Differential Effects of Type of Abuse and Abuse History on Abuse Disability Questionnaire Scores

• NCJ Number: 195471
• Journal: Journal of Emotional Abuse Volume: 2 Issue: 4 Dated: 2001 Pages: 19-37
• Author(s): Scott A. Fields; Anna Campion; John R. McNamara
• Date Published: 2001
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the Abuse Disability Questionnaire (ADQ) to assess the effects of different types of abuse from a survivor's perspective, was administered to women receiving services from domestic violence shelters.

Abstract

The Abuse Disability Questionnaire (ADQ) is a 30-item measure designed to reveal an abuse survivor's perceived impairment from abuse. This disabling perception of life is considered to be abuse disability and the ADQ is designed to measure it. This three-part, self-report questionnaire was administered to 359 women receiving services from domestic violence shelters in Ohio. The score was used to determine whether type of abuse and developmental period during abuse affected severity of the woman's perceived impairment from abuse. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to find out if the type of abuse experienced (psychological, physical, or sexual) was a predictor of severity of abuse disability. The study was designed to find out what was more disabling, the cumulative effects of abuse or the type of abuse experienced, rather than comparing abused and non-abused groups with each other. The data were inspected for skewness and kurtosis before analysis began. A one-way analysis of variance was performed with the ADQ total score as the dependent measure. It was found that multiple time periods of abuse did not affect ADQ total scores more than one time period of abuse. It was found that the type of abuse experienced directly affected the woman's perceived abuse disability, along with her level of education. Psychological abuse was found to be the strongest predictor of abuse disability, with cumulative types of abuse being higher predictors than one type of abuse. Sexual abuse was found to not be a significant predictor of perceived impairment from abuse. No time period was found to be more predictive than another, with the exception of adolescence, leading to the recommendation that early intervention and prevention take place beginning in adolescence when intimate relationships are being developed. Additional research is recommended to establish the utility of the ADQ as a research and/or clinical instrument. Tables, references