- Email: [email protected]
Child-abusive parents: An empirical review and analysis
582
Journals Digest
the drinking status of the mothers. Children in the control group and children whose mothers had stopped drinking showed a few signs consistent with withdrawal. but the neonates whose mothers continued to drink throughout pregnancy had a characteristic pattern of behaviors which the ;iuthors felt was indicative of neonatal withdrawal syndrome. The most common symptoms and signs that these children exhibited were tremors, sleeplessness, hypertonia. abnormal retlexes and excessive mouthing. Significantly, three children had excessive crying which was characterized as mconsolable. The authors feel that with continued alcohol consumption during pregnancy. there are certain signs consistent with a withdrawal syndrome, and these infants are not only at physiologic risk but also are at significant social risk. In addition to the consequences of the maternal alcohol abuse. both mother and child have to deal with behaviors that the authors noted as associated with neonatal withdrawal svndrome. They give an example of an infant’s agitation and excessive frantic oral behavior suggesting hunger to the observer. Caretakers, being unaware of the reasons for this child’s actions. may respond with frequent, unnecessary feedings that not only do not satisfy the child. but upset established feeding patterns. Digestive upsets, colic, vomiting and diarrhea could result not only from the ethanol withdrawal. but from attempts to relieve the distress. Add incontrollable crying. and these infants may be at high risk for a frustrated parent to shake the child in anger. The numbers in this study were small, and the study is not perfectly done since the mothers who drank heavily were all heavy smokers as well, whereas the control group had relatively fewer smokers. However this paper points to yet another link between alcohol abuse in adults and the potential for physical abuse of children. Physicians caring for colicky children or social workers who care for highrisk children and families who have colic might well be advised to take appropriate and extensive histories as to alcohol use by the mother. even though there are no physical stigmata of fetal alcohol syndrome to be seen in the baby. Department of Pediatrics University of Colorado School of Medicine
RICHARD D. KRUGMAN. M.D.
Child-abusive parents: An empirical review and analysis. P.~who/o~icul B~dlerrn (1985). Wolfe. D. Department of Psychology. University of Western Ontario.
97:462-482. Canada.
I IO refs.
RESEARCHERS AND CLINICIANS in the field of child abuse and neglect are likely to find this timely review article of interest. The author provides a succinct overview of the various methodological dilemmas that have confronted researchers in the held. He suggests that the phenomena of abuse and neglect have tended to be approached from the point of view of either of two conceptual models. the psychiatric model or the social interaction model. The psychiatric model antedates the social interaction model. Research efforts formulated from the former point of view have tended to rely on data derived from measures of psychological functioning and to have focused on establishing that abusive parents have certain distinct personality characteristics that predispose them to being abusive. Social interaction research has tended to utilize observational data and to have placed greater emphasis on the importance of contemporaneous controlling variables and “bidirectional intluencea of hehuvior among family members” (p. 463). The author selected twenty recent studies to review in greater detail. All the studies shared a common definition of abuse. utilized measures with known psychometric properties. controlled for major demographic variables, and presented results in detail. The results are presented schematically within the text allowing the reader to quickly ascertain both the critical design features and major findings of these studies. The author points to areas of agreement in the tield on certain issues. For example. abusers are more likely than nonabusers to report stress-related symptoms such as depression and health problems that are linked to the parenting role. Family interactions have “indicated that abusers display reciprocal patterns of behavior with their children that are proportionately more aversive and less prosocial than nonabusers” (p. 462). The author emphasir.ea an emerging consensus in the
5x3
Journnlx Digrht field that child abuse rellects an interactive demands.
process
involving
both parental
competence
DAVID
Judicial interviewing
and situational
STI:WNS.
PH.D.
of children in custody cases: An empirical and analytical study. Universig, ofCoL$or-
nia, Duws, Lan, Review, 17:807-X5 1 (1984). Lombard
F. K.. Professor
of Law, Wayne State University.
IN CONTESTED CUSTODY CASES in many states the court routinely interviews the child because the child’s custodial preference is considered a factor in determining the child’s best interest. Twenty-six Michigan judges were surveyed regarding these interviews. The judges customarily hold these interviews 111camero. with parents and counsel excluded but an additional court employee often present. Some form of record is usually kept. to which the parties lack access. Revelations that affect the judge’s determination run to parental mistreatment. sexual misconduct or substance abuse. The surveyed judges’ claimed confidence in their ability to establish rapport with and ascertain the custodial preferences of child subjects was belied by their expressed preference that other experts take over or participate in the interviews. The article explores how these in camera proceedings may run afoul of due process requirements. It applies the three-factor test the Supreme Court enounced in Matthews v. Eldridge: The private interest affected: the potential deprivation balanced against the value of possible corrective modifications; and the public interest, which includes the governmental function involved and the administrative burden modifications would impose. The judicial custodial preference interview poses difficulties even for the behavioral science expert. Modifications are posited and examined which nevertheless preserve the in camera character of the interview: (1) stenographic recordation, with transcript available to the parties to assist in preparing rebuttal and argument; (2) restriction of the interview to children aged 12 or more; and (3) substitution for the judge of a child development, or comparable, expert, whose report would be available to both the court and the parties. In a final footnote, the writer mentions, as an alternative, appointment of counsel to serve as advocate of the child’s wishes. A rather different approach to essentially the same issue is presented in C. Jones, Judicial questioning of children in custody and visitation proceedings, Fami!v LAW Quarrerly l&43-91 (1984). That article is also well worth reading. Florida Fourth Districr Court of Appeal
HONORABLE HUGH
S. GLICKSTEIN
Journals Digest
the drinking status of the mothers. Children in the control group and children whose mothers had stopped drinking showed a few signs consistent with withdrawal. but the neonates whose mothers continued to drink throughout pregnancy had a characteristic pattern of behaviors which the ;iuthors felt was indicative of neonatal withdrawal syndrome. The most common symptoms and signs that these children exhibited were tremors, sleeplessness, hypertonia. abnormal retlexes and excessive mouthing. Significantly, three children had excessive crying which was characterized as mconsolable. The authors feel that with continued alcohol consumption during pregnancy. there are certain signs consistent with a withdrawal syndrome, and these infants are not only at physiologic risk but also are at significant social risk. In addition to the consequences of the maternal alcohol abuse. both mother and child have to deal with behaviors that the authors noted as associated with neonatal withdrawal svndrome. They give an example of an infant’s agitation and excessive frantic oral behavior suggesting hunger to the observer. Caretakers, being unaware of the reasons for this child’s actions. may respond with frequent, unnecessary feedings that not only do not satisfy the child. but upset established feeding patterns. Digestive upsets, colic, vomiting and diarrhea could result not only from the ethanol withdrawal. but from attempts to relieve the distress. Add incontrollable crying. and these infants may be at high risk for a frustrated parent to shake the child in anger. The numbers in this study were small, and the study is not perfectly done since the mothers who drank heavily were all heavy smokers as well, whereas the control group had relatively fewer smokers. However this paper points to yet another link between alcohol abuse in adults and the potential for physical abuse of children. Physicians caring for colicky children or social workers who care for highrisk children and families who have colic might well be advised to take appropriate and extensive histories as to alcohol use by the mother. even though there are no physical stigmata of fetal alcohol syndrome to be seen in the baby. Department of Pediatrics University of Colorado School of Medicine
RICHARD D. KRUGMAN. M.D.
Child-abusive parents: An empirical review and analysis. P.~who/o~icul B~dlerrn (1985). Wolfe. D. Department of Psychology. University of Western Ontario.
97:462-482. Canada.
I IO refs.
RESEARCHERS AND CLINICIANS in the field of child abuse and neglect are likely to find this timely review article of interest. The author provides a succinct overview of the various methodological dilemmas that have confronted researchers in the held. He suggests that the phenomena of abuse and neglect have tended to be approached from the point of view of either of two conceptual models. the psychiatric model or the social interaction model. The psychiatric model antedates the social interaction model. Research efforts formulated from the former point of view have tended to rely on data derived from measures of psychological functioning and to have focused on establishing that abusive parents have certain distinct personality characteristics that predispose them to being abusive. Social interaction research has tended to utilize observational data and to have placed greater emphasis on the importance of contemporaneous controlling variables and “bidirectional intluencea of hehuvior among family members” (p. 463). The author selected twenty recent studies to review in greater detail. All the studies shared a common definition of abuse. utilized measures with known psychometric properties. controlled for major demographic variables, and presented results in detail. The results are presented schematically within the text allowing the reader to quickly ascertain both the critical design features and major findings of these studies. The author points to areas of agreement in the tield on certain issues. For example. abusers are more likely than nonabusers to report stress-related symptoms such as depression and health problems that are linked to the parenting role. Family interactions have “indicated that abusers display reciprocal patterns of behavior with their children that are proportionately more aversive and less prosocial than nonabusers” (p. 462). The author emphasir.ea an emerging consensus in the
5x3
Journnlx Digrht field that child abuse rellects an interactive demands.
process
involving
both parental
competence
DAVID
Judicial interviewing
and situational
STI:WNS.
PH.D.
of children in custody cases: An empirical and analytical study. Universig, ofCoL$or-
nia, Duws, Lan, Review, 17:807-X5 1 (1984). Lombard
F. K.. Professor
of Law, Wayne State University.
IN CONTESTED CUSTODY CASES in many states the court routinely interviews the child because the child’s custodial preference is considered a factor in determining the child’s best interest. Twenty-six Michigan judges were surveyed regarding these interviews. The judges customarily hold these interviews 111camero. with parents and counsel excluded but an additional court employee often present. Some form of record is usually kept. to which the parties lack access. Revelations that affect the judge’s determination run to parental mistreatment. sexual misconduct or substance abuse. The surveyed judges’ claimed confidence in their ability to establish rapport with and ascertain the custodial preferences of child subjects was belied by their expressed preference that other experts take over or participate in the interviews. The article explores how these in camera proceedings may run afoul of due process requirements. It applies the three-factor test the Supreme Court enounced in Matthews v. Eldridge: The private interest affected: the potential deprivation balanced against the value of possible corrective modifications; and the public interest, which includes the governmental function involved and the administrative burden modifications would impose. The judicial custodial preference interview poses difficulties even for the behavioral science expert. Modifications are posited and examined which nevertheless preserve the in camera character of the interview: (1) stenographic recordation, with transcript available to the parties to assist in preparing rebuttal and argument; (2) restriction of the interview to children aged 12 or more; and (3) substitution for the judge of a child development, or comparable, expert, whose report would be available to both the court and the parties. In a final footnote, the writer mentions, as an alternative, appointment of counsel to serve as advocate of the child’s wishes. A rather different approach to essentially the same issue is presented in C. Jones, Judicial questioning of children in custody and visitation proceedings, Fami!v LAW Quarrerly l&43-91 (1984). That article is also well worth reading. Florida Fourth Districr Court of Appeal
HONORABLE HUGH
S. GLICKSTEIN