NCJ Number
160771
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 20 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1996) Pages: 23-43
Date Published
1996
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This study obtained weekly reports of high-risk indicators designed to monitor the treatment course of physically abused, school-aged children and their parents/guardians, who were randomly assigned to individual child and parent cognitive- behavioral treatment (CBT) or family therapy (FT).
Abstract
Participants were 38 physically maltreated children and their parents or guardians who received project services and completed treatment course measures. Child and parent CBT was based on social learning principles designed to alter participants' cognitive, affective, and behavioral-social repertoires. Consistent with a family interactional model of child maltreatment, FT was designed to enhance family functioning and relationships. Measures of parental anger and physical discipline/force and family problems were obtained for each session. The measures showed moderate stability and parent-child correspondence. Between 20 percent and 23 percent of the two informant's reports acknowledged high levels of physical discipline/force during the early and late phases of treatment, respectively, and an even higher percentage of cases reported heightened parental anger and family problems. Early treatment reports from both informants predicted late period reports, but only parent reports were related to validity measures. The overall levels of parental anger and physical discipline/force were lower in CBT than FT families, although each group showed a reduction on these items from the early to late treatment sessions. The importance of routine monitoring of clinical course during intervention, especially in the identification of cases at-risk of reabuse, is discussed. 6 tables, 1 figure, and 46 references