Child victims: Searching for opportunities to break the cycle of violence

doi:10.1016/S0962-1849(98)80026-7

Applied and Preventive Psychology

Volume 7, Issue 4, Winter 1998, Pages 225-234

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0962-1849(98)80026-7 Get rights and content

Abstract

In 1986 I began research to address the relationship between early child abuse and neglect and later deliquent and violent criminal behavior using a prospective cohort design. The relationship is not inevitable, suggesting an opportunity for long-range violence prevention through appropriate early intervention. Here, I briefly describe how childhood victimization and violent criminal behavior are related and illustrate a number of promising strategies and opportunities to intervene. Finally, I offer five principles to guide interventions: (1) the earlier the intervention, the better; (2) don't neglect neglected children; (3) one size does not fit all; (4) surveillance—a double-edged sword; and (5) accessibility to resources. Rather than focusing on responses to child abuse or neglect in court proceedings that “treat” offenders, primary prevention efforts should target childhood victims to reduce their risk of becoming offenders in the future.

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A mega-analytic study was designed to exploit the power of a large data set combining raw data from multiple studies (n = 1870) to examine the effects of type of family violence, age, and gender on children’s behavior problems assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Our findings confirmed that children who experienced multiple forms of family violence were at greater risk than children who experienced only one form of abuse, and witnesses of inter-parental violence were at similar risk as victims of violence. Age moderated the effects of family violence on externalizing behavior problems, but not on internalizing behavior problems. No main or interaction effects involving children’s gender were evident. These results underscore the need to take children’s age, type of violence, and type of outcome into account when examining the effects of family violence on children’s behavior problems.
The role of family-of-origin violence in men's marital violence perpetration
2004, Clinical Psychology Review
This paper presents overall transmission rates between family-of-origin violence and marital violence, as well as theoretical and empirical work on possible mechanisms of transmission. In identified samples, approximately 60% of the maritally violent men report family-of-origin violence, whereas slightly over 20% of the comparison group of maritally nonviolent men report family-of-origin violence. Modest associations between experiencing violence in the family of origin and marital violence are found in community samples and in studies with prospective and longitudinal designs. Variables that intervene in the association between family-of-origin violence and marital violence are reviewed, with a focus on personal characteristics such as antisocial personality, psychological distress, and attitudes condoning violence, as well as on contextual factors, such as marital problems and conflict resolution style. Variables associated with nonviolence in men who grew up in violent families also are identified, including strong interpersonal connections and the ability to create psychological distance from the family-of-origin violence. Continued empirical investigation of variables that potentiate or mitigate the association between family-of-origin violence and marital violence at different developmental stages is needed to identify explanatory mechanisms and, ultimately, to interrupt the intergenerational transmission of marital violence.
Programs for the promotion of family wellness and the prevention of child maltreatment: A meta-analytic review
2000, Child Abuse and Neglect
Objective: The objectives were to determine the effectiveness of programs in promoting family wellness and preventing child maltreatment and to identify factors that moderate program success.
Method: Meta-analysis, employing a 3-step model testing procedure, was used to review 56 programs designed to promote family wellness and prevent child maltreatment.
Results: The effect sizes for proactive interventions were larger at follow-up than at post-assessment, while the effect sizes for reactive interventions were higher at post-assessment than follow-up. The lowest effect sizes for home visitation programs on child maltreatment were for programs with 12 or fewer visits and less than a 6-month duration. Intensive family preservation programs with high levels of participant involvement, an empowerment/strengths-based approach, and a component of social support had higher effect sizes than programs without those elements. Also, both home visitation and intensive family preservation interventions achieved higher effect sizes with participants of mixed socioeconomic status (SES) than participants with low SES.
Conclusions: The total mean weighted effect size was .41, indicating that outcomes for the intervention group exceed 66% of those in control/comparison groups. The findings from this review demonstrated that child maltreatment can be prevented and that family wellness can be promoted.
Objectif: Évaluer l’efficacité de sprogrammes qui font la promotion du bien-être familial et de la prévention des mauvais traitements; et identifier les facteurs qui en déterminent le succès.
Méthode: L’étude a passé en revue 56 programmes qui ont pour but de promouvoir le bien-êre familial et prévenir les mauvais traitements, en effectuant une méta-analyse basée sur un modèle comprenant 3 étapes.
Résultats: Les effets des interventions actives sont plus considérables durant la période du suivi que durant la période suivant l’évaluation, tandis que c’est l’inverse pour les effets des interventions réactives. Pour ce qui est des programmes de visites à domicile, les effets les plus modestes se manifestent dans les programmes où il y a 12 visites ou moins et qui durent moins de 6 mois. Les programmes intensifs orientés vers la préservation de la famille et qui sont marqués par un haut degré de participation des sujets ont des effets plus positifs que les programmes dépourvus de ces éléments. On remarque les mêmes observations pour les programmes qui accordent aux participants le sens du pouvoir et qui offrent des appuis sociaux. De plus, les visites à domicile et les interventions intensives pour préserver la famille réalisent des effets supérieurs lorsque les participants sont de couches sociales diverses, comparés aux participants de niveau social défavorisé.
Conclusions: La moyenne des effets au total est de .41, ce qui porte à croire que les effets pour le groupe assujetti à ces interventions dépassent de 66% les effets pour les groupes contrôles ou de comparaison. Les constats démontrent que les mauvais traitements peuvent être prévenus et que le bien-être familial peut bénéficier de ces interventions.
Objetivo: Los objetivos fueron determinar la efectividad de los programas para promover el bienestar familiar y prevenir el maltrato a los niños e identificar los factores que moderan el éxito del programa.
Método: Se utilizó el meta-análisis, empleando un procedimiento del modelo de prueba de 3–pasos, para revisar 56 programas diseñados para promover el bienestar familiar y prevenir el maltrato a los niños.
Resultados: Los efectos del tamaño de las intervenciones proactivas fueron mayores en el seguimiento que en la post-evaluación. Los efectos del tamaño más bajos para los programas de visitas al hogar sobre maltrato infantil fueron para programas con 12 o menos visitas y menos de 6 meses de duración. Los programas intensivos de preservación familiar con altos niveles de participación, un enfoque de empoderamiento/ basado en reforzamiento, y un componente de apoyo social tuvieron los más altos efectos en tamaño que los programas sin estos elementos. También, tanto las visitas como las intervenciones de preservación intensiva familiar alcanzaron los efectos más altos con participantes de condición socioeconómica mixta (SES) que los participantes con bajo SES.
Conclusiones: La media del efecto del tamaño total fue .41, indicando que los resultados del grupo de intervención excedieron el 66% a los de los grupos de control/comparación. Los resultados de esta revisión demostraron que el maltrato a los niños puede ser prevenido y que el bienestar familiar puede ser promovido.
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Child victims: Searching for opportunities to break the cycle of violence

Abstract

Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin, NCJ-151651

On sale now at your HMO: Organ transplants

Wall Street Journal

On sale now at your HMO: Organ transplants

Wall Street Journal

Changed lives: The effects of the Perry Pre-School Program on youths through age 19

Mother—child interactional style in abuse, neglect and control groups: Naturalistic observations in the home

Journal of Abnormal Psychology

Family interaction in abusive, neglectful, and normal families

Child Development

The Corrections Yearbook 1996

Reforms as experiments

American Psychologist

The importance of regressive changes in the development of the nervous system: Towards a neurobiological theory of child development

Psychiatric Development

The science of prevention: A conceptual framework and some directions for a national research program

American Psychologist

School power

The Yale—New Haven Primary Prevention Project: A follow-up study

Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry

Girl's slaying spurs inquiry on city lapses

New York Times

Effects of child neglect on children

Criminal Justice and Behavior

A conceptual definition of child neglect

Criminal Justice and Behavior

Helping to prevent child abuse and future criminal consequences: Hawaii Healthy Start

Breaking the cycle of abuse

Child Development

Truancy: First step to a lifetime of problems

Perspectives on the intergenerational transmission of abuse

Breaking the cycle of abusive families

American Journal of Orthopsychiatry

Do abused children become abusive parents?

American Journal of Orthopsychiatry

The Strengthening Families program for the prevention of delinquency and drug use

Twenty years later: We do know how to prevent child abuse and neglect

Child Abuse and Neglect

Antisocial personality disorder in abused and neglected children grown up

American Journal of Psychiatry

Resilience in individual development: Successful adaptation despite risk and adversity

The cycle of violence: Revisited six years later

Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine

A forty-year perspective on effects of child abuse and neglect

Child Abuse and Neglect

The services provided during a child abuse and/or neglect case investigation and the barriers that exist to service provision

Child Abuse and Neglect

Pediatric social illness: Toward an etiological classification

Pediatrics