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Biomedical subjects

J S Milner

Publications and source records attributed to J S Milner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Family functioning and child abuse potential.

Family conflict and the lack of family cohesion are believed to set a foundation for coercive interactions that increase the likelihood of child abuse. The present study investigated the relationship between the family social environment (Family Environment Scale and Index of Marital Satisfaction) and physical child abuse potential (Child Abuse Potential Inventory) in maltreating (n = 376) and comparison (n = 148) parents. As expected, the strongest positive relationship was between family conflict and abuse potential. The strongest inverse relationships were between family cohesion, family expressiveness, marital satisfaction, and abuse scores, which indicates that the lack of positive interactional patterns is related to abuse potential. However, regression analysis revealed that family interactional patterns did not account for the majority of variance in abuse potential.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Physiological responses to non-child-related stressors in mothers at risk for child abuse.

Physical child abusers and adults at risk for child abuse, relative to comparison subjects, are reported to be more physiologically reactive to child-related stressors. It is not known if the reported physiological reactivity is child specific or if physical child abusers and at-risk parents are also more reactive to other types of stressful stimuli. The present study investigated changes in heart rate and skin conductance in response to four types of non-child-related stressors in at-risk and matched low-risk mothers. The four types of stressful stimuli were: a cold pressor; a stressful film depicting industrial accidents; unsolvable anagrams; and an aversive car horn. At-risk mothers, relative to low-risk mothers, had greater and more prolonged sympathetic activation during presentations of the cold pressor and the stressful film, the stimuli rated as the most stressful. The present data, combined with previous findings, support the view that generalized sympathetic activation to both child and non-child-related stressors may serve as a mediator of physical child abuse.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Family violence in the Air Force: a look at offenders and the role of the family advocacy program.

Family violence exists throughout society and, unfortunately, also among military families. The Air Force's Family Advocacy Program is designed not only to treat victims, offenders, and families of abuse and neglect, but also to provide prevention services. Each Air Force base has a Family Advocacy Officer, who is a credentialed clinical social worker, charged with the duty of addressing spouse abuse and child maltreatment problems. To evaluate the effectiveness of current services, and to improve the quality of the services provided through the Family Advocacy Program, the Air Force is currently conducting a 4-year evaluation study. This research represents the largest study ever conducted on family violence, with either military or civilian offenders. This paper, based upon the first year of data collected at approximately one-third of all Air Force medical treatment facilities, reported on the descriptive characteristics of the substantiated cases of spouse abuse and child abuse/neglect, and the interventions which were being recommended to alleviate the abusive situations and to prevent future maltreatment. The results will guide policy and future manning and staffing decisions for the Air Force Family Advocacy Program, and serve to document the kinds of treatment strategies which work most effectively for which kinds of problems. Findings are expected to help improve the quality of services to victims, offenders, and families, and to do so for those who are civilians as well as for those who are in the military.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Child↗
PubMed1991

[Validation of a Spanish version of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory administered in Spain].

A translation into Spanish of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory was administered to a group of perpetrators of maltreatment and physical abuse (n = 66) and to a demographically representative sample (n = 829) of the general population of the País Vasco (Spain). Results were studied with item analysis, regression, factorial analysis with the total sample so as to determine the descriptive characteristic of the Spanish version. Since this inventory is designed specifically for the detection of physical maltreatment, similar analyses were carried out with a subgroup of physical child abuse perpetrators (n = 24) and with a similar comparison group (n = 156). For the total number of perpetrators and the representative comparative group a differential analysis indicated that 91.7% had correct classification. For the group of physical child abuse perpetrators and the similar comparative group, the percentage was 98.3%. For these two comparative groups, the variance for the total of items in the abuse scale was 64.8%. Factorial analysis revealed that both English and Spanish versions of this inventory have a similar factorial structure. This preliminary data sustained the idea of working in the development and validation of a Spanish version of this inventory for the detection of physical maltreatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Applications of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory.

Five hundred and fifty administrators, direct services providers, and researchers were surveyed to determine the extent of knowledge of uses/misuses of a physical child abuse screening instrument, the Child Abuse Potential Inventory. Overall, parent screening and treatment evaluation applications were mentioned most frequently. These applications are congruent with the stated purpose and recommended use of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory. Application differences were found between researchers and non-researchers. A number of test applications not warranted by existing validity data also were found. The number and frequency of test misapplications support the view that additional professional training in the use of child maltreatment screening instruments is needed.

Child↗
PubMed1989

Inconsistent response patterns and the prediction of child maltreatment.

Inconsistent response patterns have been used with other measures to screen for child maltreatment. To date the inconsistency (IC) scale, a validity scale on the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory, has not been used as a screening criterion for physical child abuse. The present study examined the responses of 89 physical child abusers and 108 comparison subjects to determine if the CAP Inventory IC scale has any utility in the screening for physical child abuse. While results indicated the CAP Inventory IC scale scores were significantly higher for the physical child abuse group, a series of discriminant analyses indicated that the IC scale did not account for any meaningful variance after variance related to child abuse factors was removed. Further, the results indicated that dependence on the IC scale alone for physical child abuse screening purposes could be expected to produce excessive false positive and false negative classifications.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Convergent validity of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory.

The convergent validity of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAP) was investigated (N = 254). Because the CAP was designed to measure elements of individual pathology and interactional problems related to physical child abuse, it was predicted that CAP scores would be related to a measure of psychological status, the Mental Health Index (MHI). Specifically, it was predicted that the CAP would be correlated positively with MHI measures of psychological distress and, to a lesser degree, correlated inversely with MHI measures of psychological well-being. Because the CAP measures variables predictive of abusive behavior, a substantial relationship was expected between the CAP and the MHI Loss of Behavioral/Emotional Control scale. All hypotheses were supported.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Child abuse potential and work satisfaction in day-care employees.

The Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory and a Work Satisfaction Questionnaire were administered to 228 day-care employees at 40 centers to investigate the relationship between potential for child abuse and degree of job satisfaction. In addition, the ability of the CAP abuse scale to distinguish between groups of day-care employees thought to differ in the quality of child care provided was studied. Small, albeit significant, inverse correlations were observed between abuse scores and two job satisfaction items. As clarity of job expectations and as overall job satisfaction increased, abuse scores decreased. Although abuse scores for all day-care employees were not significantly different from norm scores, significantly lower scores were found for employees from "superior" day-care centers and for employees rated "high" by center directors. Abuse scores for employees rated "high" were also significantly below scores for employees rated "low." While these data indicate only limited relationships between child abuse and job satisfaction, the findings suggest the CAP abuse scale can distinguish some subgroups of day-care employees thought to differ in quality of child care provided.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Screening spouse abusers for child abuse potential.

This study investigated the ability of the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory to screen for child abuse in a group of spouse abusers. Eighty-seven untreated male spouse abusers and 95 nonabusers were administered the CAP Inventory. All of the subjects were active duty, United States military personnel. The completed, valid protocols revealed that 36.5% of the spouse abusers had elevated child abuse scores, while only 9.1% of the nonabusers had elevated abuse scores. An analysis of variance indicated that the spouse abusers had significantly higher mean abuse scores. Four concurrent reports of child abuse were made in the spouse abuse group. Two of these spouse/child abusers had valid protocols, and both scored significantly higher than those spouse abusers with no reported child abuse. The finding that over 36% of the spouse abusers had elevated child abuse scores supports Walker's (1979) finding that one-third of spouse abusers are child abusers. A limitation in this study is that no longitudinal data were obtained to determine whether those with elevated child abuse scores who were not reported for child abuse subsequently would abuse their children.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Development of a random response scale for the child abuse potential inventory.

The present research employed a total of 479 subjects in three studies to develop and initially validate a random response scale for the Child Abuse Potential Inventory. Preliminary norm and reliability estimates are reported (Study One). Cross-validation (Study Two) and construct validity (Study Three) data are provided that indicate that the random response scale is stable across groups and can discriminate normal responders from those instructed to respond in a random, haphazard manner.

Child Abuse↗
PubMed1985

Child abuse potential and authoritarianism.

This study examined the relationship between child abuse, as measured by the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory, and authoritarianism, as measured by the Public Opinion Scale (POS). The study also attempted to provide convergent and discriminant validity for the CAP abuse factors rigidity and loneliness by correlating these factors with the Edwards Personal Preference Schedule (EPPS) variables order and affiliation, respectively. Group One consisted of 150 undergraduate students. Group Two consisted of 34 adult students from a second site. For the subjects in both groups, a nonsignificant relationship (p greater than .05) between abuse scores and authoritarianism was found. In contrast, in both groups significant relationships (p less than .05) were found between the CAP abuse factor rigidity and authoritarianism. Additional analysis indicated a significant inverse relationship (p less than .05) between the EPPS variable affiliation for Group One, but not for Group Two (p greater than .05).

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Failure to thrive: parental indicators, types, and outcomes.

The present study clinically evaluated and followed 42 parents and their infants with environmental failure to thrive (FTT) to determine if the type of FTT is related to assessments of parental awareness/cooperation, subsequent FTT outcome, and later neglect. The relationships between the parent's Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory scores and the clinical measures were determined. As expected, the type of FTT was related to the degree of parental awareness/cooperation and to FTT outcome. The degree of parental awareness/cooperation was predictive of FTT outcome. However, no relationships were found between FTT type, parental awareness/cooperation, FTT outcome and later neglect. In contrast, while the CAP scores were not related to FTT type, parental awareness/cooperation, and FTT outcome, they were predictive of later neglect.

Awareness↗
PubMed1985

Convergent and discriminant validity of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory.

A number of hypotheses were generated predicting the relationship between the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory and factors on the Sixteen Personality Factor (16PF) questionnaire. As expected, positive relationships were found between abuse and apprehension, tension, and anxiety, while a negative relationship was observed between abuse and stability. The 16PF factors of apprehension, tension, anxiety and stability, which had the strongest relationship with abuse, are factors descriptive of neuroticism. A regression and discriminant analysis, however, indicated these factors alone were not sufficient to accurately describe and predict abuse.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1985

Detection of conscious deception using the Child Abuse Potential Inventory lie scale.

Two studies were conducted to provide data on the construct validity of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory lie scale. In Study One, 187 male and female undergraduate students were administered either the Child Abuse Potential Inventory, the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, or the Unlikely Virtues Scale. Three instructional sets were provided: respond honestly, distort responses in a positive manner, and distort responses in a negative manner. Each scale successfully discriminated between subjects in the honest and faking good conditions. Only the Marlowe-Crowne scale discriminated subjects in the faking bad condition through their low scores. No gender differences were observed as a function of instructional set or test employed. In Study Two, 31 male and female parents were given the CAP-Inventory under the same instructional sets provided in Study One. The findings for the parent group, the population the CAP-Inventory was designed to be employed with, replicated the results found in Study One.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1979

An inventory for the identification of child abusers.

Conducted a literature review to identify personality traits that are characteristic of individuals who abuse and neglect children. On the basis of reported traits, a Child Abuse Potential Inventory that consisted of 334 items was constructed. The Inventory was administered to 19 abusing and 19 matched nonabusing parents. An item analysis was conducted to identify those items that discriminated between abusers and nonabusers. While the best 7 items accounted for slightly over 90% of the variance, the top 25 discriminators accounted for 99% of the variance. A principal axis factoring with oblique promax rotations was performed. Four factors, or dimensions, were identified. They were: loneliness, rigidity, problems and control. Additional analysis indicated that rigidity and problems dimensions were the best predictors of abuse.

Child↗