James M. Gaudin

Maltreatment and the school-aged child: School performance consequences

Studies of the impact of abuse or neglect on children have focused largely on maltreated infants, toddlers, or preschool children. In this study a total of 139 school-age and adolescent children participated in a multi-model, multi-source assessment; 22 of the children had been physically abused, 47 had been neglected, and the remainder served as comparison subjects. Parent and child interviews, teacher ratings, and data from school records were used to comprehensively assess childrens school performance; social and emotional development in school, at home, in the community, and with peers; and adaptive behavior in areas such as motor skills, personal care skills, and community orientation. With the effects of socioeconomic status covaried out, results showed that the abused children displayed pervasive and severe academic and socioemotional problems. Neglected children differed little from children who were neither abused nor neglected on measures of socioemotional development, but they displayed severe academic delays. Both groups of maltreated children showed unexpected strengths on measures of adaptive behavior.

Effective Intervention with Neglectful Families

The limited research on approaches to intervention with neglectful families is reviewed and guidelines for intervening with neglect are suggested. Most outcome studies have not employed experimental designs with control groups. Definitions of neglect vary among studies and distinctions have not been made between subtypes of neglect treated. Intervention programs have been successful in remedying neglect with less than 50% of the families served. Group interventions with child and adolescent victims have been more successful. Behavioral techniques have be used to successfully teach home management, parent-child interaction, and meal preparation skills to neglectful parents. Multiservice interventions are necessary to remedy the multiple problems presented by neglectful families. Group approaches, family treatment, use of paraprofessionals, and social network interventions have been used successfully with neglectful families. Short-term interventions have not been successful.

The consequences of physical abuse and neglect on the school age child: Mediating factors☆

Abstract This follow up study revealed that physically abused school age children continued to function more poorly than their nonmaltreated peers on a variety of academic and socio-emotional measures, and neglected school age children were performing more poorly in school. The results indicate that a high level of stress, particularly stress related to alcohol or drug use by family members, is an important correlate of maltreatment and also contributes significantly to poor child functioning. Parents of abused children reported high levels of depression, and for both abusive and neglectful families, child behavior problems were related to high levels of parental depression. In addition, multiple foster care placements were associated with greater child maladjustment. Children who had experienced multiple forms of maltreatment were more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors. Both groups of maltreated children showed some small but consistent improvements over time, but were still functioning poorly when compared to nonmaltreated children, with SES controlled.

Social networks, stress and child abuse

The study investigated the relationship between situational stress, strength of informal social networks and maternal child abuse. Structured interviews were conducted with 41 abusive mothers and 59 non-abusing mothers using an author-developed instrument to measure social network strength and situational stress. Abusing mothers, on the average, reported significantly weaker, less supportive informal social networks than the non-abusing mothers. Both the neighbor-friend networks and the kinship networks of the non-abusing mothers were found to be stronger than those of the abusing mothers. The data also supported the positive association of situational stress with child abuse. Both situational stress and strength of social network proved to be significant predictors of abuse. The findings supported the hypothesized mediating effect of strong social networks upon the relationship between situational stress and child abuse. Mothers living in highly stressful life situations who reported strong social networks were less likely to be abusers than mothers living in high stress situations who reported weak social networks. The mediating functions of social networks are proposed, and the implications of the findings for interventions with high risk parents to prevent child abuse are discussed.

Social distancing of the neglectful family: Sex, Race, and Social Class Influences

Parents who are neglectful of their children tend to be socially isolated. One explanation for this is that they are shunned by the community because of their deviant lifestyles. A social distance questionnaire was constructed and administered to 232 urban residents. Scalogram analysis yielded two scales of social distancing behavior applicable at the neighborhood level. Males and working class respondents averaged greater distancing than females and members of the middle class among both Blacks and Whites. Implications for social network interventions to prevent neglect are offered.

Social Distancing of the Neglectful Family

The sociological concept of social distance has been applied to the neglectful family in order to elucidate its ecology. A scale was adapted from Bogarduss work, using indicators of social distance relevant to encounters in neighborhoods. Three samples of respondents from different ethnic groups in America expressed relative distancing from a hypothetical neglectful family as contrasted with a family representing valued behavior. The indicators proved consistent across subcultures. The study suggests that children are likely to be isolated except in neighborhoods whose standards deviate from those of the general community.