Conflict Tactics Scale Research Articles

An examination of gender stereotypes, ambivalent sexism, and dating violence as potential predictors of nursing students’ beliefs about intimate partner violence: A cross-sectional correlational study

AimThis study aimed to examine the role of the feminine or masculine gender stereotypes, ambivalent sexism and dating violence to predict nursing students’ beliefs about intimate partner violence. BackgroundAlthough there has been a growing interest in understanding the sociocultural contexts and the factors of the intimate partner violence, there is a serious lack of empirical research on different dimensions of this problem among nursing students. DesignA cross-sectional correlational design was used. MethodsThe data were collected from a sample of 520 university students from three nursing schools in Istanbul, Turkey. Participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected with the sociodemographic form, the Beliefs About Wife Beating Scale, the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory, the revised Conflict Tactics Scale, and the Bem Sex Role Inventory. ResultsResults revealed that male participants were more prone to justify wife beating and believe that battered women benefitted from beating. Based on the results of the study, in addition to sex, region of birth, representing feminine or masculine gender stereotypes, hostile sexism, psychological aggression and having an injury due to experiencing violence in the latest relationship were the important predictors of nursing students’ beliefs about intimate partner violence. ConclusionsNursing curricula should include courses to enhance students’ awareness towards violence against women, sexism and gender equality. More, universities should provide counseling services for nursing students who experienced violence.

A randomized clinical trial of acceptance and commitment therapy and the Duluth Model classes for men court-mandated to a domestic violence program.

This is the first randomized controlled trial to compare Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with the Duluth Model curriculum, which took place in community-based corrections for the treatment of men convicted of domestic violence. ACT is a third-wave cognitive-behavioral approach that utilizes experiential methods to foster psychological flexibility. The Duluth Model curriculum is an educational approach grounded in feminist theory that focuses on changing attitudes toward women and unlearning power and control motivations. This trial was preregistered at ClinicalTrials.gov (registration number: NCT03609801). This study included 338 men who were court-mandated to complete a domestic violence program after being convicted of assault against a female partner. Participants were randomized to complete the 24 sessions of the ACT program or the Duluth Model Men's Nonviolence Classes. Outcomes included criminal justice data (domestic violence charges, other violent charges, and nonviolent charges) incurred during the 1 year following program dropout or completion, and victim reports of intimate partner violence (IPV; aggression, controlling behaviors, and stalking/harassment). In intent-to-treat comparisons to Duluth, ACT participants did not show a difference in domestic assault charges at 1 year posttreatment (p = .44). ACT participants acquired significantly fewer violent charges (p = .04) and nonviolent charges (p = .02) compared to Duluth participants. Data from victims indicated that victims of ACT participants reported significantly fewer IPV behaviors than victims of Duluth participants on the Conflict Tactics Scale (d = .78), the Controlling Behaviors Scale (d = .66) and the Stalking Behavior Checklist (d = .71) at 1 year posttreatment. An ACT-based group intervention delivered in community corrections reduced violent and nonviolent criminal charges compared to the Duluth classes. Domestic violence charges did not differ between groups but victim reports indicated that ACT participants engaged in fewer IPV behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding the Roles of Sport and Alcohol Use in Adolescence on Physical and Sexual Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration in Young Adulthood: Findings From a Sex-Stratified Multilevel Analysis.

Adolescent peer groups shape beliefs that dictate behavioral norms, including intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration behaviors, with lasting influence into adulthood. This study examines the role of sport engagement and alcohol use in adolescence on perpetration of physical and sexual IPV in young adulthood. A secondary data analysis was conducted with data from 3411 male and 4318 female participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health study. Sports and other school activity participation, as well as alcohol use, were measured in middle and high school students. Intimate partner violence perpetration was measured six years later with items from the revised Conflict Tactics Scales. Sex-stratified logistic cross-classified multilevel analyses indicate that, for males, participation in football in adolescence was associated with higher odds of IPV perpetration in young adulthood (aOR:1.26, p = .01). For males and females, non-engagement in any school activities in adolescence was associated with higher odds of IPV perpetration in young adulthood (male aOR: 1.52, p < .01; female aOR: 1.19, p = .04). Alcohol use in adolescence was also associated with higher odds of IPV perpetration in young adulthood for both males and females, even when low level drinking (1-2 drinks in the past 12months) was reported (male aOR: 1.40, p < .01; female aOR: 1.38, p < .01). Random-effect estimates indicate small but significant contributions of adolescent peer, school, and neighborhood contexts on IPV perpetration in young adulthood for both boys and girls. These findings highlight that football engagement among boys, and alcohol use among boys and girls, are linked to longer-term risk for IPV perpetration, but engagement in other sports and school activities appear to serve as protective factors. These findings, taken with those regarding social context effects, suggest that positive social environment and networks in adolescence, inclusive of those offered in some sports, can be useful platforms for IPV prevention efforts.

Victimization of Sexual Minority Latinx Youth: Results From a National Survey.

Limited previous research has explored the intersectional stress and trauma sexual minority (SM) Latinx youth experience generated by being part of at least two minoritized groups. The Dating Violence among Latino Adolescents (DAVILA) study employed a national sample of Latinx youth and queried a range of victimizations in the past year, via a bilingual phone survey. Of the 1525 12-18-year-old youth interviewed for DAVILA, 123 either identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual or had at least one same-sex dating partner. Measures included the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire, the Conflict Tactics Scale Short Form, Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Rates of dating violence, psychological dating violence, sexual victimization, and polyvictimization were significantly higher among sexual minority (SM) youth, compared to heterosexual (HET) youth. Victimized SM youth had significantly more depression, anxiety, and hostility than victimized HET youth. Sexual minority youth also reported less social support from family and significant others. A sequential regression showed psychosocial factors of mental health functioning and social support were associated with the number of victimizations above and beyond demographic factors, including SM status. Together these results underscore that SM youth experience greater adverse outcomes than HET youth. However, it is not SM status that directly relates to victimization, but the negative effects of psychological distress and low social support, that account for the higher number of victimizations of SM Latinx youth. These factors are closely linked to the stigmatization that SM youth face. As such efforts to destigmatize SM identities are needed to address the health and safety of SM Latinx youth.

Elder abuse and cognitive function among community-Dwelling older adults: Does abuse history matter?

Background and aimThe World Health Organization has identified child abuse, intimate partner violence (IPV), and elder abuse (EA) as common types of interpersonal violence. Research showed individuals exposed to interpersonal violence in one life stage were at higher risks of exposure to interpersonal violence in other life stages. This study aims to examine the relationship between cumulative interpersonal violence and cognitive function. MethodsData were derived from the PINE Study in which 3,157 Chinese older adults aged 60 and above received interviews in Chicago. We used a 56-item modified Conflict Tactics Scale to evaluate EA. Abuse history was defined as exposure to child abuse (before age 18) and/or IPV (age 18–59) measured respectively by the Extended Hurt, Insult, Threaten, Scream scale. We divided participants into four groups: EA and abuse history (n = 204), EA only (n = 439, reference group), abuse history only (n = 310), and no interpersonal violence (n = 2181). Global cognition was evaluated by episodic memory, working memory, processing speed, and MMSE. Linear regression was used. ResultsOlder adults with EA and abuse history (b = 0.147, SE = 0.052, p < .01) or abuse history only (b = 0.118, SE = 0.046, p < .01) had higher global cognition than the EA only group. ConclusionsIndividuals with abuse history might develop resilience in the face of interpersonal violence in old age through gaining a sense of mastery and developing effective coping skills from prior experience. Healthcare professionals could assess older adults’ prior victimizations and recent victimizations to plan family violence counseling and promote healthy cognitive aging.

The role of women's traditional gender beliefs in depression, intimate partner violence and stress: insights from a Spanish abbreviated multicultural measure

BackgroundResearch on traditional gender beliefs has highlighted their psychological impact and social implications for women. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, we aimed to adapt and validate the Spanish version of the Multicultural O’Kelly Women’s Beliefs Scale. Next, we explored its sources of validity evidence in relation to intimate partner violence, stress, and depression. Based on the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy framework, traditional gender beliefs were expected to be associated with higher levels of intimate partner violence, stress and depression. We also expected to obtain a psychometrically-sound factor structure of the Multicultural O’Kelly Women’s Beliefs Scale.MethodsA sample of Spanish women (N = 322) completed the Multicultural O’Kelly Women’s Beliefs Scale, the Beck’s Depression Inventory II, the Modified Conflict Tactics Scale, and the Stress Perceived Scale. To test the psychometric properties of the Multicultural O’Kelly Women’s Beliefs Scale we implemented exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and an analysis of the area under the curve.ResultsRegarding the psychometric properties of the scale, statistical analysis revealed a one-factor dimensionality (Global traditionalism) and supported a reduction of items in the original instrument. The abbreviated version (eight items) obtained the best fit indices. Considering the association between traditional gender beliefs and psychological outcomes, we found that traditional gender beliefs were associated with increased severity of stress, depressive symptoms and reciprocal verbal aggression.ConclusionThe Spanish adaptation of the Multicultural O’Kelly Women’s Beliefs Scale provided a very short, psychometrically robust and clinically relevant measure of traditional gender beliefs. In addition to the association between traditional gender beliefs and mental health outcomes, an important finding was the relationship between traditional gender beliefs and intimate partner violence. Our scale might be used in clinical settings by helping women to identify their traditional gender beliefs and replace them by healthy and goal-oriented beliefs, which would also contribute in achieving a more egalitarian society.

On the Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence and Quality of Life Among Menopausal Women

Background: This study aimed to assess the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and quality of life (QOL) among menopausal women. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 202 postmenopausal women admitted to different healthcare centers. The primary data collection tools were the revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2) and Menopause-Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL). Results: The participants encompassed 202 postmenopausal women with the mean age of 52.14 ± 5.93 years. The analysis revealed that 70.8% of women were 45 - 55 years, 29.2% of women were 56 - 65 years, and 62.7% of the participants had more than two children. Compared to the non-smoking participants, the smoking women reported more injury violence (P = 0.008). In this study, the effect of the husband and wife’s level of education on IPV was not significant. The menopausal women or their spouses experienced more psychological (P = 0.008) and injury (P = 0.01) violence following their second marriage. The present findings suggested that three types of violence, including psychological (P &lt; 0.001), physical (P = 0.003), and injury (P &lt; 0.001), reported higher levels of psychological symptoms. The women experiencing psychological (P &lt; 0.001) and sexual (P = 0.012) violence reported more severe physical problems than those with no history of violence in menopause. Conclusions: This study provided more profound insights into the relationship between menopause-related quality of life and types of violence among menopausal women. The quality of life in postmenopausal women is significantly declined under domestic violence. Healthcare providers are recommended to be trained on detecting and managing IPV and the corresponding physical and psychological problems.

The Parents under Pressure parenting programme for families with fathers receiving treatment for opioid dependence: the PuP4Dads feasibility study

BackgroundThe impact of parental drug use on children is a major public health problem. However, opioid-dependent fathers have been largely ignored in parenting research.ObjectiveTo implement and test the feasibility and acceptability of the Parents under Pressure programme (PuP4Dads) for opioid-dependent fathers and their families, and to determine whether or not a full-scale evaluation could be conducted.DesignA mixed-methods feasibility study.SettingTwo non-NHS family support services for parents who use drugs in Scotland.ParticipantsFathers prescribed opioid substitution therapy (n = 25), their partners (n = 17) and children, as well as practitioners, supervisors, service managers and referrers.InterventionA home-visiting programme, including an integrated theoretical framework, case formulation, collaborative goal-setting and modules designed to improve parenting, the caregiving environment and child welfare. The programme was delivered flexibly over 6 months by accredited practitioners.Main outcome measuresFeasibility progression criteria included the recruitment target (n = 24 fathers), acceptability of PuP4Dads, father engagement in the study (including a minimum of 66% of fathers completing PuP and a minimum of 10 fathers completing baseline and post-treatment research interviews), engagement in qualitative interviews (including a minimum of 10 fathers and 90% practitioner uptake and 80% manager uptake), focus groups (with a minimum of 80% referrer uptake), adequate fidelity and no adverse events.Data sourcesThe following researcher-administered validated questionnaires were used: the Brief Child Abuse Potential Inventory, the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Paternal Antenatal Attachment Scale, the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale, the Emotional Availability Scale, the Brief Infant Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Conflict Tactics Scale, Treatment Outcome Profile and the EuroQol-5 Dimensions, five-level version. Other sources included parent-completed service use (an economic measure), social work child protection data, NHS opioid substitution therapy prescription data and practitioner-reported attendance data. We also conducted interviews with fathers (n = 23), mothers (n = 14), practitioners (n = 8), supervisors (n = 2) and service managers (n = 7); conducted focus groups with referrers (n = 28); and held an ‘expert event’ with stakeholders (n = 39).ResultsThe PuP4Dads was successfully delivered within non-NHS settings and was considered acceptable and suitable for the study population. Referrals (n = 44) resulted in 38 (86%) eligible fathers, of whom 25 (66%) fathers and 17 partners/mothers consented to participate. Most fathers reported no previous parenting support. A total of 248 sessions was delivered to the 20 fathers and 14 mothers who started the intervention. Fourteen fathers (and 10 mothers) completed ≥ 6 sessions and six fathers (and four mothers) completed ≤ 5 sessions. Father and mother attendance rates were equal (mean 71%). Median length of engagement for fathers was 26 weeks and for mothers it was 30 weeks. Twenty-three fathers completed interviews at baseline, 16 fathers completed interviews at follow-up 1 and 13 fathers completed interviews at follow-up 2. Outcome measures were well tolerated; however, the suitability of some measures was dependent on family circumstances. The researcher-administered questionnaires had few missing data. The perceived benefits of PuP4Dads reported by parents, practitioners and managers included the following: the therapeutic focus on fathers improved parental emotion regulation, there was improved understanding and responding to child’s needs, there was better multiagency working and the programme was a good fit with practice ‘ethos’ and policy agenda. Learning highlighted the importance of service-wide adoption and implementation support, strategies to improve recruitment and retention of fathers, managing complex needs of both parents concurrently, understanding contextual factors affecting programme delivery and variables affecting intervention engagement and outcomes.LimitationsLack of emotional availability and economic (service use) data.ConclusionsA larger evaluation of PuP4Dads is feasible.Future workFurther work is required to demonstrate the effectiveness of PuP4Dads and the cost implications. A better understanding is needed of how the intervention works, for whom, under what circumstances and why.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN43209618.FundingThis project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme and will be published in full inPublic Health Research; Vol. 10, No. 3. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Abstract PO-182: Disaster severity experience and verbal abuse among gynecological cancer patients in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and María

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to investigate stressors experienced as a result of hurricanes Irma and Maria among a sample of gynecologic (GYN) cancer patients in Puerto Rico (PR) and evaluate if the severity suffered was associated with verbal violence (VV) events during a year after the event. Methods: Secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study that included 114 women aged ≥ 21 years, diagnosed with GYN cancer, who received oncology services in PR and reported to have a partner during the 12 months post-hurricanes. Participants completed an interview and the Conflict Tactics Scale 2 (CTS 2). Bayesian Exploratory Factor Analysis was performed to create the hurricane severity experience variable (HSE). The association between HSE and VV was evaluated through a logistic regression model. Results: In our study 26.32% of women reported VV within 12 months of the hurricanes, none of them had experienced VV before the event. Regarding hurricane-related stressors, 42.98% suffered house flooding, while 29.82% (phone service) and 31.25% (cellphone service) lost communication. Also, 21.93% lost water service for over 30 days and 21.05% lost power service for over 107.5 days (both over the median). In addition, 22.32% reported death of a close friend and 15.18% death of a family member. Stressors that contributed to form the HSE variable were health complications post-hurricane, loss of power, loss of water, death of a friend or family member, displacement, car flooding, physical injuries or illness after hurricanes, loss of debris and loss of garbage disposal service. No association was found between HSE and VV (RR=1.00, 95% CI=0.94, 1.06), nor each stressor evaluated separately as an independent variable. Adjusted analysis showed that for every unit increase in age, the probability of suffering VV decreased by 2% (RR=0.98, 0.97, 0.99). Conclusions: Our study evidences a high prevalence of VV and hurricane related stressors in this population of GYN cancer patients. Even though we did not evidence an association between HSE and VV in the study sample, cancer patients are vulnerable after disasters and recognizing the intersection they may experience with IPV, should be considered in disaster management and response plans, as well as within cancer control plans. Younger age can be a predictor of IPV. Thus, along with routine screening, physicians can enhance early identification of IPV victims in younger individuals and cancer patients. Citation Format: Lianeris Mariel Estremera-Rodriguez, Istoni da Luz-Sant'Ana, Liz Marie Martinez-Ocasio, Ana Patricia Ortiz-Martinez. Disaster severity experience and verbal abuse among gynecological cancer patients in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and María [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-182.

Lesbian Intimate Partner Violence and Perceived Social Support

Abstract Intimate partner violence is recurrent in the daily lives of many Brazilian women, but its characteristics are little studied in same-sex relationships. This article aims to characterize the manifestation of violence in homosexual relationships among women based on its typology and frequency and to analyze the possible associations between violence and social support. The sample consisted of 634 Brazilian lesbians adults aged 18 to 58 years who answered three online instruments: Brazil Socioeconomic Classification Criteria, Conflict Tactics Scales (Brief version), and Perception of Social Support Scale. Based on latent class analysis, we identified four significantly different classes in terms of patterns of violence suffered and perceived social support. The findings reinforce the finding that relationship intimate partner violence and social support is a heterogeneous phenomenon, in which the variables are not always directly associated.

La violence conjugale en population estudiantine : y a-t-il une symétrie de genre ?

ObjectiveThe objective of this descriptive study was twofold. First, to examine, for the first time, some psychometric properties of the French version of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2), assessing intimate partner violence (IPV), and second, to explore the gender symmetry in IPV among young female students (n=1856). MethodBoth versions of the CTS2, the CTS2-Victimization and the CTS2-Perpetration, were administered to a sample of female students (n=1856). ResultsOur results confirmed the validity of the initial factor structure of the CTS2, and showed the good reliability of its scores. Also, our results revealed that: (a) gender symmetry concerned psychological and physical violence: female students reported perpetrating this violence more than experiencing it, and (b) gender asymmetry concerned sexual violence and violence causing injuries: female students reported experiencing this violence more than perpetrating it. ConclusionThis research provides an insight into a poorly documented, if not ignored, phenomenon. And the extent of some IPV allows recommending the implementation of awareness campaigns against IPV in high schools and campuses as often as possible.

The Impact of Lockdowns during the Corona Pandemic on Parental Aggressiveness Behaviors

Objectives: Quarantine lockdown enforced for a long duration of time during the Corona pandemic added strain upon families; the educational system has been closed, children were forced to remain at home, and many parents lost their jobs. The aim of the study was to find out the impact of lockdown periods on middle-class parent-child relationship in terms of parental aggressive behaviors. Method: The convenient sample consisted of 236 parents to children (age ranged from 3- to 16). Recruitment was conducted through social media. Following signing a consent form, participants filled a self-report anonymous questionnaire that included demographics, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, The Conflict Tactics Scale pre and during lockdown periods, and, The Parent Strain Scale during lockdown period. Results: Findings indicated an increase of depression level among parents who had higher levels of depression pre- Corona. Additionally, secular parents younger than 36 years old, who lost their jobs, had more than two children, and, had higher levels of depression, showed increase in emotional aggressive tactics behaviors towards their children.

Aggression begets aggression: Psychological dating aggression perpetration in young adults from the perspective of intergenerational transmission of violence

The aim of this study was threefold: (1) to evaluate the factorial validity of the Psychological Aggression (PA) subscale of the Conflict Tactics Scales–Adult Recall version (CTS2-CA), (2) to investigate the prevalence of and gender differences in psychological dating aggression perpetration (PDAP; restrictive engulfment, denigration, hostile withdrawal, and dominance/intimidation), and (3) to explore a proposed path from witnessing interparental psychological aggression perpetration to PDAP via acceptance of psychological aggression as a mediator and gender as a moderator of the mediation. For the first purpose, college students (N = 275) completed father to mother and mother to father forms of the PA subscale of the CTS2-CA. Exploratory factor analyses yielded a single-factor solution for the father to mother (55.86% of the variance) and mother to father (49.12% of the variance) forms. For the second and third purposes, a separate sample of 1015 dating college students (69.6% women) completed the Multidimensional Measure of Emotional Abuse and Abuse subscale of the Intimate Partner Violence Attitude Scale-Revised, along with the PA subscale of the CTS2-CA. Gender differences emerged in the prevalence of restrictive engulfment (85.8% for women and 80.3% for men) and hostile withdrawal (96.3% for women and 91.1% for men). Moderated-mediation analyses revealed that women college students who witnessed more mother to father psychological aggression perpetration tended to hold more accepting attitudes towards psychological aggression and, in turn, perpetrated more psychological aggression against their partners. Common assumptions that boys are more likely to imitate fathers, whereas girls are more likely to imitate mothers and women [but not men] commit verbal aggression may together explain our findings from the perspective of the intergenerational transmission of violence hypothesis. For future research, we suggest investigating the proposed model with the experience of psychological aggression from the parents to the child, which may provide further insights.

Prevalence of intimate partner violence among pregnant women attending a public sector hospital in Bengaluru, southern India.

Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is recognized as an important public health problem globally as well as in India. It may result in adverse physical and mental health consequences for the victim or unfavourable pregnancy outcomes if it happens during pregnancy. The possible risk factors for IPV can be explained by four levels of ecological factors: individual, partner, household and community. We estimated the prevalence of IPV and its association with selected ecological risk factors among pregnant women availing of antenatal care at a public sector hospital in Bengaluru, southern India. Methods We included 350 women above the age of 18 years with a confirmed pregnancy of less than 24 weeks and having no obstetric complication. We used the Conflict Tactics Scale to determine the presence of IPV. The risk factors measured were-individual level: respondent's age, education, occupation, gravidity, planned or unplanned pregnancy, substance abuse, presence of depression and anxiety; partner-related: spouse's education, occupation and marital discord; household/community-related: socioeconomic status, social support, religion and consanguinity. Results The prevalence of IPV was 3.7%. Factors that were significantly associated on multivariate analysis were higher age (above 20 years) (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.82 [1.12-2.97], p=0.016) and presence of depression (AOR 6.84 [1.76-26.61], p=0.005). Conclusion The prevalence of IPV was less in our study population compared to figures reported from other Indian study settings.

Malay version of the modified Conflict Tactics Scale of elder abuse and neglect (MMCTS-EAN): Validation and methodological challenges

ABSTRACT Among the challenges in systematic inquiry into elder abuse and neglect (EAN) is the lack of standardized tool of measurement. Existing literature demonstrates diverse tools being used, with the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) and its versions being the most common. The Malaysian Elder Mistreatment Project (MAESTRO) utilized the Modified CTS developed and used by the National Study of Elder Abuse and Neglect in Ireland (NSEA-I). This article aimed to validate this Malay version of the modified CTS for use in the Malaysian context and by Malay-speaking populations across Southeast Asia while highlighting the various practical and methodological challenges encountered along the process. Data were collected from 1927 older respondents who lived in Kuala Pilah district. Preliminary data screening led to the dropping of 10 items due to 0 variance. Further four items were deleted during CFA due to low loading. The indicators of neglect factor were made into a composite factor due to high collinearity. The final scale had acceptable reliability and validity. This tool is likely to assist in assessing and detecting EAN more quickly and conveniently. It will also assist future researches of EAN in taking into account the issues that arise in the measurement of EAN.

Preventing maltreatment in institutional care: A cluster-randomized controlled trial in East Africa

An increasing number of orphans in low- and middle-income countries are living in institutional care facilities where they experience poor quality of care and ongoing maltreatment. To prevent maltreatment, we tested the effectiveness and feasibility of the intervention Interaction Competencies with Children – for Caregivers (ICC-C). In a two-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial, 203 caregivers (65.5% female, Mage = 36.63 years, SDage = 12.26) and 356 children (46.1% female, Mage = 9.43 years, SDage = 1.93) from 24 orphanages in Dar es salaam (Tanzania) participated from August to October 2018 (Baseline) and March to April 2019 (Follow-Up). Orphanages were assigned to the intervention or waitlist-group. Caregivers in the intervention group received the ICC-C intervention to prevent maltreatment through focusing on non-violent caregiving strategies. The primary outcome was the change in self-reported maltreatment by caregivers (Conflict Tactics Scale). Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03594617, 20 July 2018. Participation in the intervention resulted in a significant reduction in reported maltreatment (f2 = 0.153), a decrease of positive attitudes toward violent discipline (f2 = 0.248), and an increased level of childcare knowledge (f2 = 0.220) in the caregiver sample, each indicating a moderate effect. Caregivers’ training participation did not predict reduced maltreatment reported by children. Aspects of feasibility, including motivation to participate, acceptability, and integration of the new strategies were evaluated positively. The study promises initial effectiveness and feasibility of efforts to improve the situation of children in institutional care settings in resource-poor countries by offering training to care providers.

29.1 Is the Parent Discipline Measure Used by UNICEF an Adequate International Indicator of Child Abuse?

Accurately measuring exposures that adversely impact child mental health could inform practice, policy, and intervention evaluation. However, measures of some adverse exposures, particularly child abuse, may be inadequate. This study aimed to identify, through a systematic literature review, the extent of psychometric support for the indicator of violent parental discipline used by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) for the larger United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.2 aimed at ending all abuse and exploitation of children. Peer-reviewed publications were identified through databases (PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO) from inception to December 31, 2020 with these search terms: (“discipline” OR “parenting” OR [“child” AND (“abuse” OR “violence”)] AND “multiple indicator cluster survey” [MICS]). The UNICEF MICS is the household survey mechanism for collecting data for the violent parent discipline indicator. Information on the indicator was extracted and reviewed from 48 identified articles and an additional 26 papers cited in those articles. The survey question set, asked of primary child caregivers, is composed of 6 items on different types of physical punishment and 2 items on negative verbal punishments. Each item has a “yes”/“no” response option, and the proportion of households in a country that respond “yes” to any item is calculated to inform the lack of attainment of a sustainable development goal (SDG) subgoal of 16.2, that is, “the proportion of children aged 1 to 17 years who experienced any physical punishment and/or psychological aggression by caregivers in the past month.” No documentation of the psychometric properties of this question set were found. Although some reports cite psychometric properties of the Parent-Child Conflict Tactic Scale (a source instrument), this is inadequate given extensive differences between the measures. There is also scant and incomplete details on international fieldwork that should have preceded the finalization of this indicator. Finally, no evidence as to this measure’s sensitivity to detect meaningful change over time was found. The study finds insufficient evidence to support the current UNICEF measure as an adequate international indicator of child abuse. More extensive fieldwork and indicator development are required to produce an adequate measure to track, and inform efforts aimed at reducing, child abuse.

Associations Between Maternal Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Events With Child Psychopathology: Results From a Prospective Longitudinal Study.

Introduction: Exposure to interpersonal violence (IPV) can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in mothers, and in turn adversely affect the mother-child relationship during early development, as well as the mental health of their children. Our objectives are to assess: (1) the association of maternal IPV-PTSD to child psychopathology, (2) the association of maternal IPV independently of PTSD to child psychopathology, and (3) the relationship between child exposure to violence to the psychopathology of these children.Methods: We used data from the longitudinal Geneva Early Childhood Stress Project. The sample included 64 children [mean age at Phase 1 = 2.4 (1.0–3.7) years] of mothers with or without IPV-PTSD. Data on mothers was collected during Phase 1, using the Clinical Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), the Brief Physical and Sexual Abuse Questionnaire (BPSAQ) and the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2). Modules of a semi-structured diagnostic interview, and the Violence Exposure Scale were used to collect information on child at Phase 2, when children were older [mean age = 7.02 (4.7–10)].Results: A higher CAPS score in mothers when children were toddler-age was associated with an increased risk of symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; β = 0.33, p = 0.014) and PTSD in school-age children. The association between maternal IPV-PTSD and child PTSD (β = 0.48, p < 0.001) symptoms remained significant after adjustment for potential confounders. Among children, exposure to violence was associated with an increased risk of symptoms of generalized anxiety (β = 0.37, p = 0.006), major depressive (β = 0.24, p = 0.039), ADHD (β = 0.27, p = 0.040), PTSD (β = 0.52, p < 0.001), conduct (β = 0.58, p = 0.003) and oppositional defiant (β = 0.34, p = 0.032) disorders.Conclusion: Our longitudinal findings suggest that maternal IPV-PTSD during the period of child development exert an influence on the development of psychopathology in school-aged children. Mothers' IPV was associated with child psychopathology, independently of PTSD. Child lifetime exposure to violence had an additional impact on the development of psychopathology. Careful evaluation of maternal life-events is essential during early childhood to reduce the risk for the development of child psychopathology. Early efforts to curb exposure to violence in children and early intervention are both needed to reduce further risk for intergenerational transmission of trauma, violence, and related psychopathology.

Marital Conflict and Destructive Resolution Tactics: The Case of Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia

This study was conducted to examine the major causes of marital conflicts among couples in their day-to-day marital disagreements, the proportion of destructive conflict resolution tactics, the level of destructive conflict tactics, and the differences of destructive conflict tactics within couples. A total of 188 married women who live in Bahir Dar city were participated in the study. Causes of Marital Conflict Questionnaire and Conflict Tactics Scale were used to collect quantitative data. In addition, interview was conducted with eight participants to substantiate the quantitative findings. The result revealed that household responsibility, follow-up of child education, child caring, disparity in parenting, misunderstanding, lack of interest to generate income, carelessness, insufficient income for the family, extravagance, and lack of intimacy are found to be the major causes for marital conflict. It was also found that 60 percent of these participants employed destructive reasoning and 5 percent of them employed each verbal aggression and physical aggression frequently while resolving their marital dispute. The repeated-measures t-test results also showed that these participants practiced more destructive reasoning than verbal aggression and physical aggression, and more verbal aggression than physical aggression. Therefore, it was concluded that by practicing frequent destructive reasoning tactics, majority of the families of these participants seem placing themselves at risk of applying more hostile conflict tactic and obstructing their happiness.

Estimated Incidence and Factors Associated With Risk of Elder Mistreatment in New York State

IMPORTANCEElder mistreatment is associated with major health and psychosocial consequences and is recognized by clinicians, policy makers, and researchers as a pervasive problem affecting a rapidly aging global population.OBJECTIVETo estimate the incidence of elder mistreatment and identify factors associated with the risk of new cases.DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSThis research is a 10-year, longitudinal, population-based, cohort study of the incidence of elder mistreatment in New York State households conducted between 2009 (wave 1) and 2019 (wave 2). At wave 1, random digit-dial (landline and cellular telephones) stratified sampling was done to recruit English-speaking and/or Spanish-speaking, cognitively intact, community-dwelling older adults (aged ≥60 years) across New York State. The current study conducted computer-assisted telephone interviews with older adults who participated in wave 1 and gave permission to be contacted again for wave 2 interviews (response rate, 60.7%). Data analysis was performed from October 2020 to January 2021.EXPOSURESPhysical factors (health status, functional capacity, and age), living arrangement (coresidence), and sociocultural characteristics (sex, race/ethnicity, geocultural context, and household income).MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESTen-year incidence for overall elder mistreatment and subtypes (financial abuse, emotional or psychological abuse, physical abuse, and neglect) were measured using adapted versions of the Conflict Tactics Scale, the Duke Older Americans Resources and Services scale, and the New York State Elder Mistreatment Prevalence Study financial abuse tool.RESULTSThe analytical sample included 628 older adults (mean [SD] age at wave 1, 69.20 [6.95] years; age at wave 2, 79.40 [6.93] years; 504 non-Hispanic White individuals [80.9%]; 406 women [64.6%]). Ten-year incidence rates were 11.4% (95% CI, 8.8%−14.3%) for overall elder mistreatment, 8.5% (95% CI, 6.3%–10.9%) for financial abuse, 4.1% (95% CI, 2.6%–5.7%) for emotional abuse, 2.3% (95% CI, 1.2%–3.6%) for physical abuse, and 1.0% (95% CI, 0.3%–1.8%) for neglect. Poor self-rated health at wave 1 was associated with increased risk at wave 2 of new overall mistreatment (odds ratio [OR], 2.86; 95% CI, 1.35–5.84), emotional abuse (OR, 3.67; 95% CI, 1.15–11.15), physical abuse (OR, 4.21; 95% CI, 1.14–13.70), and financial abuse (OR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.16–6.38). Compared with non-Hispanic White participants, Black participants were at heightened risk of overall mistreatment (OR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.16–5.70) and financial abuse (OR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.09–6.91). A change from coresidence to living alone was associated with increased risk of financial abuse (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 1.01–7.21).CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEThese findings suggest that health care visits may be important opportunities to detect older adults who are at risk of mistreatment. Race is highlighted as an important social determinant for elder mistreatment requiring urgent attention.