[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
RE: Interactional nature of physical abuse
<x-html>
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<html>
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Microsoft Sans Serif";
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"BernhardMod BT";
panose-1:2 7 6 3 7 5 10 2 3 2;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoAutoSig, li.MsoAutoSig, div.MsoAutoSig
{margin-right:0in;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;}
p
{margin-right:0in;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;}
span.EmailStyle19
{font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<style>
p.MsoNormal
{margin-left:1.5pt;}
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue style='margin-left:1.5pt;margin-top:1.5pt'>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I wonder whether there is a parallel with
respect to negative attribution of intent to the other parent, where parents
are divorced or separated. I seem to spend a lot of my time trying to alter
that attribution to neutral, and teaching parents to at least give each other
the benefit of the doubt. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Leslie Ellen Shear, JD, CFLS</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b>
owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu
[mailto:owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Freya Schultz<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Sunday, August 10, 2003 4:45
PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Child Maltreatment Researchers<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> RE: Interactional nature
of physical abuse</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2
face="Microsoft Sans Serif"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Microsoft Sans Serif"'>What
you say makes a lot of sense, John. In our county childen's system of
mental health care, we find that negative attribution of a child's intentions
correlates highly with poor outcome, unless therapy is able to alter that
attribution to at least neutral. It seems to be a way of a parent
defensively protecting one's self from the despair of not being competent in
parenting a child with special challenges, and there appears to be a positive
feedback loop intensifying the problem, as you point out.</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2
face="Microsoft Sans Serif"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Microsoft Sans Serif"'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2
face="Microsoft Sans Serif"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Microsoft Sans Serif"'>Freya
Schultz</span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2
face="Microsoft Sans Serif"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Microsoft Sans Serif"'> </span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2
face="Microsoft Sans Serif"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Microsoft Sans Serif"'>Freya
Schultz<br>
Staff Analyst<br>
Santa Barbara County Social Services<br>
234 Camino del Remedio<br>
Santa Barbara, CA 93110<br>
(805) 681-4626<br>
<<a href="mailto:freya@co.santa-barbara.ca.us";>freya@co.santa-barbara.ca.us</a>><br>
<br>
>>> ezreader61@comcast.net 08/09/03 03:25PM >>></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Kym, I think that a valid
argument can be made that the parent’s perception of the child’s behavior is as
crucial to understanding the interactional nature of abuse as the child’s
behavior itself--if not more so. We know that most children demonstrate a
full spectrum of behaviors. Not all “good” children are good 100% of the
time. Not all “bad” children are bad 100% of the time. Human beings
have the tendency to see what they want to see given our particular needs and desires.
In other words, perception becomes reality. If a parent chooses to focus
only on his or her child’s negative behavior for whatever reason that parent
will inevitably see his or her child’s behavior as bad. Each time the
child behaves “badly” the parent’s perception of that child is reinforced—less
attention is paid to good or neutral behavior. In my practice in working
with abusive and potentially abusive parents, I have found that a very
effective intervention is to use strength-base, solution-focused questions to
help change the parent’s perception of his or her child. These newfound
perceptions create more options for the parent to interact differently with his
or her child that avoid abusive acts. In this case, effective
intervention does not depend necessarily on whether the child demonstrates
clinically significant behavioral or emotional problems, but does depend on the
flexibility of the parent’s perceptions of his or her child. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Another thing to consider
is that children are interactive beings. Children learn very quickly what
behavior gains the attention of their parents or helps them to meet their needs
most effectively. Some of those behaviors are only present within the
context of that relationship. For example, I worked with a young man who
was a model student in school and had an exceptional relationship with his
teacher, but was impossible for his parents to control. His parents had a
very volatile marital relationship and it appeared to me that my client was
most out-of-control when his parents were most volatile. He seemed to be
most manageable by his parents when they were stable in their
relationship. I think it is very difficult to look at children’s behavior
outside of the context of his or her parent’s perceptions or outside the context
of the child’s relationship to his or her social network with any
meaningfulness.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoAutoSig style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 color=navy
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";
color:navy'>Mr. John M. Polstra, MSW, LCSW</span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b>
owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu
[mailto:owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Kym Kilpatrick<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Friday, August 08, 2003 1:20
AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Child Maltreatment Researchers<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> RE: Interactional nature
of physical abuse</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Colleagues,<br>
One of my issues with child temperament research is that the papers I have read
are heavily dependent on parental report of temperament - the difficulty being
of course that in the case of maltreating parents there is considerable
research to suggest that they hold more negative views of their children's
temperament than non-maltreating parents - a major bias. I'd be interested to
hear of any papers on child temperament that did not rely on parental report.<br>
Cheers,<br>
Kym<br>
At 03:33 31/07/03 -0700, you wrote:</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.5in'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'>Does
anyone have any recent citations on this?<br>
<br>
Thanks very much<br>
<br>
Lyn R. Greenberg Ph.D.<br>
12401 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 303<br>
Los Angeles, CA 90025<br>
<br>
(310) 399-3684<br>
(310) 399-7154 - fax<br>
<br>
At 08:54 PM 7/30/2003 -0700, you wrote:<br>
<br>
</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>There is work that looks
at the temperament of the child in relation to child abuse and yes this does
continue to hold water but that does not necessarily mean we have caught up
with ourselves in practice!!!<br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:navy'> <br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:navy'>Chris Risley-Curtiss, PhD<br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:navy'>Associate Professor<br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:navy'>ASU School of Social Work & Co-Director of the Child
Welfare Training Project<br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial;color:navy'> <br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>-----Original Message-----<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b> John Polstra [<a
href="mailto:ezreader61@comcast.net"; eudora=autourl>mailto:ezreader61@comcast.net</a>]
<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, July 29, 2003 11:00
AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Child Maltreatment Researchers<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Interactional nature of
physical abuse<br>
</span></font><br>
<br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I
recently read a study completed by Kadushin and Martin (1981) where they
completed an extensive literature review describing the interactional nature of
child physical abuse. Specifically, they quoted a literature review by
Parke and Collmer entitled, Child Abuse: An Interdisciplinary Reviewin <i><span
style='font-style:italic'>Review of Child Development Research</span></i>
(1975) that says<br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>&
a serious shortcoming in both the psychiatric and sociological models [of child
abuse] is their <i><span style='font-style:italic'>failure to give adequate
recognition to the interactive nature of child abuse. It is insufficient
to view abuse from a unidirectional viewpoint,</span></i> whereby the main
cause is located in either the parent or in external circumstances. One
important feature of the social-situational approach is the recognition that
both partners, the child victim as well as the parent, need to be considered if
child abuse is to be fully understood.(Emphasis added by the authors). <br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Have
several requests that I would like to make:<br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <br>
</span></font><br>
1.<font size=1><span style='font-size:7.5pt'> </span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>This
research seems a bit dated. Does anyone involved with the listserv have
any suggestions for more current research that supports the same conclusion?<br>
</span></font><br>
2.<font size=1><span style='font-size:7.5pt'> </span></font><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Is this a
view that continues to hold water in the research community? I ask
because I have suspect as much in my work with abusive families, but much of
the services that are designed to treat an abusive family are directed at the
parents primarily i.e., parenting classes, anger management programs, etc. with
some notable exceptions such as Healthy Families. I have always wondered
at the logic of removing a child form an abusive home and expecting parents to
attend skills training programs without the opportunity to use them with
effectiveness prior to the return of the child. I realize that this is an
overgeneralization of the process. But, I believe that there is still some
validity in this view of the child protection process.<br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I
appreciate any feedback that you have to offer.<br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> <br>
</span></font><br>
Mr. John M. Polstra, MSW, LCSW<br>
<br>
</p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'><br>
</span></font><font size=4 face="BernhardMod BT"><span style='font-size:13.5pt;
font-family:"BernhardMod BT"'>Lyn R. Greenberg Ph.D.<br>
12401 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 303<br>
Los Angeles, CA 90025<br>
<br>
310-399-3684<br>
fax 310-399-7154<br>
<br>
</span></font><font size=1><span style='font-size:7.5pt'>HIS MESSAGE IS
INTENDED ONLY FOR THE USE OF THE INDIVIDUAL OR ENTITY TO WHICH IT IS ADDRESSED
AND MAY CONTAIN INFORMATION THAT IS PRIVILEGED, CONFIDENTIAL AND/OR EXEMPT FROM
DISCLOSURE UNDER APPLICABLE LAW. IF THE READER OF THIS MESSAGE IS NOT THE
INTENDED RECIPIENT, YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED THAT ANY COPYING, DISTRIBUTION OR
DISSEMINATION OF THIS INFORMATION IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. IF YOU HAVE
RECEIVED THIS COMMUNICATION IN ERROR, PLEASE NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY AND RETURN
THE ORIGINAL COMMUNICATION TO THE ADDRESS ABOVE VIA U.S. MAIL.
THANK YOU. IF THIS MESSAGE IS BEING SENT BY EMAIL AND CONTAINS
PRIVILEDGED COMMUNICATION, IT IS BASED ON THE CONSENT OF CLIENT OR COUNSEL TO
EMAIL COMMUNICATION, WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS MESSAGE IS NOT ENCRYPTED AND
THAT ANY SECURITY RISKS WHICH APPLY TO OTHER EMAIL MESSAGES MAY BE APPLICABLE
IN THIS INSTANCE.</span></font> </p>
<p style='margin-left:3.5in'></X-SIGSEP><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman"'><X-SIGSEP>Regards,<br>
<br>
Kym.<br>
<br>
Kym Kilpatrick,
Ph.D.,
e-mail:kkilpatr@metz.une.edu.au<br>
Psychology
Department,
phone: + 61 67 73-5197<br>
University of New England,
fax: + 61 67 73-3820<br>
Armidale NSW 2351, Australia</span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>
</x-html>