Citation

Zuravin SJ, DiBlasio FA. J. Fam. Violence 1996; 11(2): 149-166.

Affiliation

The School of Social Work, The University of Maryland at Baltimore, 21201 Baltimore, Maryland

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/BF02336667

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Theoretical and empirical knowledge about the link between adolescent motherhood and child maltreatment is in an early stage of development. Research has produced contradictory findings as to a relationship between the two and has not focused on identifying correlates. To fill gaps in the knowledge base and generate hypotheses for future tests, this secondary analysis of data on a subset of 119 mothers who gave birth prior to their 18th birthday focused on identifying characteristics that discriminate among low-income adolescent mothers with maltreated children and comparable mothers whose children were not known to be maltreated. Bivariate analyses of 18 characteristics from several theoretically justified domains revealed that 11 were associated with neglect and four with abuse. Step-sise discriminant analysis identified six correlates of neglect that correctly classified 85% of the mothers and four for abuse that correctly classified 79% of the mothers. Discussion focuses on implications for future research and hypothesis generation.