Date of Award

2-25-2002

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology

First Advisor

Clark Campbell, PhD

Second Advisor

Kathleen Gathercoal, PhD

Third Advisor

Carol Dell'Oliver, PhD

Abstract

This study investigated potential for child physical abuse in a sample of men participating in mandated violence intervention programs in Oregon. Utility of the Child Abuse Potential (CAP) Inventory, history of personal child abuse, time-in-treatment, and personal ratings of parenting were explored. Voluntary, anonymous participation of 136 men yielded 110 valid, interpretable CAP Inventory profiles. As predicted, results are similar to Milner and Gold's (1986) study with approximately one third (33.6%) of the sample demonstrating elevated abuse scores and consequently, significant potential for child physical abuse. Results extend Milner and Gold's ( 1986) preliminary support for the utility of the CAP Inventory for screening and assessment purposes with this population. Predictions that personal history of child abuse would relate to higher CAP Inventory abuse scores and that more time in treatment would not relate to significantly lower CAP Inventory abuse scores were supposed. Personal ratings of being a "good father" demonstrated that while men with elevated CAP inventory abuse scores were more likely to rate themselves lower, the population in general appears to rate themselves positively as fathers. Interestingly, only two participants vaguely mentioned their own violent behavior in their ra1ionale for personal ratings. This study supports previous literature utilizing victim self-reports, yet uniquely demonstrates risk for child abuse in this population with direct assessment of factors related to child physical abuse with a well-known and statistically proven measure. Implications for research and intervention programs are discussed primarily focusing on the need for social and legal policy and intervention practices for this population to more adequately address the multiple risks for children in violent families.

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