Suchergebnisse

Research about child abuse and neglect is very complex methodologically and ethically. There are not yet uniform research definitions of the problem and the lack of prospective population-based research limits the ability to make progress. To date researchers have been reluctant to ask children directly about their maltreatment experiences because of perceptions of ethical and legal responsibilities. This article begins with a brief review of existing research about the scope and consequences of child abuse and neglect. We address methodological considerations that are especially pertinent to research about child maltreatment, including the definition of the problem, study design, and issues of causality and bias. We conclude with a discussion of ethical and legal issues that arise in the course of carrying out such research, including issues related to subject recruitment, informed consent, confidentiality, and reporting.

AbstractThe most commonly diagnosed behavioral disorder in childhood, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has a neurobiological and genetic basis and is responsive to treatment.

This article examines mental health outcomes of children who have witnessed violence in their social environment and/or have been physically abused. Participants (n = 167) come from a longitudinal study on child maltreatment. Outcomes—including depression, anger, and anxiety—are measured by the Child Behavior Checklist and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children. The authors used adjusted multivariate analyses to test the statistical significance of associations. The majority of children were female (57%) and non-White (64%). One third had been physically victimized; 46% had witnessed moderate-high levels of violence. Results confirm that children are negatively affected by victimization and violence they witness in their homes and neighborhoods. Victimization was a significant predictor of child aggression and depression; witnessed violence was found to be a significant predictor of aggression, depression, anger, and anxiety. Implications will be discussed.

This article describes the Durham Family Initiative (DFI), an innovative effort to bring together child welfare and juvenile justice systems to reach DFI's goal of reducing the child abuse rate in Durham, North Carolina, by 50% within the next 10 years. DFI will follow principles of a preventive system of care (PSoC), which focuses on nurturing the healthy parent-child relationship. A community collaborative of government agency directors has signed a memorandum of agreement to implement the PSoC principles. The researchers will use multiple methods to evaluate DFI's efficacy.