Children at Risk: An Evaluation of Factors Contributing to Child Abuse and Neglect

318 Pages·1990·5.81 MB·English

by  Robert T. Ammerman

CHILDREN AT RISK
AN EVALUATION OF
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO
CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
CHILDREN AT RISK
AN EVALUATION OF
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO
CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
Edited by
ROBERT T. AMMERMAN
Western PennsylvaniaSchoolforBlindChildren
Pil/sburgh, Pennsylvania
and
MICHEL HERSEN
UniversityofPil/sburgh
SchoolofMedicine
Pillsburgh, Pennsylvania
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
LIbrary of Congress CatalogIng-In-PublIcatIon Data
Children at risk : an evaluatIon of factors contributing to child
abuse and neglect I edited by Robert T. Ammerman and Michel Hersen.
p• em.
Includes bibliographical references.
Includes Index.
ISBN978-1-4419-3214-3 ISBN978-1-4757-2088-4(eBook)
DOl10.1007/978-1-4757-2088-4
1. Abused children--Unlted States. 2. Child abuse--United States.
3. Child abuse--Unlted States--Preventlon. I. Ammerman, Robert T.
II. Hersen, MIchel .
[DNLM: 1. ChIld Abuse--epidemlology. 2. RIsk Factors. HA 320
C536517)
HV741.C536135 1990
362.7'6'0973--dc20
DNLM/DLC
for LIbrary of Congress 90-7228
CIP
©1990SpringerScience+BusinessMediaNewYork
OriginallypublishedbyPlenum Press,NewYorkin1990.
SoftcoverreprintofthehardcoverIstedition 1990
Allrightsreserved
Nopart of thisbook maybe reproduced,stored inaretrievalsystem,or transmitted
inany form or byany means,electronic, mechanical,photocopying,microfilming,
recording,or otherwise, withoutwritten permissionfrom the Publisher
To Caroline and Helen
CONTRIBUTORS
ROBERT T. AMMERMAN, Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Chil
dren, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
JAY BELSKY, Department of Individual and Family Studies, College of
Health and Human Development, Pennsylvania State University,
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
BEVERLY A. BUSH, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland
Baltimore County, Catonsville, Maryland 21228
JUDITH A. COHEN, Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric In
stitute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
HOWARD DUBOWITZ, Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland
School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
DAVID C. FACTOR, TRE-ADDProgram, Thistletown Regional Centerfor
Children and Adolescents, Rexdale, Ontario, Canada M9V 4L8
JAMESGARBARINO, EriksonInstituteforAdvancedStudyinChildDevel
opment, Chicago, Illinois 60610
Roy C. HERRENKOHL, Center for Social Research, Lehigh University,
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015
MICHEL HERSEN, Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric In
stitute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine,
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
JEFFREY A. KELLY, Division of Psychology, University of Mississippi
Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi 39216
vii
viii CONTRIBUTORS
JOHNR.LUTZKER, DepartmentofPsychology, UniversityofJudaism, Los
Angeles, California 90077
ANTHONY P. MANNARINO, Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychi
atric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medi
cine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213
GARY B. MELTON, Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska
Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0308
MAXINER.NEWMAN, DepartmentofPsychology, UniversityofJudaism,
Los Angeles, California 90077
RANDYK. OTTO, Departmentof Lawand MentalHealth, FloridaMental
HealthInstitute, UniversityofSouthFlorida, Tampa, Florida33612
3899
RAYMOND H. STARR, JR., Department of Psychology, University of
Maryland-Baltimore County, Catonsville, Maryland 21228
JOAN I. VONDRA, Departmentof Psychology in Education, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
DAVID A. WOLFE, DepartmentofPsychology, UniversityofWesternOn
tario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B8
LISE M. YOUNGBLADE, Department of Individual and Family Studies,
College of Health and Human Development, Pennsylvania State
University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802
PREFACE
During the past decade, a dramatic increase in research and clinical
interest has risen in child abuse and neglect. This recent growth in
awarenessisdueatleastpartlytothealarmingstatisticsdocumentingthe
incidence of child maltreatment. Almost one million children are re
ported to be abused and neglected each year, and many experts believe
thatthisfigureunderestimatesthetrueincidence.Indeed,recentsurveys
suggest that almost 1.5 million children are the targets of domestic vio
lenceeveryyear.Asignificantproportionofthesechildrendie as afunc
tionofthismaltreatment, whereastheremaindersufferavarietyofshort
andlong-termdeleteriousmedicalandpsychosocialconsequences.Child
maltreatmentisa universal problem thathas precipitated a mobilization
of effort from a variety of disciplines, including psychology, medicine,
psychiatry, social work, sociology, and criminology.
Particular attention has been directed toward the prevention and
treatmentofchildabuseandneglect. Suchendeavorsrequirethescreen
ing of large groups in order to identify families that are at high-risk for
engaging in such behavior. Delineating those characteristics that differ
entiate high- from low-risk families and children is one of the obvious
priorities for researchers and clinicians in the future. This book, there
fore, carefully considers the status of research on risk factors of abuse
and neglect in children. Adduced data undoubtedly will have practical
valuefor subsequentinterventionefforts. Asresearchin childabuseand
neglect approaches its fourth decade of modern investigation, it is es
pecially timely to assess the progress made in this field and provide
guidelines for future empirical work.
ChildrenatRiskis divided into five parts. In Part I(Introduction), an
overview of risk research is presented, and guidelines for continued
ix
x PREFACE
empirical investigation are outlined. In Part II (General Issues), critical
areasofchildmaltreatmentare examined, includingtheepidemiologyof
abuse and neglect, legal issues, research practices and methodological
approaches, and the psychosocial sequelae ofmaltreatmentofchildvic
tims. Part III (Risk Factors Associated with Child Abuse and Neglect)
includes evaluations of the three primary contributing factors to the
etiology of maltreatment: sociological and ecological variables, parental
characteristics, and child characteristics. Important new developments
in the preventionand treatmentofabuseand neglectare coveredin Part
IV (Prevention and Treatment). Finally, Part V (Conclusions) provides
the agenda for future research and clinical endeavors in combatting
child maltreatment.
A number of people devoted considerable time and effort in assist
ing us in the compilation ofthis volume, and their patience and dedica
tion to the project are greatly appreciated. First, we thank the contrib
utors who have graciously reviewed their respective areas of expertise.
Second, we greatlyappreciate thetechnicalassistanceprovidedby Mary
Anne Frederick, Mary [o Horgan, [enifer McKelvey, Louise E. Moore,
and Mary H. Newell. Third, we extend our gratitude to J. Lawrence
Aber III for his helpful comments on our original outline for the book.
Finally, we are indebted to the support and invaluable assistance pro
vided by our editor, Eliot Werner, who proved himself a model of
tolerance.
Robert T. Ammerman
Michel Hersen
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
CONTENTS
PART I. INTRODUCTION
Chapter 1
Research in Child Abuse and Neglect:Current Status and an
Agenda for the Future. ................................... 3
Robert T. Ammerman andMichel Hersen
Introduction. .............................................. 3
The Problem of Definition 6
Consequences ofMaltreatment .............................. 8
The Search for Risk Factors 10
Treatmentand Prevention 14
Summary 16
References 16
PART II. GENERAL ISSUES
Chapter 2
The Epidemiology of Child Maltreatment 23
Raymond H. Starr, [r., Howard Dubowitz, andBeverly A. Bush
Introduction. .............................................. 23
BasicEpidemiological Concepts 24
xi
xii CONTENTS
The Definition of Child Maltreatment ........................ 24
PhysicalAbuse 25
PhysicalNeglect ......................................... 26
Psychological Abuse and Psychological Neglect 26
Sexual Abuse ............................................ 27
Summary 27
The Incidence and Prevalence of Child Maltreatment .......... 28
Analyses of Reported Maltreatment ........................ 28
The National Incidence Surveys 34
Surveys of the General Public ............... 38
Summary and Implications 47
References 50
Chapter3
Trends in Legislation and Case Law on Child Abuse
andNeglect ............................................. 55
RandyK. OttoandGary B. Melton
Introduction............................................... 55
Justification for State Intervention 56
ParensPatriae Power 56
Orientation and Scope of Intervention 56
Criminal and Civil Adjudication of Child Abuse
and Neglect ........................................... 59
Legislative Responses 63
The First Wave of Legislation: Child Abuse
ReportingStatutes 63
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974 66
OtherFederal Legislation 68
Children's TrustFunds 69
Procedural and Evidentiary Reforms Related to Adjudication 70
The Impact ofTestifying upon Child Witnesses 71
Children's Competency to Testify .......................... 72
HearsayExceptions 73
Closed Courtrooms 74
Special Courtroom Procedures 75
Psychological Testimony about Abuser and Victim Profiles 76
Discussion 77
Summary 78
References 78