Showing papers in "Child Maltreatment in 2002"
TL;DR: Mental health outcomes of children who have witnessed violence in their social environment and/or have been physically abused are examined; victimization was a significant predictor of child aggression and depression; witnessed violence was found to be a significant predict of aggression, depression, anger, and anxiety.
Abstract: This article examines mental health outcomes of children who have witnessed violence in their social environment and/or have been physically abused. Participants (n = 167) come from a longitudinal study on child maltreatment. Outcomes-including depression, anger, and anxiety--are measured by the Child Behavior Checklist and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children. The authors used adjusted multivariate analyses to test the statistical significance of associations. The majority of children were female (57%) and non-White (64%). One third had been physically victimized; 46% had witnessed moderate-high levels of violence. Results confirm that children are negatively affected by victimization and violence they witness in their homes and neighborhoods. Victimization was a significant predictor of child aggression and depression; witnessed violence was found to be a significant predictor of aggression, depression, anger, and anxiety. Implications will be discussed.
245 citations
TL;DR: The available evidence indicates that the development and persistence of sexually criminal behavior is poorly understood, making the prediction of sustained sexual offending in juveniles that is required by some sexual predator statutes a particularly difficult task.
Abstract: States have increasingly subject juvenile sexual offenders to sex offender registration and commitment under sexual predator laws in recent years. These statutes assume that sexual offenders present a sustained risk to recommit sexually violent crimes over an extended time period. Implicit in this assumption is that criminal sexual behavior is a product of some form of stable trait or condition that continues to push the juvenile toward sexually violent behaviors as they get older. This article examines these assumptions in light of the available research on the stability of sexually offending behavior in juveniles. The difficulties attendant to applying adult offender risk assessment models to juvenile sexual offenders are addressed. The available evidence indicates that the development and persistence of sexually criminal behavior is poorly understood, making the prediction of sustained sexual offending in juveniles that is required by some sexual predator statutes a particularly difficult task.
212 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that abuse-specific internal attributions were associated with higher levels of psychopathology and were particularly important for predicting PTSD symptoms and parent and teacher reports of internalizing behavior problems, even after controlling for age, gender, abuse events and general attributional style.
Abstract: This study concerns the nature of specific attributions for sexual abuse and their relation to psychological distress over time. Participants (80 children and 57 adolescents) were seen within 8 weeks of discovery of the abuse and 1 year later They described why they believed the abuse happened, rated the extent to which internal and external attributions for the abuse event applied to them, and completed measures of general attribution styleforeveryday events, shame for the abuse, and symptoms of depression, PTSD, and self-esteem. Parents and teachers rated behavior problems. Abuse-specific internal attributions were consistently related to higher levels of psychopathology and were particularly importantforpredicting PTSD symptoms and parent and teacher reports of internalizing behavior problems, even after controlling for age, gender, abuse events, and general attributional style. Shame also was an important predictor of symptom level and mediated the relation between abuse-specific internal attributions and PTSD symptoms.
202 citations
TL;DR: Investigation of the history, adjustment, and social environment of preschool children with sexual behavior problems supported the need to consider the developmentally unique presentation of young children with SBP.
Abstract: Sexual behavior problems (SBP) have been increasingly recognized in young children. Despite rising awareness, previous research has focused on school-age children with SBP and adolescent sex offenders. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the history, adjustment, and social environment of preschool children with SBP. Thirty-seven young children with SBP were evaluated. As expected, significant emotional and behavior problems were evident, and caregivers reported high levels of stress related to parenting. Contrary to findings among school-age samples, more of the children were female (65%) than male (35%). Many (62%) did not have substantiated histories of sexual abuse. Many children had experienced physical abuse (47%) and/or witnessed interparental violence (58%). Only four (11%) had no known history of sexual abuse, physical abuse, or witnessing domestic violence. Although further research is necessary, results supported the need to consider the developmentally unique presentation of young children with SBP.
149 citations
TL;DR: Families who participated in Project SafeCare had significantly lower reports of child abuse and neglect than families in the comparison group, and were compared to a comparison group of maltreating families from the point of initial intake through a 24-month follow-up period.
Abstract: Project SafeCare was an in-home research and intervention, grant-funded program designed to teach parents who were reported for child abuse and neglect Parents who participated in Project SafeCare received training in three aspects of child care: treating illnesses and maximizing their health-care skills (health), positive and effective parent-child interaction skills (bonding), and maintaining hazard-free homes (safety) for their children Postcontact (after initial intake was made and the program began) incidents of child abuse and neglect for maltreating parents who participated in and completed Project SafeCare were compared to a comparison group of maltreating families from the point of initial intake through a 24-month follow-up period The comparison group (referred to as the Family Preservation group) received intervention from Family Preservation programs Families who participated in Project SafeCare had significantly lower reports of child abuse and neglect than families in the comparison group
135 citations
TL;DR: A significant association between marital status, father's biological relationship to the child, mother-as-perpetrator, and age of the children with co-occurrence of domestic violence for neglect but not for physical abuse is found.
Abstract: Research supports a substantial overlap between domestic violence and child maltreatment. However, few studies examine the characteristics of families in which both domestic violence and child maltreatment are present, with most studies exploring only child physical abuse. This study examined differences in demographic characteristics, parental problems, and maltreatment characteristics for families involving physical abuse or neglect and woman battering compared to families with the same type of maltreatment but no known woman battering present. Descriptive analyses found more differences between families with domestic violence and neglect and neglect-only than between co-occurring physical abuse and physical abuse-only families. Analyses looking at the association or interaction between the type of maltreatment and presence of domestic violence found a significant association between marital status, father's biological relationship to the child, mother-as-perpetrator, and age of the children with co-occurrence of domestic violence for neglect but not for physical abuse.
133 citations
TL;DR: Results indicated that attributional style predicted depression beyond the variance accounted for by abuse type (i.e., physical or sexual), however, the best predictor of PTSD-RI scores was an interaction effect between abuse type and negative attributional Style.
Abstract: This study examined the relationship of attributional style, posttrauma, and depressive symptoms among children who have suffered either physical or sexual abuse. Ninety-eight children (67 physically abused, 31 sexually abused) were administered a depression inventory, the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-Reaction Index (PTSD-RI), and Children's Attributional Style Questionnaire (CASQ). With regard to group differences, the sexual abuse group scored significantly higher on the PTSD-RI, whereas the physical abuse group scored higher on the CASQ Composite for Negative Events. Results also indicated that attributional style predicted depression beyond the variance accounted for by abuse type (i.e., physical or sexual). However, the best predictor of PTSD-RI scores was an interaction effect between abuse type and negative attributional style. Clinical implications of these findings for children who suffer abuse are discussed.
108 citations
TL;DR: The authors review literature examining the relationships among childhood physical or sexual abuse, attributions, and adjustment, and the heterogeneity of symptomatology observed across individuals following child abuse suggests that outcome is determined by multiple factors.
Abstract: Individuals who experience child physical or sexual abuse are at greater risk for adjustment problems. However, the heterogeneity of symptomatology observed across individuals following child abuse suggests that outcome is determined by multiple factors. The authors review literature examining the relationships among childhood physical or sexual abuse, attributions, and adjustment. Implications for application and future research are discussed.
103 citations
TL;DR: To conclude objectively that an infant's intracranial hemorrhage or rebleeding resulted from inflicted injury or re-injury requires an in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis of posttraumatic subdural and subarachnoid collections.
Abstract: Does an expanded subarachnoid space predispose to subdural bleeding? What does heterogeneity in the appearance of a subdural collection on CT or MRI imaging indicate? Spontaneous rebleeding? Minor re-injury? Major re-injury? In some specific cases, answers to these questions have important forensic implications. To conclude objectively that an infant's intracranial hemorrhage or rebleeding resulted from inflicted injury or re-injury requires an in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis of posttraumatic subdural and subarachnoid collections. The authors present two cases of indoor, accidental, pediatric, closed-head trauma that resulted in intracranial rebleeding. Both accidental cranial impacts occurred in medical settings and were independently witnessed by medical personnel. In addition, the authors summarize the relevant medical literature regarding pediatric intracranial bleeding and rebleeding.
96 citations
TL;DR: The aim of the task force was to develop a synthesis of the most current thinking in pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, child protection, and law and to articulate the current consensus among professionals to facilitate the identification and treatment of this complex clinical problem.
Abstract: In 1996, a multidisciplinary task force of experts was created to develop working definitions for the constellation of behaviors currently described as Munchausen by proxy (MBP). The aim of the task force was to develop a synthesis of the most current thinking in pediatrics, psychiatry, psychology, child protection, and law and to articulate the current consensus among professionals to facilitate the identification and treatment of this complex clinical problem. The term Munchausen by proxy was first used by Roy Meadow (1977), a British pediatrician, to describe illness-producing behavior reminiscent of adult Munchausen syndrome but using the child as a proxy. Adult Munchausen syndrome, described in 1951 by Asher, is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult intentionally induces or feigns symptoms of physical or psychiatric illness to assume the sick role. MBP was initially described as “the intentional production or feigning of physical or psychological signs or symptoms in another person who is under the individual’s care for the purpose of indirectly assuming the sick role” (American Psychiatric Association, 1994, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. [DSM-IV], p. 475). The fact that Munchausen syndrome and MBP share the same name has resulted in considerable confusion. Although once thought to be quite rare, most experts now believe that MBP is fairly common. Using the results of a careful but conservative British study (McClure, Davis, Meadow, & Sibert, 1996), we estimate that a minimum of 600 new cases of just two forms of MBP (suffocation and nonaccidental poisoning) will present in the United States each year. Given the wide spectrum of pediatric conditions that have been known to be feigned, the problem is far from trivial. Furthermore, experts now agree that MBP
69 citations
TL;DR: There is a need for child maltreatment researchers and advocates to develop clear consensus definitions to aid the legal community in adopting uniform inclusive statutes to protect children from emotional abuse.
Abstract: Child emotional abuse has an intangible quality that has resulted in confusion regarding both medical and legal definitions. This retrospective review of emotional, physical, sexual abuse, and neglect rates reported by the National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect Data System revealed a 300-fold variation in the rate of emotional abuse across state boundaries. By contrast, the rates of physical and sexual abuses, which are much easier to define, were significantly more consistent. To better understand the potential reasons for the unique variability of emotional abuse, an analysis of sociodemographic factors was performed and no correlations were found. However, a systematic review of state laws on child emotional abuse revealed that states having inclusive civil and/or inclusive caretaker culpability statutes were more likely to report higher rates of child emotional abuse. This study supports a need for child maltreatment researchers and advocates to develop clear consensus definitions to aid the legal community in adopting uniform inclusive statutes to protect children from emotional abuse.
TL;DR: These findings identify some of the attributional sequelae of child abuse that deserve further clinical attention and research evaluation.
Abstract: Contemporary clinical formulations and recent research highlight the importance of cognitive-attributional symptoms in explaining the outcomes of child abuse. This study is directed toward the prel...
TL;DR: The need for greater awareness of the physical health-related correlates of both physical and sexual maltreatment in childhood and their associated implications for women's health care needs is emphasized.
Abstract: Three health symptom checklists were used to measure physical health concerns among university women in relation to prior child physical maltreatment (CPM) (20%, n = 153) and child sexual abuse (CSA) (19%, n = 143). A history of CPM was related to all three general areas of health concerns as well as to many of the specific subscales comprising the measures (e.g., muscular-skeletal symptoms and gynecological problems), whereas an interaction between CSA and CPM was linked to greater premenstrual distress subscale scores (particularly emotional and behavioral symptoms). Overall, although CSA was not related to health symptoms, within the CSA subgroup, greater duration and severity of CSA was predictive of higher premenstrual distress even after controlling for CPM. This study emphasizes the need for greater awareness of the physical health-related correlates of both physical and sexual maltreatment in childhood and their associated implications for women's health care needs.
TL;DR: A review of written attribution retraining techniques developed by diverse authors for use with sexually abused children and their non-offending parents is provided in this article, including written and verbal techniques and techniques using games and the arts.
Abstract: Clinicians increasingly use empirically based cognitive-behavioral techniques in their treatment of child victims of sexual abuse. Attribution retraining is often a primary component of this work, and it involves various techniques aimed at decreasing abuse-related self-blame and encouraging the child to attribute responsibility for the abuse to the perpetrator This article reviews literature that highlights the complexity of self and other blame for sexually abused children in terms of developmental status, the multifaceted nature and interrelationships of abuse-specific attributions, and the psychological effects of self-blame and perpetrator blame. A review of written attribution retraining techniques developed by diverse authors for use with sexually abused children and their nonoffending parents is provided, including written and verbal techniques and techniques using games and the arts. The relative utility of different approaches with children of various stages of development is discussed, along with the need for empirical research regarding the effectiveness of these techniques.
TL;DR: The findings suggest the importance of research focused on understanding the processes by which child maltreatment may lead to later violence and that examines both childhood and adulthood experiences in understanding pathways to adult violence.
Abstract: This study examined the association between child maltreatment and adult violence in a high-risk sample of women with and without a history of cocaine abuse and the contribution of working models of childhood attachment relationships in understanding this association. Results indicated that whereas childhood physical abuse was associated with adult sexual victimization for cocaine-abusing women, sexual abuse was associated with both partner violence victimization and perpetration for comparison women. Insecure working models of attachment were associated with partner violence victimization for comparison women, independent of the effect of sexual abuse. These findings suggest the importance of research focused on understanding the processes by which child maltreatment may lead to later violence and that examines both childhood and adulthood experiences in understanding pathways to adult violence.
TL;DR: Rates of forgetting were similar among victims who experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse, and multiple types of traumas and most victims' characterizations of their forgetting experiences were not indicative of repression in the classic Freudian sense but instead suggested other more common mechanisms, such as directed forgetting and relabeling.
Abstract: Much attention has been focused on memories of abuse that are allegedly forgotten or repressed then recovered. By retrospectively surveying more than 1,400 college women, the authors investigated (a) the frequency with which temporary forgetting is reported for child sexual abuse experiences as opposed to other childhood abuse and traumas and (b) exactly how victims characterize their forgetting experiences in terms of various competing cognitive mechanisms. Rates of forgetting were similar among victims who experienced sexual abuse, physical abuse, and multiple types of traumas. Victims of other types of childhood traumas (e.g., car accidents) reported less forgetting than victims of childhood sexual abuse or multiple types of trauma. Most victims' characterizations of their forgetting experiences were not indicative of repression in the classic Freudian sense but instead suggested other more common mechanisms, such as directed forgetting and relabeling. The implications of these findings for psychological theory, clinical practice, and law are discussed.
TL;DR: Findings demonstrate a co-occurrence of risk factors that raise suspicions of suffocatory abuse or Munchausen by Proxy in children admitted to hospital over a 23 year period.
Abstract: This study describes 138 young children admitted to the hospital over a 23 year period for recurrent apparent life threatening events (ALTEs), unexplained deaths, or with Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)-related diagnoses. In examining the potential for suffocatory abuse in living children, we utilized characteristics in the literature that distinguish SIDS or ALTEs due to natural disease states from abuse. Findings demonstrate a co-occurrence of risk factors that raise suspicions of suffocatory abuse or Munchausen by Proxy. Of the 35 children who died, SIDS was the presumed clinical diagnosis at the time of death in 71 % of the cases. Comprehensive chart review and autopsy findings revealed a non-SIDS diagnosis in 54% and confirmed or suspicious child abuse in 37% of these deaths. Reports to Child Protective Services were made in 6% of cases. Recommendations for assessment of children including attention to risk indicators, involvement of child protection teams, mandatory autopsies, and eath scene investigations are offered.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present guidelines for gathering pertinent data, analyzing records, and evaluating psychological testing for forensic evaluations when the questions for the evaluation are the following: (a) Is there evidence that child abuse did occur? (b) Does the alleged perpetrator meet criteria forfactitious disorder, NOS (or factitious disorder by proxy)? and (c) What management and treatment recommendations should be made?
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to propose guidelines for the evaluation of possible Munchausen by proxy child abuse for the court systems. These assessments require the evaluator to have an understanding of the complexity involved when this type of abuse is alleged. The evaluator should have an appreciation of how falsification of illness may or may not occur, recognize the need for careful analysis of medical records, and understand the problems associated with the use of a profile in determining the validity of an abuse allegation. This article presents guidelines for gathering pertinent data, analyzing records, and evaluating psychological testing for forensic evaluations when the questions for the evaluation are the following: (a) Is there evidence that child abuse did occur? (b) Does the alleged perpetrator meet criteria forfactitious disorder, NOS (or factitious disorder by proxy)? and (c) What management and treatment recommendations should be made?
TL;DR: This study found that the most important intervening variables for guardian support in multivariate analysis were the attachment/relationship style of child and guardian and whether a second guardian accompanied the child to the hospital.
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to present a study of intervening variables for guardian support. It is this article's thesis that guardian support is better conceptualized as a complex reaction to the disclosure of abuse that is shaped by a number of factors, some of the most important of which are the stressors impinging on guardians and their previous patterns of relating within the family. The sample included 92 guardians of sexually abused children presenting at a medical center for a sexual abuse medical and forensic evaluation. This study found that the most important intervening variables for guardian support in multivariate analysis were the attachment/relationship style of child and guardian and whether a second guardian accompanied the child to the hospital. This study highlights the importance of relational considerations between the child and nonoffending guardian as well as the importance of using more than a single nonoffending caregiver.
TL;DR: It is suggested that the Neglect Scale is a promising self-report measure when used with a low-income, inner-city sample and a confirmatory factor analysis was performed; the model did not fit the data well.
Abstract: The Neglect Scale is an easy-to-administer, retrospective, self-report measure of neglect. Research conducted by Straus and colleagues with college students indicates that this scale has a high level of internal consistency reliability and moderate construct validity. The purpose of this article is to examine the reliability and validity of the Neglect Scale when used with a low-income, inner-city sample. The sample included 151 women who were participating in a neglect prevention demonstration project. The Neglect Scale was completed as part of a computer-administered baseline interview before services were provided. To assess whether the 20-item, four-factor structure reported by Straus et al. fit the data from this sample, a confirmatory factor analysis was performed; the model did not fit the data well. Additional analyses identified a model that did fit the data well and suggest that the Neglect Scale is a promising self-report measure.
TL;DR: It is suggested that a diagnosis of pediatric condition falsification may be suspected in toddlers presenting with a phenotype for enteric neuromuscular disorders by features in the clinical history, symptoms, and signs.
Abstract: Pediatric condition falsification may masquerade as chronic and serious digestive disease, including chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. The purpose of this study was to define clinical criteria to discriminate between these two conditions. We compared medical records of 8 pediatric condition falsification victims to those of 14 children with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Clinical features suggesting pediatric condition falsification in toddlers presenting with chronic and severe digestive complaints included (a) daily abdominal pain, (b) illness involving three or more organ systems, (c) an accelerating disease trajectory, (d) a reported history of preterm birth, (e) absence of dilated bowel on x-ray, (f) normal antroduodenal manometry, and (g) no urinary neuromuscular disease. These results suggest that a diagnosis of pediatric condition falsification may be suspected in toddlers presenting with a phenotype for enteric neuromuscular disorders by features in the clinical history, symptoms, and signs.
TL;DR: Effects of maltreatment on children's attributions were found for physical but not sexual abuse, and implications are drawn for gender differences in the role of biased attributions as a consequence of physical abuse.
Abstract: Attributions for parent-child relationship outcomes were assessed as a function of childhood maltreatment history. In Study 1, the attributions of maltreated children were compared with those of nonmaltreated children from a similar background. Maltreated girls (but not boys) were found to be more likely than nonmaltreated girls to attribute lower power or control to self than to parents. Effects of maltreatment on children's attributions were found for physical but not sexual abuse. In Study 2, the attributions of parents with a history of abuse as children were compared with those of parents who had not been abused. Women (but no men) with a history of abuse attributed less power or control to self than to children. Implications are drawn for gender differences in the role of biased attributions as a consequence of physical abuse.
TL;DR: The researchers in this issue demonstrate that shame meets strict criteria for mediating the relationship between attributions and symptomatology, a concept that is particularly relevant to therapists treating abused children, as they will discuss below.
Abstract: Several articles in this issue discuss the importance of abuse-related and more general attributions in symptom formation and persistence following child sexual or physical abuse. We are gratified that researchers are devoting more attention to this issue, for two reasons. First, we have long believed that the meaning the child makes of the abuse is at least as important, and often more important, than the specific characteristics of the abusive episodes in determining the impact the abuse has on the child. Second, unlike other factors, children’s attributions are amenable to revision through therapeutic interventions and thus offer a path for improving both short-term and ultimate outcomes for these children. Our earlier work provided support for the idea that abuse-related attributions, and to a lesser extent general attributional style, are related to symptom formation and treatment response in sexually abused children (Cohen & Mannarino, 2000; Mannarino, Cohen, & Berman, 1994; Mannarino & Cohen, 1996a, 1996b). In promoting an understanding of the heterogeneity of symptomatology observed across individuals exposed to different forms of violence, Valle and Silovsky (2002, this issue) review an extensive literature examining the relationship between childhood physical or sexual abuse, attributions, and adjustment. The research in this issue advances our knowledge about the importance of attributions through improved specificity of instruments and sophistication of data analytic techniques. In one of three accompanying empirical articles, Feiring, Taska, and Chen (2002, this issue) extend previous findings that abuse-specific internal attributions are related to poorer adjustment at the time of abuse disclosure and 1 year later. This relationship is so strong that it persists even after controlling for symptomatology at initial disclosure. These investigators a lso demonstrate that shame meets strict criteria for mediating the relationship between attributions and symptomatology, a concept that is particularly relevant to therapists treating abused children, as we will discuss below. Kolko, Brown, and Berliner (2002, this issue) address the importance of using sophisticated statistical procedures in designing instruments that purport to measure abuse-related attributions, as many of these items are not normally distributed. Taking this into account, they introduce a new instrument, the Children’s Abuse-Specific Perceptions Scale (CASP), which they use to further demonstrate the relationship between certain abuse-specific attributions and negative psychological sequelae. Bugental and Shennum (2002, this issue) draw our attention to the issue of attributions in children and adults who have predominantly experienced physical rather than sexual abuse, a group that has received inadequate attention with regard to attributions. They demonstrate that child physical abuse has a gender-specific impact on attributions of relative power, with abused females feeling less powerful than nonabused females, whereas abused males show a trend toward feeling more powerful than nonabused males. Bugental and Shennum also present evidence to suggest that these differences persist into adulthood and may affect the likelihood that mothers
TL;DR: This article presents a series of cases in which children have PCF that primarily consists of educational disabilities that are presented here in which educational disabilities are the focus of falsification.
Abstract: Munchausen by proxy is a disorder in which a child is victimized through a form of child abuse called pediatric condition falsification (PCF). PCF has been documented for psychological and psychiatric conditions including one such form presented here in which educational disabilities are the focus of falsification. Parents meet their own self-serving needs through "impostering" as good mothers. This maternal mental disorder is called factitious disorder by proxy. This article presents a series of cases in which children have PCF that primarily consists of educational disabilities. Characteristics of the children, their mothers, and their families are outlined and outcomes for the 9 children in the sample are discussed. Guidelines for identification of children with PCF in educational settings are provided, and special guidance is offered in differential diagnosis.
TL;DR: The empirical and conceptual articles in this special issue examine victims' attributions from multiple perspectives, including abuse-specific, abuse-related, and general attributions as well as attributions made by children and adults abused as children.
Abstract: In summary, the empirical and conceptual articles in this special issue examine victims' attributions from multiple perspectives, including abuse-specific, abuse-related, and general attributions as well as attributions made by children and adults abused as children The commentaries examine attributions in relation to treatment and in the context of a model of child abuse sequelae Together, these articles examine some of the clinical/therapeutic, measurement, and scientific implications of this emerging topical area (eg, what types of attributions merit evaluation and with what types of methods, how and when do we best modify maladaptive attributions, what assessment and treatment studies are needed to examine the role of attributions) We hope these articles will stimulate colleagues working with all forms maltreatment who are interested in research and treatment pertaining to attribution styles in childhood victims Despite the complexities involved, the rewards for understanding which children are most at risk and for designing more effective treatments are many Language: en
TL;DR: Findings indicated that manner of presentation of children's testimony had an indirect effect on verdicts, and that ratings of child believability were the strongest predictor of defendant-guilt judgments.
Abstract: The present study was designed to compare two forms of hearsay: videotaped hearsay and hearsay supplied by an adult witness. In elaborately staged, mock child sexual abuse trials, jurors were presented with (a) videotaped forensic interviews of children who, in actual legal cases, disclosed abuse or (b) a police officer who repeated the children's videotaped statements. In addition, a subset of jurors who viewed the videotape during trial were allowed access to the videotape during deliberations. Findings indicated that manner of presentation of children's testimony had an indirect effect on verdicts. Jurors in the videotape conditions were more likely to believe that the child fully disclosed during the forensic interview, which in turn influenced ratings of child believability. The latter ratings were the strongest predictor of defendant-guilt judgments.
TL;DR: The biggest obstacles identified were the time involved in doing an evaluation, scheduling cases, and problems dealing with the legal, judicial, and social service systems.
Abstract: Physicians are needed to evaluate children for the possibility of maltreatment. In many communities, physicians are reluctant to evaluate children who may have been maltreated. Because it is unclear which factors facilitate and impede physicians' involvement in evaluations for child maltreatment, physicians were surveyed to identify these factors. The biggest obstacles identified were the time involved in doing an evaluation, scheduling cases, and problems dealing with the legal, judicial, and social service systems. Medical information, training, and follow-up about the disposition of cases would help physicians who participate in evaluations. Interventions that enhance communication and training across disciplines could also be effective in increasing physician involvement in child abuse evaluations.
TL;DR: Results from this study highlight the similarities among abusive families, whether or not the mother perpetrated the abuse, and include abusive families in the control group.
Abstract: A majority of the approximately 240,000 children in this country who were physically maltreated in 1997 live with their mothers, regardless of whether their mothers committed the abuse. This study compared service use and functioning at intake for families of physically abused children as a function of the mother's offender status. Analyses found few differences in the initial functioning and subsequent services received by abusive and nonabusive mothers and their children. Abusive mothers did receive fewer services overall and were significantly less likely to receive individual parent services as compared to nonabusive mothers. This was true, despite abusive mothers receiving less positive parent ratings by their children at intake as compared to nonabusive mothers. Results from this study highlight the similarities among abusive families, whether or not the mother perpetrated the abuse. Future research should include abusive families in the control group to have the greatest impact on developing effective identification and prevention programs. These results also emphasize the importance of collecting data from multiple informants. The only significant difference in maternal functioning was found on a child-completed rating. Mothers involved in child protective services may be less likely to reveal negative information about their own functioning.
TL;DR: The articles in this special section do yeoman service to the field, recognizing, as they do, that there is no substitute for developing a strong empirical foundation to address this important social problem.
Abstract: Child abuse poses significant challenges for scientists and practitioners. For one thing, the willful harming of an innocent child is a painful image that understandably evokes intense emotions. The resulting diversity of strongly held views about the nature of the problem and what to do about it can, and too often does, lead to polarization among professionals who share the common goal of responding optimally to the problem. In this context, the articles in this special section do yeoman service to the field, recognizing, as they do, that there is no substitute for developing a strong empirical foundation to address this important social problem. The focus on children’s attributions for abuse is particularly laudable as there is some evidence that children’s responses to stressful events (e.g., interparental conflict) is mediated by their appraisals of the events (e.g., Grych, Fincham, Jouriles, & McDonald, 2000). However, the challenge of researching attributions in this field is emphasized by the fact that investigation of abuse allegations and receipt of services may alter the very phenomenon investigated. The sensitivity shown to this problem in the articles is exemplary; Kolko, Brown, and Berliner (2002, this issue) collected their data within 2 to 3 weeks of intake at Child Protective Services (CPS) and Feiring, Taska, and Chen (2002, this issue) did so within 8 weeks of abuse discovery. As attribution research is extended into yet another substantive area of inquiry, a further challenge arises. What does one make of the enormous body of literature on attribution that continues to grow at the rate of about 350 articles per annum (1990-2000; mean = 364.2, range = 291-536)? Does the study of children’s attributions for abuse take the course followed by researchers on close relationships, who did not build on existing research when they began to study attributions? Or can this voluminous literature inform the study of children’s attributions for abuse? The remainder of this commentary offers some observations pertinent to the last question before pointing out features of these articles that augur well for the future development of this field of inquiry.
TL;DR: Children with PCF are not only subjected to induced illnesses and excessive medical diagnostic and therapeutic efforts but also victimized by the consequences of false and exaggerated complaints of common pediatric diseases.
Abstract: Reports of pediatric condition falsification (PCF) have noted, but not emphasized, exaggerated complaints of real and common illnesses. Among the most frequent chronic childhood illnesses are asthma, allergy, drug sensitivity, and ear and sinopulmonary infections. The most common pediatric surgery is the insertion of myringotomy tubes. A computer database of 104 PCF victims from 68 families spanning from 1974 to 1998 was searched for the frequency of these conditions. Outright falsification or extreme exaggeration of severity of asthma or allergies was noted in 52 children (50%), sinopulmonary infections in 50 (48%), and drug reactions or sensitivities in 30 (29%). Forty-five children (43%) had otolaryngologic surgery, including ear tubes. In all, 71 children (68%) had at least one of these conditions. Associated victim and perpetrator characteristics are described. Children with PCF are not only subjected to induced illnesses and excessive medical diagnostic and therapeutic efforts but also victimized b) the consequences of false and exaggerated complaints of common pediatric diseases.