Honore M. Hughes

Parenting Stress, Parenting Behavior, and Children’s Adjustment in Families Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence

Children exposed to intimate partner violence are known to experience a number of negative outcomes, including behavioral and emotional problems; however, possible mechanisms accounting for this relationship are unclear. There is considerable evidence that parenting stress has a direct effect on child adjustment problems and on parenting behaviors; parenting behaviors, in turn, have been repeatedly shown to be related to child outcomes. The hypothesis that parenting mediates the relationship between parenting stress and child behavioral and emotional problems according to Abidin’s (Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 21:407–412, 1992) model was tested in a sample of 190 battered women and their 4-to12-year-old children. No support for mediation was found for either mother- or child-reported outcomes. Parenting stress had a strong direct effect on child behavioral and emotional problems. These findings have implications for the viability of Abidin’s model, as well as for interventions with battered women that address parenting stress.

Intervention for Children Exposed to Interparental Violence (IPV): Assessment of Needs and Research Priorities

In this paper we review the development of interventions for children who have been exposed to interparental violence (IPV), assess current needs in the evaluation of interventions, and provide suggestions for research priorities in this area. Interventions for negative outcomes associated with exposure to IPV only recently have been carefully designed and evaluated, thus knowledge regarding program effectiveness is minimal. Three of the most comprehensive interventions that have been evaluated are presented. Each has demonstrated effectiveness, and focuses on children with different levels of symptoms and distress. However, many questions remain regarding which interventions are beneficial for diverse children with different kinds and intensities of problems. A number of research priorities and suggestions for further improvements in the evaluation of effectiveness of interventions are identified.

Heterogeneity in Patterns of Child Sexual Abuse, Family Functioning, and Long- Term Adjustment

The present study examined the relationship between the family environment, childhood sexual abuse experiences, and long-term adjustment of women college students. Cluster analysis was used to classify 124 abuse survivors into eight groups based on aspects of their abusive experiences (3 intrafamilial and 5 extrafamilial clusters). Analysis of variance revealed a significant relationship between perceptions of family psychological health and severity of abuse for the most extreme patterns of abuse (i.e., most and least severe abuse), with more severe abuse associated with poor familial emotional health. Current psychological distress appeared to be related to certain aspects of the abusive situation, such as the use of threat or force and duration of abuse, rather than the overall severity of the abuse pattern. The diversity evident in these womens experiences of abuse and long-term adjustment supports the heterogeneity of the phenomenon of child sexual abuse and its consequences.

A Review of Child and Adolescent Diagnostic Interviews for Clinical Practitioners

The publication of the DSM-5 poses a challenge for many interview instruments due to the changes for many of the diagnoses. Six of the more widely used and studied interview instruments (structured and semistructured) were reviewed with a focus on usefulness for the practicing clinician and researcher. Use of these types of assessment procedures can facilitate the accuracy of diagnoses given by potentially reducing clinician bias. Each interview instrument varied in its strengths and characteristics related to amount of flexibility associated with administration of items; breadth of coverage of diagnoses based on DSM-IV; time required for administration; presence of screening items or modular format; and psychometric support for its reliability and validity, as well as amount of training required for use, and costs associated with acquiring and learning the format. Recommendations were made regarding the utilization of different instruments for specific diagnostic questions along with future recommendations for enhancing the format and utility of these instruments, especially in relation to the publication of the DSM-5.

Cluster analysis of child sexual offenders: A validation with roman catholic priests and brothers

Abstract The present study was designed to replicate cluster analytic techniques previously used to identify subgroups among child sexual offenders with a more restricted population of Roman Catholic priests and brothers who have sexually abused children. Two hierarchical agglomerative methods were used to cluster analyze participants on the three validity scales and ten clinical scales of the MMPI-2 (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory). Participants were 97 Roman Catholic priests and brothers who were child sex offenders. Four clusters were identified and found to be valid and interpretively useful. These empirically derived subgroups included: “Sexually and Emotionally Underdeveloped”; “Significantly Psychiatrically Disturbed”; “Undefended Characterological”; and “Defended Characterological.” Clusters were validated and further described using additional MCMI-II (Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, Second Edition), NEO-PI-R (NEO Personality Inventory, Revised), demographic, and offense-relate...

Understanding of Prayer Among African American Children: Preliminary Themes

Theoretical accounts of African American culture describe spirituality and religion as significant socializing agents for African American children. Empirical studies suggest that prayer is a vital aspect of religious and spiritual fulfillment for African American families. Studies have also found that religious affiliation and cultural background influence the religious development of children. However, religious practices, such as prayer among African American children, have not been studied empirically. The purpose of this study is to describe how African American children understand prayer within a cultural context. This study also explored emotions that African American children associate with prayer. A convenience sample of 36 African American children aged 8 to 13 years participated in a structured interview. Core ideas among their responses were identified with a consensual qualitative coding method. Results from the current study were used to generate hypotheses regarding understanding of prayer among African American children.

Ethical Beliefs of Psychotherapists: Scientific Findings

Psychotherapists from the four primary mental health professions (counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers) were surveyed regarding the ethicality of 83 psychotherapy-related behaviors. Results indicated a relatively high degree of consensus among psychotherapists of various disciplines regarding their ethical beliefs about the practice of psychotherapy. However, a significant effect for professional group was obtained on ethicality ratings of five psychotherapy behaviors (i.e., unintentionally disclosing confidential information, having clients take tests home, utilizing involuntary hospitalization, addressing a client by his or her first name, and having clients address the therapist by first name) with psychiatrists differing significantly from the other three mental health practitioner groups. The findings from the present study provide a descriptive database to assist practicing psychotherapists, state licensing and ethics boards, and professional organizations in determining what constitutes the ethical practice of psychotherapy.

Acculturation Clusters and Life Satisfaction

The purpose of our study was to determine if acculturation variables from different acculturation domains form empirically extracted acculturation clusters [based on Berry’s (1997) model], and if the clusters are related to the life satisfaction of first and second generation immigrant college students. One hundred twenty-two students attending a university in the Midwestern USA (70% female), representing more than 20 countries of origin, completed an online questionnaire. Hierarchical cluster analysis using Wards method and a k-means analysis revealed four acculturation clusters that were labeled (1) Bicultural Attitudes, (2) Bicultural Practices & Heritage Identity, (3) U.S. Practices, and (4) Heritage Practices. Participants in the two clusters most closely resembling Berry’s (1997) acculturation category of integration (i.e., Bicultural Attitudes, and Bicultural Practices & Heritage Identity) reported significantly higher life satisfaction than participants in the cluster most closely resembling Berry’s (1997) acculturation category of separation (i.e., Heritage Practices). The findings of the present study lend additional support to the use of clustering methods as a way of including multiple domains of acculturation, thereby gaining a more comprehensive understanding of acculturation and its connection with psychosocial adjustment. The results also reinforce prior research findings that integration, or biculturalism, is an adaptive acculturation strategy.

Family Violence—Child

Aggressive and destructive behaviors are daily realities in our global community and on our city streets. We spend massive amounts of revenue on national defense, local law enforcement, and personal security to cope with these threats. Nevertheless, the most ruinous outbreak of violence is violence in the home. Outbreaks of violence in families weaken the very structure of our society by disrupting the stability of the family and undermining the well-being of our children.

Gender Role and Gender Role Conflict: Preliminary Considerations for Psychotherapy with Gay Men

The current study examined the influence of gender role, gender role conflict, and their interaction in predicting psychological distress in gay men. Gender role was measured utilizing the Occupations, Activities, and Traits-Personal Measures (OAT-PM), gender role conflict was assessed via the Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS), and psychological distress was measured using the Global Severity Index (GSI) of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Participants were 71 self-identified gay males, collected from a large, Midwestern city. Results revealed that both femininity and gender role conflict were positively associated with general distress. However, a significant femininity by gender role conflict interaction was also found, suggesting that feminine gay men with high levels of conflict regarding their gender role are at an increased risk for general distress. Implications for clinicians working with gay men are discussed.