| Description |
Following the disclosure of abuse, parents are an important part of their child survivor's recovery process, often attending treatment with their children. The present study examined the relationships between parent competence at termination and variables regarding parent demographics, environment, perception of treatment, child characteristics, and parenting skills. Though it is known that parents are an important part of their children's recovery process following the disclosure of abuse, the characteristics of parents who demonstrate improved competence at termination is not known. This study attempted to identify those characteristics in order to better serve families of abused children. Data from 1,633 parents were collected and analyzed through the Safe and Healthy Families program at Primary Children's Medical Center. Parents completed a Background Questionnaire, the Child Abuse Potential Inventory, and the Therapy Outcome Questionnaire. Therapists completed the Termination Summary regarding type of service, outcome, and process. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to investigate whether relationships existed between variables on these measures and parent competence at termination. Results indicated younger children, the absence of corporal punishment, the absence of violence and/or aggression in the household, children who are not physically assaultive, lowered parent distress, and positive parenting skills were predictive of parent competence at termination. Race, marital status, defensiveness, and process variables between the parent and therapist demonstrated no significant relationship to competence. A final analysis indicated that parents' perception of a positive treatment outcome was significantly related to therapists' ratings of competence at termination. These resultsprovide a direction for future improved treatment of parents in therapy following the disclosure of abuse from his or her child. |
