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An inventory for the identification of child abusers
Author(s) -
Milner Joel S.,
Wimberley Ronald C.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(197901)35:1<95::aid-jclp2270350112>3.0.co;2-k
Subject(s) - psychology , neglect , clinical psychology , eysenck personality questionnaire , loneliness , factoring , neuroticism , child abuse , personality assessment inventory , personality , big five personality traits , developmental psychology , psychiatry , poison control , injury prevention , social psychology , extraversion and introversion , medicine , environmental health , finance , economics
Conducted a literature review to identify personality traits that are characteristic of individuals who abuse and neglect children. On the basis of reported traits, a Child Abuse Potential Inventory that consisted of 334 items was constructed. The Inventory was administered to 19 abusing and 19 matched nonabusing parents. An item analysis was conducted to identify those items that discriminated between abusers and nonabusers. While the best 7 items accounted for slightly over 90% of the variance, the top 25 discriminators accounted for 99% of the variance. A principal axis factoring with oblique promax rotations was performed. Four factors, or dimensions, were identified. They were: loneliness, rigidity, problems and control. Additional analysis indicated that rigidity and problems dimensions were the best predictors of abuse.