NCJ Number
168018
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 21 Issue: 7 Dated: (July 1997) Pages: 631-636
Date Published
1997
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Mothers who physically abused their children and who had been referred to a child abuse prevention program at Columbia- Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City were assessed to determine whether they had a general coping skills deficit.
Abstract
The study compared 17 abusing mothers to nonabusing mothers of 16 conduct problem children. Coping was measured using several different methods, each designed to address insufficiencies of the others. In comparison to nonabusing mothers, independent ratings showed abusing mothers exhibited a pattern of coping characterized by greater use of emotion-focused coping strategies and less use of effective problem-focused strategies. Self-report ratings of coping indicated abusing mothers perceived their coping to be more ineffective than the coping of nonabusing mothers. The possibility that the observed coping skills deficit may indicate a deficit in emotional responding to stress is discussed, and suggestions for therapeutic interventions with child abusing mothers are given. 31 references and 3 tables