NCJ Number
56905
Date Published
1977
Length
30 pages
Annotation
THE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER, PART OF THE NEW MEXICO HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, RECEIVED A GRANT IN 1975 TO DEVELOP AN INTERDISCIPLINARY AND MULTICULTURAL PROGRAM FOR ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS.
Abstract
QUESTIONS INITIALLY ADDRESSED IN THE RESEARCH EFFORT CONCERNED PERSONALITY SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES AMONG ABUSING/NEGLECTING PARENTS FROM DIFFERENT SOCIAL, CULTURAL, AND SITUATIONAL BACKGROUNDS; CHANGE IN PARENTS AFTER INTERVENTION; AND EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION SERVICES. THE TOTAL SAMPLE FOR THE STUDY INCLUDED 109 SUBSTANTIATED CASES OF CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT. ABUSE INCLUDED ALL FORMS OF PHYSICAL INJURY, AND NEGLECT INVOLVED ALL TYPES OF NONPHYSICAL INJURY (MALNUTRITION, FAILURE TO THRIVE, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL NEGLECT, MEDICAL NEGLECT, ABANDONMENT, AND LACK OF SUPERVISION. A PERSONALITY FACTOR (PF) TEST CONTAINING 16 ITEMS WAS CHOSEN TO MEASURE BOTH PATHOLOGICAL AND NONPATHOLOGICAL PERSONALITY FEATURES. TEST PROFILE SHEETS WERE PREPARED AND STATISTICAL TESTS PERFORMED ON SCORES DETERMINED TO BE SIGNIFICANT WITHIN THE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF SEX, ROLE OF PARENTS IN ABUSE/NEGLECT, AGE, AND TYPE OF ABUSE. THE MOST STRIKING FINDING OF THE PF TEST FOR ABUSING/NEGLECTING PARENTS WAS THAT, AS A GROUP, THEY DID NOT DIFFER SUBSTANTIALLY FROM THE GENERAL POPULATION. FEMALE ABUSERS/NEGLECTERS APPEARED TO BE MORE SUSPICIOUS, INSECURE, OPPOSITIONAL, AND RESENTFUL THAN MALE ABUSERS/NEGLECTERS. IN GENERAL, FEMALES TENDED TO BE ANXIOUS, EASILY DISCOURAGED, AND SENSITIVE TO APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL, WHILE MALES TENDED TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT AND CAUTIOUS AND TO AVOID SOCIAL SITUATIONS. PERPETRATORS OF ABUSE/NEGLECT WERE CLEARLY MORE ANXIOUS, FRUSTRATED, DRIVEN, AND DEPRESSED AND HAD EXPERIENCED EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. OLDER PERPETRATORS SEEMED TO BE SOMEWHAT MORE CONSCIENTIOUS, CONSERVATIVE, AND SELF-SUFFICIENT THAN YOUNGER PERPETRATORS. DIRECTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ARE NOTED. TEST PROFILES AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)