Neglect Scale: Confirmatory Factory Analysis in a Low-Income Sample

• NCJ Number: 197468
• Journal: Child Maltreatment Volume: 7 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2002 Pages: 359-368
• Author(s): Donna Harrington; Susan Zuravin; Diane DePanfilis; Laura Ting; Howard Dubowitz
• Editor(s): Mark Chaffin
• Date Published: November 2002
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article presents findings from internal consistency and confirmatory factor analyses of the Neglect Scale, a self-report measure of neglect, in a low-income, inner-city sample.

Abstract

Over the years, child neglect, the most common of the four types of child maltreatment and resulting in more harmed children, has increased. However, there has been a failure to develop a standard definition of neglect. Because of this most researchers use their own definitions, thereby making it difficult to integrate research findings across various studies. This study performed a psychometric analysis on the Neglect Scale, a retrospective self-report instrument. The hope was to contribute to psychometric knowledge about one self-report operational definition of neglect. One hundred and fifty-one, low-income, predominantly African-American maternal caregivers were selected for this study and represented characteristics that were reflective of the high-risk neighborhoods that were the target of this intervention. The Neglect Scale was administered during the baseline interview for a neglect-prevention demonstration project. A computer assisted interview asked them questions about their growing up experiences, stresses and strains in their lives today, behavior and emotional functioning of their children, their use of drugs and alcohol, their emotional functioning, their parenting knowledge and attitudes, and their neighborhoods and housing situations. Data analyses included an examination of internal consistency reliability and confirmatory factor analysis. The Neglect Scale showed promise as self-report measure of neglect that preliminary analyses suggest is worth further research and development. The measure is premised on assumptions of what constitutes neglect; however, the impact or risks of some of the experiences included remains uncertain. Additional research is recommended to establish both criterion and construct validity, as well as examine how the Neglect Scale relates to more commonly used definitions of neglect. Appendix and references