Effects of a child abuse prevention unit in health classes in four schools

Primary prevention of child physical abuse and neglect: gaps and promising directions

Reviews on primary prevention have identified effective strategies to prevent child maltreatment but have ignored potentially promising interventions that have not yet been evaluated as well as gaps in the development of programs. The goal of this review was to identify these gaps and recommend future directions for developing interventions from a public health perspective. To this end, a systematic review of the literature for 1980-2004 utilizing existing databases and found 188 primary prevention interventions that addressed a broad range of risk factors was conducted. However, few had been rigorously evaluated, and only a handful demonstrated impact on child maltreatment or its risk factors. From a public health perspective, interventions that target prevalent and neglected risk factors such as poverty, partner violence, teenage pregnancy, and social norms tolerating violence toward children need to be developed and evaluated. In addition, more attention should be given to low cost interventions delivered to the public, by society, or that require minimal effort from recipients.

CNS child abuse: epidemiology and prevention

The problem of child abuse and the central nervous system implications are reviewed from a multidimensional approach. Statistics regarding prevalence, risk factors, epidemiological considerations, and physiological aspects are studied. The incidence is reviewed in the United States and in other countries where incidence and social services are also described. Implications for prevention efforts are considered.

Self-transcendence and depression in middle-age adults

Self-transcendence has been found to be an important correlate of mental health in older adults and adults facing the end of life. This study extends current theory by examining the relationship of transcendence and other transcendence variables to depression in middle-age adults (N = 133). Reed's Self-Transcendence Scale, the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, and measures of parenting, acceptance and spirituality were administered. Findings indicating significant inverse correlations between self-transcendence and depression, as well as between other measures of transcendence and depression support Reed's (1991b) theory. Multiple regression analysis indicated that acceptance may be another significant correlate of depression. Significant gender differences and age-related patterns of increased levels of self-transcendence were found. Study results illuminate the need to continue research into developmentally based transcendence variables related to various experiences of health and well-being across the life span.

The effects of maternal psychosocial factors on parenting attitudes of low-income, single mothers with young children

BACKGROUND

Although recent evidence implies linkages among depression or depressive symptoms, self-esteem, history of childhood abuse, and parenting attitudes, the evidence does not clearly elucidate the relationships among these variables.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the relationships among maternal psychosocial factors (history of childhood abuse, everyday stressors, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms) and parenting attitudes of low-income, single mothers who have young children.

METHODS

Secondary analyses of data from in-home interviews with 206 low-income, single mothers from a southeastern United States urban area were conducted. A variety of scales, including the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI), were used to measure maternal psychosocial factors.

RESULTS

Using the AAPI, a Modified Parenting Attitudes Measure (MPAM), and subscales, a three-stage regression procedure was used to test the model. For stages 1 and 2, everyday stressors were the strongest predictor of self-esteem. Childhood sexual abuse, everyday stressors, low self-esteem, and control variables accounted for 58% of variance in depressive symptoms. In the third stage for the AAPI, only control variables were retained except in the Lack of Empathy subscale, where depressive symptoms and control variables accounted for 16% of the variance. The third stage for the MPAM yielded, by subscale: Only control variables predicted Corporal Punishment Beliefs; depressive symptoms were the strongest predictor for the total MPAM (19% of variance) and of the Inappropriate Emotional Expectations subscale (17%); and childhood physical abuse was the only predictor of Role Reversal.

CONCLUSIONS

Depressive symptoms mediated the effects of childhood abuse, everyday stressors, and self-esteem and provided the linkage between these variables and at-risk parenting attitudes. Self-esteem decreased as everyday stressors increased but did not directly affect parenting attitudes. A relationship was not found between childhood abuse and low self-esteem. This study highlights the complexity of parenting and the need to identify other factors of at-risk parenting not accounted for in this study.