NCJ Number
160275
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 19 Issue: 12 Dated: (December 1995) Pages: 1483-1495
Date Published
1995
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The construct validity of the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory was examined by comparing abuse scores on the inventory among maltreating and high-risk parents with the parents' behavior during interactions with their children.
Abstract
The research also sought to determine the degree to which CAP Inventory scores and parenting behavior were related to several known correlates of abuse as measured by parent and teacher reports. The 41 participants included abusive and high-risk parents and their children referred to a treatment group. Correlational analyses revealed that the CAP Inventory scores and observed parenting style yielded highly related findings, supporting the construct validity of the CAP Inventory. However, the CAP Inventory and the observed behavior index had a different pattern of relationships to the correlates of risk. Findings indicate the importance of gathering information from several sources to gain a complete understanding of the adjustment of abused children. However, even if parents' reports are biased or inaccurate, they affect parenting behavior and are therefore clinically useful. Findings also support the use of observations of parent-child interactions in risk assessment. Tables and 50 references (Author abstract modified)