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Abusive Family Interaction: A Review

NCJ Number
172950
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: Fall 1997 Pages: 215-240
Author(s)
M A Cerezo
Date Published
1997
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This article presents, through a selected review of abusive family interaction literature, a comprehensive perspective on advances in the interactional context of child abuse and neglect.
Abstract
Research into the parent-child relationship has provided empirical findings that support the identification of child maltreatment as a product of a dysfunctional parent-child relationship related to incompetent parenting. This review was divided into two major sections paralleling important questions of theoretical and clinical utility: the extent to which hypothesized behavioral differences, in amount, content and quality, identify parental and child behavior in maltreating households; and the theory-driven search for interactive patterns that initiate or maintain child abuse in the context of the family process. These issues are preceded by some methodological considerations of the observational studies. The article also discusses findings related to coercion theory and to inconsistent socialization, and attempts to integrate research findings in order to provide a basis for future study. References