabled, one should expect disabled children to constitute 2-3 times the 11 percent they constitute in the general population. The research aimed to investigate if this is the case for Norwegian children, and to find characteristics within the handicapped group suspected of being sexually abused. A questionnaire was distributed to all Norwegian pediatric hospitals. Of interest were numbers of children having a medical examination for possible sexual assault in the years 1994-1996, the number with a smaller or severe disability, a description of the disability, age and sex, and the conclusion of the examination as to the likelihood of sexual abuse. Results showed that severely disabled children constituted only 1.7 percent of the 1,293 children. Altogether, 6.4 percent of the children had a smaller or severe disability. T