Anthony J. Urquiza

Child sexual abuse and adult revictimization with women of color

Clinical researchers examining the long-term consequences of child molestation have reported that female survivors of child sexual abuse experience a higher risk of sexual assault as adults. However, very little literature has focused on the child and/or adult sexual victimization of women from different ethnic or cultural backgrounds. In examining the long-term consequences of child sexual abuse, this investigation examined the rates of sexual revictimization of women of color. A multiethnic (white, African-American, Latina, and Asian-American) sample of 243 women, recruited and randomly selected from a pool of volunteers from two community colleges, were administered extensive clinical interviews. Nearly two thirds of the women who reported rape as an adult had a history of child sexual abuse, while approximately one third of the nonvictimized women had a child sexual abuse history. Additionally, an examination of the rates of adult rape within each ethnic group revealed differences between the women with and without a history of child sexual abuse. Significant differences (i.e., higher rates of rape associated with a prior history of child sexual abuse) were found for white women, African-American women, and Latinas, but not for Asian-American women. The results of this investigation highlight the relationship between child sexual abuse and adult rape and suggest the need for researchers to take a broader cultural context in which to view sexual victimization.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: An Intensive Dyadic Intervention for Physically Abusive Families

A designated priority in the field of child maltreatment is the development of empirical approaches for treating abusive families. This article describes parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT), an intervention that has been shown to be effective for helping parents manage young children with severe behavioral problems. The potential application of this treatment program to the child maltreatment field is examined by (a) providing a social learning perspective to explain the development and stability of some physically abusive parent-child relationships, (b) outlining the effectiveness of PCIT with similar populations, and (c) discussing the unique benefits that PCIT may offer the field of child maltreatment. The limitations of PCIT with physically abusive families are also discussed.

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy with a Family at High Risk for Physical Abuse

The use of empirically validated treatments with physically abusive and at-risk families continues to be an issue requiring further clinical and research attention. This single-case study discusses the effectiveness of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) with a mother-child dyad considered to be at high risk for physical abuse. Although PCIT is effective with different populations and in different settings, no study to date has demonstrated the effectiveness of PCIT with physically abusive families or families at risk for physical abuse. Data are presented from behavioral observations and standardized measures. Results suggest that PCIT was effective in reducing the childs behavior problems and the mothers stress, and increasing the number of positive parent-child interactions. Finally, implications for future clinical and research work on physically abusive and at-risk families are discussed.

Challenging Children in Kin Versus Nonkin Foster Care: Perceived Costs and Benefits to Caregivers

This study uses social exchange theory as a framework for examining 102 kin and 157 nonkin foster parents’ perceptions of their foster children, their relationships with them, and their own functioning. The authors argue that these perceptions reflect perceived costs and benefits of parenting these children, which may influence their investment in them. All children in the study were referred to Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for treatment of the children’s behavior problems, participating with their foster parents. Analyses showed that nonkin caregivers rated their foster children’s behavior problems as significantly more severe than kin caregivers but rated themselves as significantly less stressed. Analyses predicting early treatment termination showed that kin caregivers were more likely than nonkin caregivers to complete the course of treatment in PCIT, particularly if they reported elevated levels of parental distress. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for foster children’s placement stability and long-term success.

The effectiveness of parent-child interaction therapy for victims of interparental violence

This study compares the effectiveness of Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in reducing behavior problems (e.g., aggression, defiance, anxiety) of 62 clinic-referred, 2- to 7-year-old, maltreated children exposed to interparental violence (IPV) with a group of similar children with no exposure to IPV (N = 67). Preliminary analyses showed that IPV-exposed dyads were no more likely to terminate treatment prematurely than non IPV-exposed dyads. Results of repeated-measures MANCOVAs showed significant decreases in child behavior problems and caregivers’ psychological distress from pre- to posttreatment for IPV-exposed and IPV nonexposed groups, and no significant variation by exposure to IPV. Stress in the parent role related to children’s difficult behaviors and the parent–child relationship decreased from pre- to posttreatment, but parental distress did not decrease significantly over the course of PCIT. Results of an analysis testing the benefits of a full course of treatment over the first phase of treatment showed that dyads completing the full course of treatment reported significantly greater improvements in children’s behavior problems than those receiving only the first phase of treatment.

Evaluation of a treatment manual and workshops for disseminating, parent-child interaction therapy.

This study’s main purposes were to: (a) evaluate a treatment manual as a dissemination strategy, (b) compare two workshop formats for evidence-based treatment (EBT) training, and (c) provide preliminary data on therapist characteristics potentially associated with successful EBT adoption. Forty-two community-based clinicians were assigned to one of two training groups (didactic or experiential). Behavior observation and self-report data were collected at four time points. Results suggest that reading a treatment manual is useful, but not sufficient. Experiential and didactic training were equally effective in increasing knowledge, skill, and satisfaction; however, after a 2-day training, few participants demonstrated mastery of skills.

A Reporting and Response Model for Culture and Child Maltreatment

As our society becomes increasingly culturally diverse, there is a growing concern in the mental health field as to whether clinicians are able to accurately distinguish different cultural parenting discipline practices from child maltreatment. Clinicians in various fields continue to differ on what is reportable. Although there is literature describing characteristics of various ethnic minority groups, there are limited data to support why clinicians do what they do and no decision-making model to guide a clinicians reporting behavior when working with clients from different cultures. This article focuses on cultural discipline practices rather than healing practices (e.g., coining) that may be challenging to assess. The authors propose a model to guide clinicians through the decision-making process and discuss interventions and clinical responses that may be most appropriate when presented with different scenarios involving cultural parenting discipline practices and child maltreatment. Finally, limitations of the presented model along with future clinical and research directions are discussed.

Efficacy of Adjunct In-Home Coaching to Improve Outcomes in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to test whether increasing the exposure to coaching by adding an in-home component to clinic-delivered Parent—Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) will increase the speed of parenting skill acquisition and show greater improvements in children’s behaviors and parental stress. Methods: Seventy-three parent—child dyads participating in clinic-based PCIT are randomly assigned to an adjunct PCIT or Social Support treatment group. The sample of children is 58% male and ranges in age from 1.7 to 8.2 years. Results: Analyses show that participation in adjunct PCIT services is associated with greater use of positive verbalizations and leads to improvement on measures of parent functioning. Conclusions: The meaning of these findings with respect to change and the process of treatment is discussed.

Attachment and the representation of intimate relationships in adulthood.

Community college students in the United States (151 men, 217 women) described their current or most recent intimate relationship on questionnaires derived from the Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (Benjamin & Friedrich, 1991). Attachment organization was assessed by categories (secure, avoidant, or ambivalent) and by dimensions (Attachment Security x Level of Activation). Respondents with avoidant or ambivalent attachment described more hostility in their relationships than secure participants did. Avoidant participants described themselves as less submissive. Respondents with low attachment security and high attachment activation were especially likely to describe more hostile patterns of interaction. Those with greater attachment security also described more interdependence in the relationship. No interaction effects of attachment with amount of experience in close relationships were found.

Retrospective Methodology in Family Violence Research Our Duty to Report Past Abuse

Child abuse research using retrospective research designs has proven beneficial to researchers and clinicians in describing both short- and long-term effects of abuse, and in identifying factors that serve to mediate outcomes to child maltreatment. Points of conflict between this research design and current child abuse reporting laws, as well as possible biases that may influence results of the researchers investigation, are addressed in this article. It is the position of this article that in research involving children under 18 years of age, current child abuse reporting laws are quite clear. Although researchers are not specifically identified as mandated reporters (although in certain states all members of the general population are mandated reporters), they nonetheless have a duty to report any “reasonable suspicion” of child abuse or neglect when this suspicion derives from their research study. Although this mandate may not apply when subjects are of legal age, researchers still have the responsibility to address and evaluate the safety of subjects or others (e.g., siblings). It is suggested that researchers acquire sufficient information from their subjects to make a determination regarding the safety of the subjects and others. The failure of current child abuse reporting laws to address adults does not leave the researcher without ethical responsibilities or fear of civil suit. In an area of research where the implicit intent is to prevent or relieve the pain or distress caused by others, it may be important to ensure that our research paradigms reflect this intent.