NCJ Number
57701
Journal
Child Welfare Volume: 58 Issue: 4 Dated: (APRIL 4, 1979) Pages: 253-261
Date Published
1979
Length
9 pages
Annotation
TREATMENT OF A CHILD-ABUSING MOTHER EMPLOYING PARENT-SKILL TRAINING AND VIDEOTAPE FEEDBACK TO ELIMINATE PHYSICAL ABUSE AND TO ESTABLISH A MORE APPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIP IS DESCRIBED.
Abstract
IN THIS STUDY, TREATMENT WAS DIRECTED TO CHRONIC CONFLICTS BETWEEN PARENT AND CHILD; TECHNIQUES TO POSTPONE OR ELIMINATE THE IMPULSE TO STRIKE THE CHILD WERE USED. A 29-YEAR-OLD WHITE WOMAN, WHOSE FATHER WAS AN ABUSER, AND HER 7-YEAR-OLD SON, WHOM SHE SUPPORTED BY ALIMONY AND CHILD-SUPPORT PAYMENTS, WERE SEEN IN A FIVE-STAGE PROGRAM. FIRST, DURING INTAKE AND ORIENTATION, MOTHER AND CHILD WERE VIDEOTAPED DURING PLAY SESSIONS AT A MENTAL HEALTH CENTER; THE MOTHER AND OBSERVING THERAPIST DISCUSSED THEIR THOUGHTS ON WHAT HAD OCCURRED. SECOND, DURING PRETEST, MOTHER AND SON WERE AGAIN TAPED DURING THREE 40-MINUTE PLAY SESSIONS, WITH NO ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS. DURING STAGE THREE, TREATMENT, THE PARENT WAS SEEN BY THE THERAPIST FOR 10 CONSECUTIVE 90-MINUTE INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS. PORTIONS OF THE VIDEOTAPE THAT DISPLAYED BEHAVIORS CAUSING OR ESCALATING CONFLICTS WERE VIEWED, AS WELL AS COOPERATIVE PORTIONS. THROUGH MODELING AND FEEDBACK, THE PARENT WAS TAUGHT TO GIVE ATTENTION AND VERBAL PRAISE TO HER SON'S COOPERATIVE BEHAVIORS, TO IGNORE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS, AND TO DISTRACT HER SON FROM AGGRESSIVENESS BY RECOGNIZING BEHAVIORAL CUES THAT LED TO CONFLICT IN THE PAST. AT HOME, SHE WAS INSTRUCTED TO WITHDRAW PHYSICALLY FROM AN INTERACTION WHEN SHE FELT SHE WAS LOSING CONTROL. THE FINAL TWO STAGES, POSTTEST AND FOLLOWUP, INVOLVED MORE VIDEOTAPING AND DISCUSSION WITH THE THERAPIST. PARENT AND CHILD BEHAVIORS WERE RATED BY TRAINED TECHNICIANS WITH REGARD TO PHYSICAL ASSAULTIVENESS, VERBAL REJECTION OF THE CHILD, AND SELF-TIME-OUT. BOTH CLINICAL REPORTS AND SELF-REPORTS OF PARENT AND CHILD SHOWED MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN BEHAVIOR AND PERCEPTION BETWEEN PARENT AND CHILD. RESEARCH TO REFINE TREATMENT AND TO COLLECT RELEVANT DATA IS THE NEXT STEP. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (LWM)