NCJ Number
147467
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1994) Pages: 27-44
Date Published
1994
Length
18 pages
Annotation
Seventy-eight subjects, including 26 physical child abusers, 26 nonabusive parents with a history of childhood physical abuse, and 26 nonabusive parents with no childhood history of physical abuse completed the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) and Childhood Social Network Questionnaire (CSNQ).
Abstract
Overall, the positive and negative social support factors correctly classified nearly 62 percent of the child abusers and nearly 83 percent of the nonabusing parents. When social factors were combined with the CAP abuse scale, the classification rates were no more accurate than when the CAP abuse scale was used alone. Although the father support, mother support, and sibling support factors distinguished between physical child abusers with a history of childhood abuse and nonabusers without a childhood history of abuse, they did not distinguish between child abusers and nonabusers with a childhood history of abuse. Physical child abusers with a childhood history of abuse and nonabusers with a similar history were different in the degree of reported rigidity and unhappiness, while these factors were not different for the two groups of nonabusers. These results support other research suggesting that those who break the cycle of violence and who are at low risk for abuse are more successful in their interpersonal relationships. 3 tables and 25 references