Long-term effects of child abuse and neglect on emotion processing in adulthood

To determine whether child maltreatment has a long-term impact on emotion processing abilities in adulthood and whether IQ, psychopathology, or psychopathy mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and emotion processing in adulthood. Using a prospective cohort design, children (ages 0–11) with documented cases of abuse and neglect during 1967–1971 were matched with non-maltreated children and followed up into adulthood. Potential mediators (IQ, Post-Traumatic Stress [PTSD], Generalized Anxiety [GAD], Dysthymia, and Major Depressive [MDD] Disorders, and psychopathy) were assessed in young adulthood with standardized assessment techniques. In middle adulthood (M_age = 47), the International Affective Picture System was used to measure emotion processing. Structural equation modeling was used to test mediation models. Individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment were less accurate in emotion processing overall and in processing positive and neutral pictures than matched controls. Childhood physical abuse predicted less accuracy in neutral pictures and childhood sexual abuse and neglect predicted less accuracy in recognizing positive pictures. MDD, GAD, and IQ predicted overall picture recognition accuracy. However, of the mediators examined, only IQ acted to mediate the relationship between child maltreatment and emotion processing deficits. Although research has focused on emotion processing in maltreated children, these new findings show an impact child abuse and neglect on emotion processing in middle adulthood. Research and interventions aimed at improving emotional processing deficiencies in abused and neglected children should consider the role of IQ.     

Children hospitalized with child abuse and neglect: a case-control study

A case-control study of 45 hospitalized abused children was conducted to reassess the risk factors for child abuse when confounding by social class was minimized. Cases were matched for age, sex, family structure, and social class with children admitted to hospital for an acute illness. Abused children were more likely to have younger parents, fewer siblings, and to have been separated from their mothers during the first year of life. Their parents were more likely to have been abused as children and to have a poor relationship with the child's other parent. The families of abused children had encountered more stressful life events in the preceding 12 months. Other previously recognized "risk factors" were not shown to have a statistically significant association with child abuse. Because child abuse is more prevalent in lower socioeconomic families, the association with many of these factors has been accepted as implying a causal relationship. Matching procedures which attempted to eliminate confounding by social class and family structure cast doubts on some previously held beliefs about the risk factors for child abuse.     

Teachers' Opinions about Inclusion: A pilot study in a Palestinian context

The present study explored teachers' opinions about the inclusion of students with disabilities and special needs in regular primary schools in a Palestinian context, and factors that influenced such opinions. The sample consisted of 90 teachers at six schools. Eighty-seven (97%) of them had students with disabilities or special needs in their classes. Fifty-four (60%) of the teachers were of the opinion that students with disabilities and special needs should have an opportunity to attend public schools. Opinion-related factors were identified and compared to results of previous studies. Eighty-one (90%) of the teachers expressed a need for changes in the public schools in order to meet the needs of students with disabilities and special needs. Their focus of interest for building their own competence was on knowledge and skills that could empower them as teachers, not on knowledge about the students' disabling impairments.     

Broken bonds: A meta-analysis of emotion reactivity and regulation in emotionally maltreating parents

BackgroundEmotional maltreatment is the most pervasive but least studied form of abuse.ObjectiveIn the present study, we examined the role of emotion reactivity and emotion regulation in emotional child maltreatment.MethodsWe identified nine studies that compared levels of parental emotion reactivity and regulation in emotionally maltreating families with levels in non-maltreating families.ResultsOur meta-analytic findings revealed that, in comparison to non-maltreating parents, parents who are emotionally maltreating their children report higher levels of negative affect, depression, verbal aggression, and anger. We also found that in comparison to non-maltreating parents, emotionally maltreating parents report lower levels of emotional control, emotion regulation, and coping strategies.ConclusionsWe outline the theoretical and practical implications of these results, and emphasize how research into the etiology of child maltreatment may provide the basis for more effective prevention, screening, and treatment practices designed to eradicate emotional maltreatment.     

Measuring child maltreatment in the United Kingdom: a study of the prevalence of child abuse and neglect

OBJECTIVE: To provide reliable measures of the prevalence of all forms of child maltreatment in the UK that will be robust in the context of social and cultural differences due to social class, ethnicity and, region. METHODS: Two thousand eight hundred sixty-nine (2,869) young adults aged 18=-24, obtained by random probability sampling throughout the UK, were interviewed face to face by trained interviewers. Maltreatment was defined using a post hoc assessment of a range of experienced behaviors and treatments while the respondents were aged 16 or under. RESULTS: Over 90% of respondents reported that they came from a warm and loving family background. Maltreatment (both intra and extrafamilial) was experienced by 16% of the sample. Serious maltreatment was experienced by 7% of respondents for physical abuse, 6% for emotional abuse, 6% for absence of care, and 5% for absence of supervision, and 11% reported sexual abuse involving contact. Attitudes to maltreatment were explored through the examination of respondents' views of different behaviors and experiences that children may have been exposed to. CONCLUSION: The maltreatment of children in the UK today remains an extensive social problem. Prevalence data reveal that children are most at risk in the home for physical and emotional abuse and neglect. They are at greater risk of sexual abuse outside the home, particularly in dating relationships.     

Prenatal prediction of child abuse and neglect: A prospective study

Five hundred eighty-seven women in a combined Maternity-Infant, Children and Youth project were interviewed at between 3 and 6 months of gestation by a skilled masters degree social worker (M.S.W.) using a Family Stress Checklist developed at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Only 7% of the women were scored as “high risk” for serious parenting problems. Neither single status nor teenage status increased the risk significantly. A review of charts of 100 of the children whose mothers had been considered “at risk” was conducted 2 to 2.5 years later, and compared with 100 charts on children whose mothers had been considered at “no risk,” giving the following results: Twenty-five children had experienced failure to thrive, neglect or abuse. Twenty of these were from the original high risk mothers, giving an incidence of neglect/abuse in that group of 52%. The no risk control group of 100 mothers showed a 2% incidence of abuse/neglect; a low risk group showed a 4% incidence of abuse/neglect; and a mid-score group had an abuse/neglect rate of 5%. The scale proved a remarkably accurate predictor, with a sensitivity (percent correct negatives) of 89%. The authors suggest use of such scales prenatally or even before conception as a step toward the development of true preventive measures.     

Navajo child abuse and neglect study: A comparison group examination of abuse and neglect of navajo children

The presence of vastly different cultural influences on child rearing and family life in Native Americans than are found in the general population offers an opportunity to examine the issue of child abuse and neglect in a different cultural context. A study was conducted to obtain baseline data and to isolate types and circumstances associated with maltreatment of Navajo children under 9 years of age. Records from tribal and state courts, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), state social services and a sample of ambulatory pediatric cases were reviewed to elicit abuse or neglect status data for calendar year 1975. Data on 365 abuse or neglect cases were compared with 867 nonabused or nonneglected children (comparison group). A double blind case numbering system was employed to ensure confidentiality of data obtained. Abuse cases were dichotomized according to litigation status (e.g., adjudicated versus documented by clinical findings). Neglect cases were categorized by perceived parental control over circumstances leading to the neglect (e.g., voluntary versus involuntary neglect). Reliability sub-studies were conducted by study staff and Navajo volunteers to assess the degree of agreement in the classification of study case status. Tribal census data for 1975 provided baseline information from which the incidence of abuse or neglect involving Navajo children was established. Extrapolated study data suggests up to 8.6% of the reservation resident Navajo children under age 9 to have been abused or neglected. Various sociode-mographic characteristics differentiating the abusive and neglectful families from those of the nonabused or nonneglected children in the comparison group are reported.     

Medical neglect of a child: challenges for pediatricians in developing countries

OBJECTIVE: To conceptualize the underlying causes of the medical neglect of children in a developing country and to provide suggestions for the management of neglect by pediatricians. METHODS: A case history of a 4-year-old boy from Turkey with neglect of the required treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia is used to examine the causes and management of medical neglect. Results: Although epidemiological studies on child neglect are lacking, this case exemplifies how in DEVELOPING countries, reasons for neglect or non-compliance with medical recommendations and the roles and actions taken by the health care and the social service systems may differ from western populations. Common to both western and developing countries, the characteristics of the child, family, and society may be reasons for medical neglect. However, cultural fatalistic beliefs profoundly present in the developing world may also contribute to the medical neglect of a child. Identification of the neglect, a comprehensive, multidisciplinary assessment emphasizing the strengths within the family and the society, and the determination of the pediatric team to act in the best interest of the child may result in resolution of the neglect even in circumstances where resources within systems are not sufficient. CONCLUSIONS: In developing countries, increased emphasis on child neglect, its prompt recognition and management within the pediatric profession as well as at a health care and social service system levels are needed to address this prevalent and potentially fatal child health problem.     

Sexual abuse in the national incidence study of child abuse and neglect: An appraisal

The National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect was a major, government sponsored effort to collect data on reported and unreported child abuse. It used a systematic representative sample methodology and very precisely developed definitions of child abuse. This paper reviews some of the main limitations of the study in regard to findings on sexual abuse. First, there is probably less “new” data in the study on sexual abuse than on other forms of abuse, since so many of the study cases of sexual abuse were “officially reported” cases. In addition, the study limited its definition of sexual abuse only to cases where a caretaker was the perpetrator, a definition that is much more restrictive than what is used in many treatment programs. Finally, the data on perpetrators has a number of problems that stem from the study's definitions of sexual abuse. The paper makes suggestions for future incidence type studies of sexual abuse.     

Post-traumatic stress disorder: a reaction to state-supported child abuse and neglect

The policy of apartheid not only fosters conditions conducive to child abuse and neglect, but is in itself abusive. Apartheid policies have led to civil unrest and high levels of violence in South Africa's black townships. Many youth are thus exposed to multiple trauma including witnessing death, being arrested, being beaten, being in exile, and being separated from family and friends. This had led many to develop Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD) although this term is a misnomer in the South African context as traumatic stress is not historic but is current. Treatment programs have thus to be modified to accommodate the impossibility of guaranteeing even the physical safety of patients. They have also to be modified to accommodate the fact that most black youth are totally unfamiliar with the notion of the "talking cure." This paper describes a modified treatment program for PTSD which was developed in working with a group of 60 township refugees. Systematic follow up studies of its effectiveness were impossible as many of those treated have gone into hiding to escape the continuing violence in their communities, a violence facilitated by the ultimate guardian of the child, the State. However there are indications that the program was successful in providing immediate relief.     

Risk factors for child neglect: A meta-analytic review

Knowledge of risk factors and their effects is vital for successfully preventing and reducing child neglect. This study provides a meta-analytic update of research on risk factors for child neglect. A total of 315 effect sizes were extracted from 36 primary studies and classified into 24 risk domains. Effects of 15 risk domains were significant and ranged from small (r = .110) to large (r = .372) in magnitude. Most risks were found at the parental level, such as having a history of antisocial behavior/criminal offending (r = .372); having a history of mental/psychiatric problems (r = . 259); having mental/physical problems (r = .207); and experiences of abuse in own childhood (r = .182). The effect of mother-related risk factors was not significantly different from the effect of father-related risk factors. It is concluded that child neglect is determined by multiple risk domains and that especially parent-related risk factors are important in preventing and reducing child neglect. Implications of the results for clinical practice are discussed.     

Teacher-completed child behavior checklist ratings as a function of classroom-based interventions: A pilot study

Fifty-eight first- and second-grade children exhibiting behavior problems were identified by teachers for inclusion in a behavior intervention program. Children were assigned to experimental and control groups matching for scores on the Teacher's Report Form (TRF), ability, and achievement. The experimental subjects received classroom-based behavior intervention mediated by teachers. Pre- and postintervention TRFs were compared and showed significant correlations, indicating stability of the instrument. Children in both experimental and control groups improved significantly in their TRF scores. No significant differences were found between the two groups in the amount of improvement in their TRF scores, even though the experimental group evidenced significantly greater improvement in behavioral measures. Therefore, although the TRF appears to generate stable indices of behavior problems, it may not be useful for detecting behavioral changes resulting from classroom-based interventions.     

Parents in prison: A child abuse and neglect prevention strategy

Parents in Prison is an innovative family support service housed at the Tennessee State Prison for Men. Developed in response to inmates' recognition of the need for child abuse and neglect prevention services relevant to men who are in prison, the program model has potential for becoming a major service delivery strategy. Leadership for Parents in Prison is provided by an inmate committee which receives consultation and assistance from a community advisory board and an institutional sponsor. Program components--correspondence and classroom courses, monthly events featuring community guest speakers, and family-focused social activities and projects--address family needs during incarceration and upon return to community living. These diverse components and the flexible service delivery format permit widespread inmate participation not readily available in a prison setting. Parents in Prison successes demonstrate that the period of incarceration can be used to improve parental skills and knowledge and to strengthen family relationships. They also demonstrate the viability of a family support service which relies on inmate leadership, community volunteer participation, and institutional support. The future success of this model depends on replication in other prison settings, dissemination of the program products which have been and continue to be developed, and rigorous, systematic examination of the impact that participation has on child abuse and neglect problems associated with a father's incarceration.     

Adaptive emotion regulation,academic performance and internalising problems in Flemish children with special educational needs: a pilot study

School readiness of children with special educational needs (SEN) is still understudied. The present study examined how the presumed bidirectional relationship between impaired academic performance (AP) and internalising problems (IP) could be favourably influenced. In this regard, it was assumed that children’s adaptive emotion regulation plays a crucial role, as it was shown to be independently related to improved AP and fewer IP. However, to gain stronger evidence for this assumption, it should be further clarified whether adaptive emotion regulation, AP and IP are also jointly associated and, if so, how this is reflected in children with SEN. To explore these issues, two different models were tested in a cross-sectional pilot including 61 Flemish elementary school children with SEN (39 boys and 22 girls, mean age = 10.0 years old). Teachers reported on adaptive emotion regulation, AP and IP. The results indicated that AP partially mediated the relationship between adaptive emotion regulation and IP (Model 1), while IP fully mediated the relationship between adaptive emotion regulation and AP (Model 2). Practical implications, strengths and limitations were discussed.     

Sibling interaction: Evidence of a generational effect in maltreating infants

Theorists have long assumed that an individual's style of child-rearing was based, in large part, on his or her parents' style of parenting. The strongest evidence of such a generational effect comes from retrospective studies of disturbed adults. The present study is an attempt to provide some prospective evidence. Infants, aged 6 to 11 months, were videotaped interacting with their mother, with a sibling, and with a second adult. At each sibling age (from 2 to 10 years) one abused, one neglected, one problematic, and one normally reared infant was seen. The adult/sibling patterns of interaction were coded as abusive, neglecting, inept, or sensitive. Infant patterns were difficult, passive, and cooperative. Siblings were found to interact with the infant in a manner similar to that of their mothers suggesting that they had learned their style of interaction from their mothers. Although adequately reared siblings increased in sensitivity with age, maltreated siblings did not. The possibility that infant temperament had influenced both the mothers' and the siblings' style of interaction (and, therefore, accounted for their similarity) was tested using a second adult interactant. Adults were found to influence infants more than the reverse. These data provide evidence of a generational effect in the learning of parenting styles appearing as early as the third year of life. Moreover, they suggest that the effect is not attributable to infant temperament.     

Seeing and hearing: examining production workers' literacy and numeracy practices in a context of crisis

A policy consensus has emerged in Australia that there is a workforce literacy and numeracy crisis, similar to many other Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries. The study informing this paper examined this framing of crisis by interviewing and observing production workers in three manufacturing companies. Each company was implementing new lean production methods, known as ‘competitive systems and practices', based on a visual workplace management system. In this paper, we look at what is visible and invisible in production workers' literacy and numeracy practices at Hearing Solutions, one of the companies in the study. We begin by considering the overarching policy discourse around workers' literacy and numeracy before exploring the underpinning rationale of the new expression of lean manufacturing, in particular, its implementation through the Visual Workplace Management System. Detailing an example of the literacies used in producing hearing aid shells, we discuss the under-valuing by workers and managers of the skills being used; and the hidden process of industrial relations, reward and remuneration. Using an ethnographic and social practices approach, what emerges is a better understanding of the complex range of vocational knowledge and social skills being used that go unrecognised by policy makers, lobbyists and managers, and even by the workers themselves.