Citation

Caplan P, White G, Watters J, Parry R, Bates R. Can. J. Behav. Sci. 1985; 17(2): 150-161.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1985, Canadian Psychological Association, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1037/h0080139

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Investigated the course of referral, intervention, and outcome in Canadian child abuse cases by examining the characteristics of 422 cases seen at a hospital and known to the Children's Aid Society from 1973 to 1977. Through discriminant function analyses, variables that correctly predicted outcome were identified. Subsequent abuse was predicted by variables such as child behavior problems, parents having been abused as children, abuse of a sibling, and severity of the child's injury. Reasons for using caution in clinical applications of these predictors are discussed. Comparisons of the present study to the few previous Canadian ones are reported, and all were similar in 2 respects: Bruises were the most common injury type, and abusers were rarely taken to criminal court. Differences in the findings appeared to be due primarily to the ways the samples were selected and differences in available services and hospital or agency practices. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)