Objective: This paper was intended to distinguish between poor parenting and child emotional maltreatment (CEM), to inform child welfare and public health policymakers of the need for differentiated responses. Methods: Scientific literature was integrated with current practice and assumptions relating to poor/dysfunctional parenting and child…

Objective: Child maltreatment constitutes a strong risk factor for violent delinquency in adolescence, with cumulative experiences of maltreatment creating increasingly greater risk. Our previous work demonstrated that a universal school-based violence prevention program could provide a protective impact for youth at risk for violent delinquency…

Practitioners may be called upon to assess adults who have alleged child abuse as a minor and are seeking reparations. Such assessments may be used by the courts to determine harm and assess damages related to their claim or testimony. Our clinical/research team has conducted many such evaluations and reported the findings pertaining to the…

Learning to relate to others begins at birth and carries forward to new relationships, which is why child maltreatment and exposure to intimate partner violence have emerged as powerful risk factors for future coercive and hostile relationship patterns. Although not inevitable, it is more likely that children who are victims of maltreatment will…

The purpose of the present study was to examine how peer group processes of pressure and control and individual motivations for popularity would add to, and moderate the relationship between, childhood maltreatment and risky behavior in adolescence. A total of 1558 youth (804 girls) from three high schools in Ontario, Canada (M age = 15.02 years,…

Objective: Abusive fathers perpetrate a substantial portion of child physical abuse. Despite this, little is known about how they differ from non-abusive fathers. This study compared a broad range of cognitive and affective factors between physically abusive and non-abusive fathers. Methods: Abusive (n = 24) and non-abusive (n = 25) fathers…

The present study evaluated proximal changes in fourth and fifth graders' knowledge and attitudes of physical and sexual abuse following brief skits and focal discussion in the classroom. Relative to controls, children who received the program showed an overall increase in knowledge of correct actions to take in the event of potential or actual…

Objective: To describe the long-term impact of physical and sexual abuse of boys by someone in a trusting, non-familial relationship. This clinical study reports on the psychological functioning of men (N=76) with substantiated claims against a residential religiously-affiliated institution for multiple and severe incidents of sexual, physical,…

Of 69 girls and 21 boys who had been sexually abused, approximately half were diagnosed as having posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD symptoms were related to the nature of the abusive experiences and exacerbated by feelings of guilt. Findings indicate that the impact of the trauma may be mediated (positively or negatively) by the child's…

This book examines the role child abuse plays within a victim's individual development from childhood through their adult life. It begins by describing the different types of child abuse, prevalence rates, and risk factors. It also describes four types of child maltreatment that include: physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse.…

A longitudinal study was made of a prevention-oriented early intervention program intended to help parents who had insufficient and inappropriate childrearing abilities. The program was designed for young parents with fewer than 5 years of childrearing experience; participants were referred from a child protection agency following investigation of…

Investigated the problem behaviors of a group of abused children and examined parental reports of behavioral strengths and weaknesses. The results showed that abused children displayed more behavior problems and fewer social competencies than normals. Behavior patterns of abused children closely resembled those shown by children from distressed…

Child abuse involves more than the use of corporal punishment with a child. Investigators have measured parents' emotional reactivity and attributions in relation to aversive child behavior. A "video recall" procedure has been used for assessing affective responding of adults engaged in marital conflict and has been valid for obtaining…

Evaluated an intervention program for child abusers using multiple outcome criteria and extended follow-up. Findings indicated that training abusive parents in child-management and self-control techniques resulted in improvements in parenting skills. A one-year follow-up found no incidences of child abuse among treatment families reported to or…

Standard procedures for teaching child management skills to parents may be inadequate for disadvantaged populations. The Parent/Child Early Education Program was developed to serve parents at risk of child abuse. Parent and child variables were measured at pretest in 41 families referred to this program. A profile of the families revealed that, in…