Child Abuse Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Child Abuse, including details on family violence, examinations, long-term effects, psychiatrics disorders.

Child abuse potential among mothers of substance-exposed and nonexposed infants and toddlers.

Hogan TM, Myers BJ, Elswick RK

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this longitudinal study was to determine whether there were differences in child abuse potential among mothers who were nonusers, drug users who accepted treatment, and drug users who rejected offers of treatment, over the first 2 years of their children's lives. METHOD: Participants were mothers of 140 infants, classified into Nonuser (n = 48), Treatment (n = 72), or Refuser (n = 20) groups. The Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory [Milner, J. S. 1980. The Child Abuse Potential Inventory: Manual. Webster, NC: Psytec Corporation] was administered when infants were 4, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months. RESULTS: Results of mixed-model analyses of variances showed no group differences on CAP Inventory abuse scale scores. There were significant group differences in lie scale scores on the CAP Inventory, such that lie scale scores for the Nonuser group were significantly higher than lie scale scores for the Treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, results support the position that low-income women with many risk factors in their lives are at high risk for potential child abuse, but that their drug use status and drug treatment status does not differentiate them from their nonuser peers from a similar social and demographic background.

Published 13 February 2006 in Child Abuse Negl, 30(2): 145-56.
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