Although abuse and neglect in the early years of life have been reliably linked to poor mental health outcomes in childhood, only a few studies have examined whether the predictive significance of childhood abuse and neglect endures for symptoms of psychopathology into adulthood. Here we examined to what extent prospectively assessed child abuse…

The authors assessed the effectiveness of a home visitation program in enhancing the early parenting history of infants born at medical risk--a population that is at risk for mistreatment. A randomized clinical trial design was used to compare the effects of a cognitively based extension of the Healthy Start home visitation program (HV+) with a…

Compared with nonabusive families, abusive parents were less satisfied with their children, perceived child rearing as more difficult and less enjoyable, reported very different disciplinary approaches, promoted an isolated life style for both themselves and their children, and reported more anger and conflict in the family. Implications for…

Investigates the perceived balance of control of negative caregiving outcomes in 2 studies involving 40 undergraduates and 40 mothers in counseling at a child abuse agency. Findings indicate that low perceived control is a potentially important moderator of negative affect in response to difficult children. (RJC)

The relationship of socioeconomic status (SES) to the etiology of physical child abuse and the consequences of abuse for child development was studied. There was an interaction of SES with abuse status. This suggests different relationships between SES and child rearing in abusive and nonabusive families. (BC)