Risk Factors in Abusive Parent and Child Relationships

The University of Newcastle, Australia

*Corresponding author: Dr Julie Casey, The University of Newcastle, Australia.Tel: 0061 02 0411271561, E-mail: [email protected]

Received: August 08, 2022
Published: November 16, 2022

Citation: Casey J, et al. (2022). Risk Factors in Abusive Parent and Child Relationships. Neonatal. 3(1):6

Copyright: Casey J. © (2022).

ABSTRACT

Background: In New South Wales Australia, relevant child protection services employ a Structured Decision-Making assessment system in order to triage ‘at risk’ children. Children and families can be designated as high or low-risk. Objective: The present study aims to explore maternal mental health, reflective functioning and personality symptoms that are suggested as precursor variables in explaining the perpetration of parental child abuse. Participants and setting: The study examined a sample of groups from the community of assessed high-risk mothers (n=21) and low-risk mothers (n=19), along with a comparison group of volunteer mothers from the community who had no recorded risk reports (n=10). Methods: The participants that had been designated high and low-risk groups as determined Structured Decision-Making assessment system in order to triage ‘at risk’ children were evaluated for their mental health status (DASS-21); personality (ZAN-BPD) and Reflective Functioning ability (Parent Development Interview). Results: The results revealed significant differences between the Community group and the two ‘at risk’ groups only. The results also suggest that the Structured Decision-Making system does not adequately evaluate mental health status; personality and parent-child attachment capacity during triage. Conclusion: Based on this study, child protection agencies should re-think how “at-risk” parents are defined. The risk (re)assessment tools used include measures of a parent’s depression, stress and borderline symptoms, as well as reflective capacity. Further research on defining low and high-risk pants on a larger sample size is also warranted.

Keywords: attachment, parenting, child abuse, reflective functioning