Family Abuse Research Articles

Child maltreatment and parent-offspring interaction: A multigenerational extended family design.

In the current study, the associations between multiple types of child maltreatment (CM), parent-offspring interactions, and family cohesion were examined in an extended family study. A total of 366 parent-offspring pairs from 137 nuclear families participated. Parents (Mage = 52.8 years, age range: 26.6-88.4 years, 57% female) reported about perpetrated CM and offspring (Mage = 25.7 years, range: 7.5-65.5 years, 58% female) about experienced CM during their childhood. Parent-offspring interactions were observed during a conflict interaction task. Cohesion within the nuclear family was observed during a playful tower building task. Results showed that parents and offspring displayed more aversive behavior in parent-offspring dyads characterized by higher levels of child abuse, but not in dyads characterized by higher levels of child neglect. In addition, less dyadic affective similarity was observed in parent-offspring dyads characterized by higher levels of child neglect, whereas dyadic affective similarity was higher in dyads characterized by higher levels of child abuse. Findings imply that interventions focused on parent-offspring interactions with a somewhat different content for neglectful and abusive families may be efficacious for families in the child welfare system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Intergenerational Transmission of Violence Among Substance-Abusing Chinese Parents: Roles of Detachment and Social Support.

Despite a large population of registered people with drug addiction, child protection in substance-abusing families is a neglected issue in China. The present study aims to investigate the association between parents' childhood abuse history and the risk of abusing their own children in substance-abusing Chinese families and also to examine the mediating role of detachment and moderating role of social support during the intergenerational transmission of abuse. A total of 173 men and 116 women were selected using cluster sampling from two compulsory drug rehabilitation centers in Jiangsu Province. Results indicated that one's childhood abuse history was positively associated with the current perpetration of child abuse for both fathers and mothers. Detachment mediated the linkage between a history of childhood maltreatment and perpetration of child abuse in all types of abuse for both men and women except for women's sexual abuse. Social support from family members buffered the intergenerational transmission of child abuse for fathers but not for mothers. Child maltreatment in substance-abusing families is an urgent issue that needs measures to prevent the intergenerational transmission of violence in China. Intervention programs could involve helping parents cope with their childhood abuse history through rebuilding secure attachment and facilitating social support for their parenting practices, especially for fathers.

Evidence-based social work outreach to military leaders to facilitate intimate partner violence and child maltreatment identification and referral: an evaluation

ABSTRACT The effects of family maltreatment on the military are far-reaching and well documented, with implications that include the deterioration of mission readiness and an increase in distractibility for all involved. Congress has mandated each service agency to take steps in preventing partner and child maltreatment, including outreach – enlisting military leaders to identify, respond to, and mitigate risk factors for maltreatment in their active duty (AD) members – but the success and impact of these efforts have gone mostly unexamined. This article explores the implementation and evaluation of a new Air Force (AF) family maltreatment training based on empirical and military-specific evidence of prevalence, risk and protective factors, and the impact on military families. This project sought to optimize and standardize such trainings across bases in an interactive manner. As expected, the training led to significantly greater knowledge about family maltreatment, significantly lower belief in the justification of both IPV and parent–child aggression, significantly lower belief in the effectiveness of parent–child aggression to solve problems, significantly increased self-efficacy to help prevent and address family maltreatment on the base, and marginally significantly more positive beliefs about Family Advocacy Program (FAP). Additionally, satisfaction with the training was very high.

Home-Based Parent-Child Interaction Therapy to Prevent Child Maltreatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

High treatment attrition and limited reach of mental health services for at-risk families remains an important problem in order to effectively address the global concern of child maltreatment and child disruptive behavior problems. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a home-based and time-limited adaptation of Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). Twenty families with children (70% boys) aged between three and seven years were randomly assigned to an immediate treatment group (IT, n = 10) or a waitlist control group (WL, n = 10). After receiving treatment and compared to mothers in the WL group, mothers in the IT group reported fewer child behavior problems and more improved parenting skills. Although initial analyses revealed no significant differences, additional analyses showed a significant decrease in the primary outcome of the study, namely child abuse potential, between the baseline and follow-up assessment for the total treated sample. A low treatment attrition rate (15%) was found, indicating higher accessibility of treatment for families. Findings suggest that the brief home-based PCIT is a potentially effective intervention to prevent child maltreatment and disruptive behavior problems in at-risk families. Results also reinforce the importance of addressing the specific needs of these families to increase treatment effectiveness.

Current status of CSR practices in the casino industry: A comparison between the U.S. and Macau

While an examination of various implications of CSR is essential for all businesses, such an investigation is particularly important for casino companies as various social issues such as gambling addiction, family abuse, embezzlement, and other crimes are embedded in the casino industry. Although some attention has been given to the casino industry, the CSR literature has paid scant attention to the industry. Therefore, the current study aims to examine the overall current status of CSR initiatives implemented by the casino industry, adopting a hybrid approach using automated content analysis for themes and concepts extractions and traditional content analysis for theory-based interpretation and comparison. This study employs the stakeholder theory, and concepts of triple bottom line and materiality as underlying conceptual frameworks to interpret the analyzed data. Furthermore, the study compares CSR practices of casinos between the U.S. and Macau and found to provide a better understanding of cultural influences on their CSR initiatives. Findings show an emphasis on three primary stakeholders (community, employees and customers) by both groups while some differences exist, such as a greater emphasis on environmental matters and team-based employee focus by Macau casinos.

Kekerasan Anak Pada Keluarga Buruh di Jepara Perspektif Pendidikan Islam

Child abuse within the family sphere is often a hidden crime phenomenon because it is kept secret by both the perpetrator and the victim. This article seeks to uncover the practice of child abuse in labor families in Geneng, Jepara, identify the causes, and offer solutions. The data collection used interview, observation, and documentation. The key informants are children, parents who work as laborers, and the Head of Geneng Village. The collected data is then analyzed using descriptive qualitative research from the perspective of Islamic education theory. Doctrinaire, Islam never allows parents to behave rudely to children. Unfortunately, not a few of those who fail to understand and become perpetrators of child abuse. The forms are varied, ranging from psychological violence such as insults, insults, and shouting. The main causes are family economic poverty factors and poor understanding of parents' religion. The way out for parents who are busy working is to get their children in Madrasah Diniyah (Madin). No less important, after Maghrib, children are encouraged to take part in studies conducted by local religious teachers around their homes.

Understanding child sex offending trajectories in South Africa: from victimisation to perpetration

ABSTRACT Violence against women and children, particularly child sexual abuse (CSA) remains a critical public health, human rights, and humanitarian-related issue in South Africa. The research base is largely under-developed in South Africa, given the intense stigmatisation of CSA, low-disclosure rates and inherent barriers to accessing perpetrators for research purposes. An in-depth qualitative study was conducted with twelve males who had sexually abused children and in a therapeutic, rehabilitation programme. Thematic analysis based on two years of recurrent interviews during the therapeutic intervention illustrates their experiences, histories and factors compounding their journeys as victims toward perpetration. We present four themes; Familial abuse and maltreatment; Powerlessness, fear and abandonment; Sexualised lives and sexual abuse experiences; and Powerlessness and lasting impact of exposure to and perpetration of CSA. Findings illustrate unique sex offending trajectories from victimisation to perpetration, particular to the South African context. We present broad and contextual recommendations for research, policy, restorative justice, and practice.

Frequency, Prevalence, Interaction, and Gender Differences of Six Psychosocial Factors in Patients Presenting to a Psychiatric Emergency Service.

The psychiatric emergency service (PES) has become an increasingly utilized patient care approach over the past 50 years. Psychosocial factors play an important role in PES utilization and disposition of patients in this environment. PES utilization in our region has increased 450% in the past 18 years, while the population has changed <1%. Our objective was to determine the frequency and relationship between six psychosocial factors in our patients, in comparison to the general population. We completed a retrospective chart review of 160 patients selected at random who utilized the PES during 2009-2010. We looked for historical presence of a broken family, abuse or neglect, substance abuse, legal problems, violence, or incomplete education. We also looked at the relationship of these factors to race and gender. 75% had three or more of the factors measured. In our population, substance abuse and broken family were most prevalent. Females had significantly more abuse or neglect as compared to males, while male subjects had significantly more substance abuse and legal issues than females. The presence of a broken family was strongly associated with abuse or neglect, while violence was associated with incomplete education and legal issues. The prevalence of these factors in our patients was higher than the general population. The average patient presenting to the PES has multiple major psychosocial problems at higher frequencies than the general population. Understanding the relationship between multiple psychosocial factors and increasing PES utilization can direct us towards addressing the problems causing the increase in PES presentation. A planned future prospective study will examine the incidence of these psychosocial factors in patients presenting to the PES as compared to the general population.

Willingness to Intervene in Child Abuse and Neglect: An Exploratory Study

The serious negative impacts of child abuse and neglect require greater focus on understanding the factors that influence adults' willingness to intervene when they observe instances of possible abuse and neglect. This study tests whether certain reporter characteristics and experiences, such as individual and family maltreatment history/experiences and perceived knowledge of child abuse indicators, correlate with, and mediate in, the decision to intervene. Demographics and willingness to report data were collected from adults (n = 306) attending a child abuse prevention training programme in a metropolitan city. The findings indicate that perceived knowledge of child abuse indicators plays a mediation role in willingness to take action to respond to child abuse and neglect. Practice and future research implications of these findings are discussed.‘This study tests whether certain reporter characteristics and experiences… correlate with, and mediate in, the decision to intervene’Key Practitioner Messages A maltreatment history was associated with willingness to intervene, and that effect was mediated by perceived knowledge of symptoms of abuse and neglect. Child abuse prevention education programmes should consider including a component in the curriculum in which personal and family maltreatment history can move to the forefront and influence decisions to intervene in instances of suspected abuse and neglect.

Factors associated with crack-cocaine early initiation: a Brazilian multicenter study

BackgroundCrack-cocaine dependence is a serious public health issue, related to several psychiatric and psychosocial problems. Crack-cocaine users are usually embedded in a context of great social vulnerability, often associated with violence, poverty, family conflict and easy and early access to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.MethodsThis cross-sectional study enrolled a consecutive sample of 577 patients admitted to 20 therapeutic communities located in Southern Brazil, between September 2012 and September 2013. A structured interview assessed life-time exposure to risk and protective factors for drug use, such as parental monitoring in childhood, deviant behaviors and peer pressure.ResultsPresence of family conflict (p = 0.002), maltreatment (p = 0.016), and deviant behavior prior to age 15 in a bivariate analysis predicted an earlier age of crack-cocaine initiation, whereas adolescents experiencing parental monitoring during adolescence started use later (p < 0.001). In the multivariate model, perceptions related to ease of access of illicit drugs (marijuana: p = 0.028, 95% CI = − 3.81, − 0.22; crack-cocaine: p < 0.001, 95% CI = − 7.40, − 4.90), and deviant behavior (threatening someone with a gun: p = 0.028, 95% CI = − 2.57, − 0.14) remained independent predictors of early age of crack-cocaine initiation.ConclusionsEarly onset of crack-cocaine use seems to be associated with exposure to family conflict, easy access to drugs and deviant behavior. Treatment and preventive programs should take these factors into account when designing and implementing community interventions.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Associated Factors of Gender-Based Violence against Women in Sub-Saharan Africa.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were employed to address the associated factors of gender-based violence (GBV) in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines were followed. Ovid Medline, CINAHL, Cochrane Central, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science were used to source articles with stringent eligibility criteria. A total of 4931 studies were found and 50 studies met the inclusion criteria. Pooled meta-analyses revealed that low educational attainment, higher alcohol consumption, substance use, history of child and family abuse, limited decision-making skills, experiencing depression, males having multiple sexual partners, and younger age were found to be individual- and family-associated factors that increase the experiences of GBV. Community tolerant attitudes to violence, women’s unemployment, being Muslim, lower socioeconomic class, food and social insecurity were found to be community- and societal-associated factors of GBV. Alcohol consumption, low educational attainment, experiencing depression, being younger, a history of child and family abuse, tolerant attitudes to violence, and low socioeconomic status were poignant factors associated with GBV amongst women in SSA countries. The need to develop a multipronged approach of intervention is a top priority in SSA to reach the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) target of 2030 to eliminate all forms of violence. Socio-behavioural change communication interventions at individual and community levels need to be introduced, and interventions need to address the prevention of child and family abuse and increase women’s feelings of empowerment in order to prevent GBV in SSA.

Associations between Family Maltreatment Perpetration and Latent Profiles of Personal and Family Strengths among Active-Duty Air Force Members

Although individual and family strengths have been found to impact family maltreatment risk, optimal approaches to their assessment are lacking. To substantiate the utility of holistically assessing multiple strengths among active-duty Air Force members (i.e., Airmen) who might be at risk of perpetrating family maltreatment, the current study aimed to identify latent patterns of personal and family strengths among Airmen and assess associations with family maltreatment perpetration. A representative a sample of 30,187 Airmen from the 2011 Air Force Community Assessment Survey was used to identify patterns across latent-factor scores representing unit leader support, informal support, family functioning, individual fitness, and personal resilience. Latent profile analysis was conducted to extract an optimal number of response patterns and estimate associations with family maltreatment perpetration. A five-profile solution was optimal, representing patterns marked by low (10%), below average (26%), mixed (16%), above average (36%), and high (12%) levels of personal and family strengths. Predicted probabilities of family maltreatment among families not identifying as stepfamilies were 39%, 21%, 14%, 10%, and 8% across low, below average, mixed, above average, and high patterns, respectively. Among stepfamilies (20% of sample), predicted probabilities were 49%, 29%, 21%, 15%, and 12%, respectively. Findings encourage a holistic assessment of personal and family strengths among Airmen. The Personal and Family Strengths Inventory, which was developed to gauge these strengths, can position practitioners well to engage Airmen in conversations around strengths and growth opportunities for the purposes of service planning aimed at preventing family maltreatment.

Exploring Two Types of Aggressive Behavioural Risk Factors among Illegal Motorcycle Street Racers in Malaysia

Illegal motorcycle street racing is a threat to civil society – it is a symbol of adolescents’ inner rebellion who channelled their unfulfilled desire through aggressive behaviour on the road, causing significant social and economic impact. Aggressive behaviours have been associated with prohibited substances intake, lack of religious knowledge, problematic family structures, and school failure. In this qualitative study, abductive strategies oriented to phenomenological approaches were employed to assess two types of aggressive behaviour risk factors, which were substance abuse and problematic family structures. In-depth interviews were conducted with thirty people in Penang, Malaysia, who participated in illegal street racing, referred to as Mat Rempits. Their responses were analysed using the NVivo software version 12. The results demonstrate three subthemes to prohibited substances intake: to relieve stress, for personal enjoyment, and for racing purposes, whereby the drugs are taken before races for the riders to be more courageous, aggressive, and agile manoeuvring the motorcycles. Meanwhile, the risk factor of family problems includes divorced and conflicted parents, raised by violence, being neglected, and not being appreciated by the family. Most of the participants stated that growing up with violence caused a psychological impact on their soul, making them stubborn, rude, and aggressive. The results demonstrate the need for a specific intervention programme for the adolescent to reduce their involvement in illegal street racing and aggressive behaviour.

Adaptation and validation of the Screening Questionnaire for Family Abuse of the Elderly in the sociocultural context of Colombia

In Colombia, like many countries in the world, due to the increase in population of elderly people, mistreatment has increased, which has physical, psychological and social consequences for the individual and major repercussions on society. The detection of abuse is a complex task, among other aspects, due to the concealment of victims and the lack of valid, reliable detection instruments that are in keeping with the sociocultural context. Professionals responsible for dealing with these situations must have an instrument that allows early detection. The objective of this study was to adapt and validate the Family Abuse Screening Questionnaire for Elderly People in Colombia. A cross-sectional study with mixed methods was carried out in two stages from 2017 to 2018. In the first stage, linguistic and semantic adaptation was carried out using translation, synthesis, back translation, expert analysis and pilot testing with 30 abused and non-abused elderly people. In the second stage, the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were obtained by means of an exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's Alpha, using STATA 13. In the results, we provided a Socially and Culturally Adapted Family Abuse Screening Questionnaire for elderly people in Colombia with a Cronbach's Alpha of 0.82, sensitivity value of 86.9% (p<0.05) and a specificity value of 84% (p<0.05), detecting abuse with 4 or more positive responses to abuse. The application of the screening questionnaire by health and social services professionals will prevent further damage to social and physical health in the elderly people in Colombia, as well as reduce the costs of care in institutions.

My Forbidden Love of Algae

Growing up under the regime of a macho Italian father and with a legacy of family abuse, I was a sensitive, creative boy who felt deeply ashamed of my perceived male inadequacies and afraid of my own masculine power. My early fascination with nature found a home in phycology, the study of algae, but to uncover and own my passion for and divine connection to the natural world through algae, I first had to expose my childhood wounds, address the forbidden world of my own trauma, and face the ancestral wound that kept me from fully embracing my true love of algae and self.

Evaluation of Two Approaches for Responding to Allegations of Family Maltreatment in the U.S. Army: Coordinated Community Response Impacts and Costs.

The U.S. Air Force (USAF) conducted a program of research to develop and disseminate reliable and valid criteria for partner and child maltreatment (comprising abuse [physical, emotional/psychological, and sexual] and neglect). These criteria are now used in all branches of the U.S. military. The U.S. Army was the first service outside the USAF to adopt the criteria sets and computerized decision support tool but maintained the original committee composition (the "Case Review Committee" [CRC]) instead of adopting the entire assessment, allegation determination, and treatment planning process (the "Field-tested Assessment, Intervention-planning, and Response" [FAIR] system). The Army commissioned this study to compare the CRC and FAIR processes by testing (1) intra-committee process (i.e., three facets of committee functioning-fidelity to regulations, cohesion and team process, outsized influence of unit representatives); (2) coordinated community response to maltreatment (i.e., perceptions of fairness to alleged offenders and victims, impact on unit representatives, and (3) collaboration between the Family Advocacy Program (FAP, the military's maltreatment response agency) and outside agencies; and (4) the time expended and cost. New York University's Institutional Review Board approved the study protocol, and the Army's Human Research Protection Office provided permission to collect data. The ten Army garrisons with the most annual maltreatment cases participated. Committee members, FAP social workers, unit commanders, and independent observers completed assessments of individual meetings and of their overall impression of the processes. A test of whether the means significantly differed between phases was then performed separately for each outcome, and 95% CIs of the unstandardized mean difference between phases were estimated. Independent observers rated FAIR meetings as significantly more faithful to regulations. Unit representatives (i.e., commanders and/or first sergeants) perceived the committee to function better during FAIR (although other committee members and independent observers did not perceive differences). Unit representatives not only rated FAIR as significantly more fair to both alleged offenders and victims (ratings from other committee members did not differ), but also were more likely to attend FAIR meetings and, when they did, rated their ability to serve soldiers and families higher during FAIR. However, FAP social workers rated their relationships with units as being better during CRC, and outside agencies rated their relationship with FAP as significantly better during CRC. Costs to the Army were nearly identical in the two committee structures. Results indicated that the CRC and FAIR processes cost almost identical amounts to run and that the FAIR system was superior in ways most likely to impact service members: (1) independent observers judged its meetings to be more faithful to Army and DoD Instructions; (2) unit representatives were more likely to attend and believed the FAIR system to be fairer (to both alleged offenders and victims) and better functioning. Care should be taken, however, in nurturing relationships between FAP and (1) unit representatives and (2) outside agencies, which may have weakened during FAIR.

Weaving Healthy Families Program: Promoting Resilience While Reducing Violence and Substance Use.

We examine pilot results for the culturally adapted Weaving Healthy Families (WHF) program to promote resilience and wellness while preventing substance abuse and violence among Native American (NA) families. Results were drawn from paired sample t tests and analyses of variance (ANOVA) with a convenience sample of 24 adults and adolescents from eight NA families (pretest, posttest, and, where available, 6-month postintervention). Along with substance abuse reduction and prevention, t test results indicated reductions in (a) adult depressive symptoms and improvements in adult conflict resolution and health behaviors; (b) adolescent wellness; and (c) adult and adolescent resilience, communal mastery, social support, and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. ANOVA tests revealed reductions in adult psychological and physical violence and improvements in adult and adolescent family resilience, family environment, and emotional regulation. Results reveal promising preliminary results for the WHF program to promote resilience and thriving while reducing risk for substance abuse and violence in NA families.

Risk factors affecting intimate partner violence occurrence in South Korea: Findings from the 2016 Domestic Violence Survey.

This study aimed to identify factors affecting the occurrence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Korean adults aged 19 years and older. Specifically, we identified the factors in women’s victimization in and men’s perpetration of IPV. This study adopted a cross-sectional and correlational design in conducting secondary data analysis of the 2016 Domestic Violence Survey in Korea. Men (N = 1,272) and women (N = 2,689) with partner were included in the analysis. The ecological model was used as a conceptual framework. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify factors affecting women’s victimization in and men’s perpetration of IPV. The results showed that the prevalence of IPV against female partner was 12.1%. IPV occurrence was higher among women (Odds ratios (OR) = 2.92, Confidence intervals (CI): 1.84–4.63) and men (OR = 2.64, CI: 1.62–4.32) who experienced witnessing inter-parental violence in childhood, and among women (OR = 2.25, CI: 1.40–3.61) and men (OR = 2.68, CI: 1.59–4.52) with a tolerant attitude toward IPV. The occurrence was higher among women who experienced childhood maltreatment by the parents (OR = 1.70, CI: 1.03–2.82) and women whose income was 2 million Korean Won(KRW) to 3 million KRW compared with women whose income was above 4 million KRW (OR = 1.97, CI: 1.10–3.55). The occurrence was lower among women with office jobs compared with other jobs (OR = 0.47, CI: 0.26–0.84). Based on the results of this study, early intervention in abusive families to reduce the negative impact of abuse experiences and witnessing inter-parental violence in childhood, and education and publicity for changing attitudes toward IPV are necessary at the individual and societal levels. The formation of policies for the stable workplace and income of women are required.

반영팀 형식의 집단 슈퍼비전 경험 연구: 아동보호전문기관 상담원을 대상으로

This study is a qualitative study on the experiences of counselors in child protection agencies that participated in the form of a reflecting team for the solution-focused family therapy approach for the supervision of child abuse family counseling cases. Although the use of the reflection team in social constructivist interventions is universal, I would like to explore the meaning and applicability of the reflection team in the field of Korean counseling. In-depth interviews with counselors or counselors from child protection agencies were conducted to identify and organize important themes. Participants were able to escape from the problem-centered view of the family, understand the case from different perspectives, and gather extensive experience in how to approach the case by reflecting various opinions. Group supervision in the form of a reflection team, centered on counselors for child protection agencies, helped counselors find the strengths of child abuse families and allowed them to value minor changes.

The Co-Occurrence of Child Maltreatment and Intimate Partner Violence in Families: Effects on Children's Externalizing Behavior Problems.

Children exposed to maltreatment are at risk of experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) and behavioral problems. This study examined different forms of family violence that co-occur and their relationship to children's externalizing behaviors across developmental stages (early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence). Longitudinal data (N = 1,987) at baseline and 18 months and 36 months post-baseline from the NSCAW II were used. Mixture modeling was employed in which latent class models estimated subgroups of children who experienced co-occurring forms of family violence; regression models estimated which subgroups of children were at risk of externalizing behaviors. Three latent classes were identified across developmental stages: high family violence, low family violence, and child physical abuse and psychological aggression. For children in early childhood, a fourth class was identified: partner and child physical abuse and child psychological aggression. Results from regression models revealed differences in externalizing scores by class membership across developmental age groups and over time. That distinct classes of child maltreatment and IPV co-occur and differentially impact children's behavior suggests a need for strong prevention and intervention responses to address children's dual maltreatment and IPV exposure.