The current study offers a new way to ascertain information about child neglect by evaluating a self-report measure of neglectful behaviors, the Mother-Child Neglect Scale (MCNS). The scale was modified from an existing self-report measure, the Neglect Scale (NS), which was originally designed to measure personal histories of neglect. One hundred adolescent mothers were administered the MCNS an...

OBJECTIVE This study set out to examine whether mothers' individual perceptions of their neighborhood social processes predict their risk for physical child abuse and neglect directly and/or indirectly via pathways involving parents' reported stress and sense of personal control in the parenting role. METHODS In-home and phone interview data were examined cross-sectionally from a national bir...

It is important for surgeons to be able to accurately assess and diagnose child abuse. While they are generally not the only medical professionals involved in the care of children with suspected abuse, they are highly regarded by hospital and social service staff, and their input regarding the cause of injury is unlikely to be ignored. Appropriate diagnosis of abusive injury can prevent future ...

This study (a) assessed whether child neglect is associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dissociative symptoms in the preschool period and (b) examined the role of quality of mother-child affective communication in the development of trauma-related symptoms among neglected children. Participants were 33 neglected and 72 non-neglected preschoolers (mean age = 60 months). Neglect...

This paper reviews the literature on child neglect with respect to child outcomes, prevention and intervention, and implications for policy. First, the prevalence of the problem is discussed and then potential negative outcomes for neglected children, including behavior problems, low self-esteem, poor school performance, and maladjustment/psychopathology, are discussed. Risk factors and current...

Background: Child abuse is defined as any act or omission which causes physical or psychological harassment and lasting effects on children. Injuries resulting from child abuse are widespread, and this trauma can lead to psychological problems in adulthood. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between a history of child abus...

To inform efforts to prevent child neglect, we investigated a wide range of risk factors that have been largely unexamined in relation to infant neglect, the most commonly occurring form of child maltreatment. Using an ecological model of child neglect, we assessed the influence of characteristics at the level of the child, the mother, the family, and broader childrearing contexts on adolescent...

This article reviews and critically discusses the relevance of animal data to research on child abuse and neglect. Although parental investment theory can be useful in investigating the adaptiveness, if any, of child abuse and neglect, the evolutionary approach also has some limitations. The most suitable animal models for investigating the psychosocial processes underlying child abuse and negl...

BACKGROUND Recurrence of child maltreatment is a major problem, yet little is known about approaches to reduce this risk in families referred to child protection agencies. Since home visitation by nurses for disadvantaged first-time mothers has proven effective in prevention of child abuse and neglect, we aimed to investigate whether this approach might reduce recidivism. METHODS We enrolled ...

Diagnosing and assessing child abuse is a critical and difficult process in clinical psychology, because this phenomenon has several negative behavioral and psychological consequences on victims. The aim of this research is to create a scale for assessing child abuse and neglect. Through a multiclustral sampling, 3042 secondary school students (boys and girls) were selected to fill (1) a li...