Attributions, affect, and behavior in abuse-risk mothers: a laboratory study
Section snippets
Participants
Participants were 60 mother-child dyads. Mothers had a mean age of 28.95 years (range 19–39 years) and their 36 male and 24 female child participants had a mean age of 3.3 years (range 2–6 years). The ABUSE-RISK group included 40 mothers selected on the basis of risk of child abuse and referral for professional assistance in the management of oppositional behavior of the child participant. The NONCLINIC group included 20 mother/child dyads in which there were no significant current or past
Results
Table 1 shows group means for the CAPI-abuse factor and CBCL measures. The percentage of parents above the clinical cutoff scores for each were: CAPI: ABUSE-RISK (53%), NONCLINIC (0%); CBCL externalizing and internalizing scores: ABUSE-RISK (90 and 67%), NONCLINIC (0 and 0%).
Discussion
The general aims of this study were to examine parent attributions of child behavior hypothesized to be characteristic of abuse risk. First, abuse-risk mothers were compared to a nonclinic sample. To examine parental behavior and cognition with their own child, direct observations of parent-child interactions were conducted and followed by structured interviews with mothers to tap their perceptions of those interactions. Correlations showed that parents and independent observers agreed at
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The role of parental emotion reactivity and regulation in child maltreatment and maltreatment risk: A meta-analytic review
2021, Clinical Psychology ReviewThe social information processing model in child physical abuse and neglect: A meta-analytic review
2020, Child Abuse and NeglectCitation Excerpt :Despite the interesting results of this meta-analytic review, we have identified a set of limitations in the primary studies. First, many of the included studies were conducted with no reference or recognition of the SIP framework applied to abuse and neglect (e.g., Rodrigo et al., 2011) and used different terms for the same variables (e.g., “mother’s rating of the valence of the child behavior” in Dadds et al., 2003; “parents’ perceptions of children’s adjustment” in Haskett, Scott, Grant, Ward, & Robinson, 2003). Nevertheless, we attempted to overcome this limitation through a thorough categorization of the variables based on the theoretical descriptions of the SIP model (2003, Milner, 1993).
Difficulties in emotion regulation in child abuse potential: Gender differences in parents
2020, Child Abuse and NeglectCitation Excerpt :This explanation may well describe the parenting behaviors of physically abusive parents. In particular, the Social Information Processing (SIP) model (Milner, 1993, 2000, 2003) focuses on inadequate perceptions/attributions of the child’s behaviors and emotional distress as significant risk factors for child physical abuse (e.g., Haskett et al., 2003; Dadds et al., 2003; Mammen et al., 2002; Miragoli et al., 2018; Rodriguez & Green, 1997). Many studies illustrate that maltreating parents, compared to non-maltreating and low-risk parents, fail to perceive and objectively interpret the child’s behaviors (e.g., Asla et al., 2011; Dopke & Milner, 2000; Montes et al., 2001), attributing to them a stable, hostile and provocative intent (Farc et al., 2008; Runyon et al., 2004).
Parents’ perception of child behavior, parenting stress, and child abuse potential: Individual and partner influences
2018, Child Abuse and NeglectCitation Excerpt :Inaccurate perceptions, biased interpretations, failures in integrating information or to adequately monitor one’s own disciplinary action may increase the likelihood of physical abuse. Consistent with the SIP model (2000, Milner, 1993), existing evidence suggests that parents’ cognitions such as perception of child behavior, attributions, and expectations are significant predictors of child physical abuse potential (e.g., Crouch et al., 2010; Dadds, Mullens, McAllister, & Atkinson, 2003; de Paúl, Asla, Pérez-Albéniz, & De Cádiz, 2006; Haskett, Scott, Grant, Ward, & Robinson, 2003; McElroy & Rodriguez, 2008; Rodriguez, 2018). For instance, research has shown that the abusive or at-risk parents tend to attribute negative child behavior to more internal causes (Dadds et al., 2003), to interpret information in more hostile way (Farc, Crouch, Skowronski, & Milner, 2008), and to rate their children’s behaviors as more stressful (Dopke & Milner, 2000), than non-clinic or low-risk parents.
Are negative/unrealistic parent descriptors of infant attributes associated with physical abuse?
2018, Child Abuse and NeglectEvidence-Based Parenting Interventions: Current Perspectives and Clinical Strategies
2016, Positive Mental Health, Fighting Stigma and Promoting Resiliency for Children and Adolescents