Ecological Treatment for Parent-to-Child Violence

• NCJ Number: 240596
• Author(s): Cynthia Cupit Swenson, Ph.D.; Lisa Saldana, Ph.D.; Cathy Dodds Joyner, M.Ed.; Scott W. Henggeler, Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2006
• Length: 19 pages
• Grant Number(s): R01MH60663-01
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Book Chapter
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

In presenting an ecological conceptualization of and a treatment for parent-to-child violence, this chapter provides an empirical background for the mental health correlates of parent-to-child violence, identifies the risk factors for child physical abuse in order to illustrate the need for an ecological treatment model, and describes recent work on applying an ecological treatment model and Multisystemic Therapy (MST) to parent-to-child violence.

Abstract

Findings from multiple studies that have examined the impact of child physical abuse across the developmental continuum have identified the potential for impaired short-term social and emotional functioning in three broad areas: externalizing (problem behavior), internalizing (emotional disorders), and cognitive problems (handicaps in understanding and communicating concepts). Research on the long-term consequences of child physical abuse have overwhelmingly found that its victims experience multiple mental health problems in adulthood. The risk factors for parent-to-child physical abuse are outlined under five broad domains: the individual child, parent characteristics, familial factors, community characteristics, and the social network. Given the multiple consequences and correlates of parent-to-child physical abuse, treatment must also involve multifaceted and comprehensive treatment that focuses on multiple domains of functioning. MST is such an intervention. MST is an ecologically based treatment model that addresses the youth's entire ecology. In providing a detailed description of MST, this chapter addresses MST's theoretical foundation, scientific support for MST with antisocial youth and their families, and the clinical features of standard MST. The latter include a set of principles that guide the formulation of clinical intervention, family-friendly engagement process, structured analytical process for prioritizing interventions, evidence-based treatment techniques, and a home-based delivery of services. MST also features highly supportive supervision and stringent quality assurance processes that promote treatment fidelity. The chapter concludes with a description of an ongoing randomized clinical trial that applies MST to parent-to-child physical abuse. 145 references