NCJ Number
138469
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect: The International Journal Volume: 16 Issue: 4 Dated: (July/August 1992) Pages: 541-551
Date Published
1992
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examines whether or not the boyfriends of single mothers are overrepresented among child abusers and identifies the conditions that contribute to abuse by boyfriends.
Abstract
To estimate whether mothers' boyfriends are overrepresented in child abuse, it is necessary to specify their normal or expected levels of child abuse. This can be done by assuming that, other things being equal, different nonparental caregivers perform a level of child abuse proportionate to their duration of child care. Findings that are inconsistent with these predictions can be used to estimate the degree of mothers' boyfriends' overrepresentation in child abuse. The Pearson chi-square was the statistical technique used to determine the "goodness of fit" between mothers' boyfriends' observed and expected levels of child abuse. To establish baselines of normal child care, interviews were conducted with mothers who gave birth between May 1984 and April 1990, as identified from birth certificates randomly selected from the courthouse records of a large Iowa county. Among the 159 single mothers who were identified, 108 had never been married, and 51 had been either divorced, separated, or widowed. A total of 20 mothers in the sample reported living with a boyfriend who was not their children's father. The study determined the hours that mothers' boyfriends and other nonparents performed child care. To determine the frequency of mothers' boyfriends' child abuse, mothers were asked if one of their children had ever been harmed by someone who had temporary child care responsibilities. If a mother answered yes, the circumstances of the abuse were pursued by the interviewer. Although mothers' boyfriends performed only 1.75 percent of nonparental child care, they were responsible for about half the child abuse committed by nonparents in caregiving roles. The conditions that contribute to this overrepresentation are identified. 6 tables and 38 references