Child abuse and domestic abuse: Factors in reunification

Transcription

1 Calforna State Unversty, San Bernardno CSUSB ScholarWorks Theses Dgtzaton Project John M. Pfau Lbrary 2002 Chld abuse and domestc abuse: Factors n reunfcaton Jane Margaret Scarlett Bryan Anderson Wng Follow ths and addtonal works at: Part of the Domestc and ntmate Partner Volence Commons, and the Socal Work Commons Recommended Ctaton Scarlett, Jane Margaret and Wng, Bryan Anderson, "Chld abuse and domestc abuse: Factors n reunfcaton" (2002). Theses Dgtzaton Project Ths Project s brought to you for free and open access by the John M. Pfau Lbrary at CSUSB ScholarWorks. t has been accepted for ncluson n Theses Dgtzaton Project by an authorzed admnstrator of CSUSB ScholarWorks. For more nformaton, please contact scholarworks@csusb.edu.

2 CHLD ABUSE AND DOMESTC ABUSE: FACTORS N REUNFCATON. A Project. Presented to the Faculty of Calforna State Unversty,. San Bernardno n Partal Fulfllment of the Requrements for the Degree; Master of Socal Work hy' Jane Margaret Scarlett Bryan Anderson Wng June 2002

3 CHLD ABUSE AND DOMESTC ABUSE FACTORS N REUNFCATON A Project Presented to the Faculty of Calforna State Unversty, San Bernardno by Jane Margaret Scarlett Bryan Anderson Wng June 2002 Approved by: Dr./Ray'3ff. Lles, Faculty Supervsor Soa&al Work Cathy cmbarey L.C.S.W., Drector Department of Chldren's Servces, San Bernardno County

4 ABSTRACT Ths study was desgned to dfferentate the sgnfcant demographc and famlal factors found n famles when reunfcaton s successful versus when reunfcaton fals n cases of chld removal due to physcal abuse and domestc volence. The purpose of ths study was to dentfy whch, f any of these factors, lead to successful reunfcaton. Content analyss of adjudcated cases of chld abuse n San Bernardno County was used to transform qualtatve nformaton nto quanttatve data. Sgnfcant fndngs related to successful famly reunfcaton ncluded: the greater the years n the relatonshp the more lkely reunfcaton would occur, successful famly reunfcaton was strongly assocated wth a greater number of chldren wthn the famly, employment of the male parent was strongly assocated wth successful reunfcaton, the completon of parentng class was also strongly assocated wth successful reunfcaton, and the completon of famly counselng was very strongly assocated wth successful famly reunfcaton.

5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would lke to gve specal thanks to our research advsor Dr. Ray E. Lles for hs assstance on the overall development and presentaton of ths research project. We would also lke to express our apprecaton to Dr. Rosemary McCasln for her patence, support and gudance throughout ths project. And fnally, we would lke to gve specal thanks to our colleague, Faye Johnson, M.S.W., for her assstance n the extensve task of data. gatherng for ths research project. v

6 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT... AKNOWLEDGMENTS... v CHAPTER ONE: NTRODUCTON Problem Statement Problem Focus Purpose of the Study... 9 CHAPTER TWO: LTERATURE REVEW ntroducton Revew of Exstng Lterature Gudng Theores Summary CHAPTER THREE: METHODS ntroducton Study Desgn Samplng Data Collecton and nstruments Data Collecton Procedure Protecton of Human Subjects Data Analyss Summary CHAPTER FOUR:- RESULTS ntroducton Presentaton of the Fndngs v

7 Summary CHAPTER FVE: DSCUSSON ntroducton... Dscusson... Lmtatons... Recommendatons for Socal Work Practce, Polcy and Research Conclusons... APPENDX A: DATA ABSTRACTON TOOL... APPENDX B: AGENCY AUTHORZATON LETTER APPENDX C: DEMOGRAPHCS... REFERENCES... '... ASSGNED RESPONSBLTES PAGE v

8 CHAPTER ONE NTRODUCTON The contents of Chapter One presents an overvew of the project. The problem statement and problem focus are dscussed n ths chapter. Fnally, ths chapter concludes wth a presentaton of the purpose of the study. Problem Statement Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kate Geller felt her arm twst behnd her as her husband John swung her around strkng her several tmes n the face wth hs clnched fst. She sank to the floor as blood poured from her nose and face. She felt nstant pan, as f she had collded wth a Mac truck. The baby's constant cryng seemed to nfurate John more by the second. He grabbed the nfant, shakng her volently, screamed at her to shut up, and threw her to the floor. Yellng obscentes, John walked out the front door leavng a tral of harm behnd. Sadly, the Gellers' stuaton s a common one n many households today. n fact, Chld's World (2000), a Calforna chld advocacy group, reports that "the most volent place n Calforna s not on the streets, but n the home." Chldren are not only wtnessng volence on the 1

9 televson, but n ther own lvng rooms, ktchens and bedrooms. Chld abuse s not a new phenomenon n our socety. Professonals n the feld of socal work have lkely been exposed' to the famous story of "Mary Ellen," who n 1873, suffered torturous acts, of abuse and neglect at the hands of her parents. n ths frst hghly publczed case of chld abuse, many adults at the tme thought of chldren as property that they could treat as they saw ft, frequently exertng unchecked power over them. The New York Socety for the Preventon of Cruelty to Chldren was formed the followng year as a result of the Mary Ellen story comng to lght (Amercan Humane Assocaton, 2000). Despte ncreased publc awareness and sentment related to the atrocty of chld abuse, cruel acts of abuse and neglect1 are stll perpetrated aganst young vctms at alarmng rates. Accordng to the Chld Welfare League of Amerca, a natonwde study found that n 1998, 2,898,849 reports of chld abuse were receved by chld welfare agences n the Unted States, and that of these reports, 878,877 chldren were found to be substantated vctms of abuse or neglect (CWLA report, 1998). Further, accordng to the Calforna Department of Socal Servces, Chldren's Servces 2

10 Dvson, n 1998, the State of Calforna receved over 400,000, reports of chld abuse and neglect n whch 157,683 chldren were found to be substantated vctms of abuse or neglect. As of January 2001, approxmately 105,000 of Calforna's chldren remaned n "out-of-home" placements due to serous abuse or neglect by ther parents or guardans. Domestc volence s another form of abuse whch contnues to plague our socety. Ths type of volence also has ts roots the domnaton of others who are often less powerful. Although there were laws aganst nflctng bodly harm to others datng back to the 1600 s, wves, who were often vewed as "chattel," were often abused by ther husbands or masters. n the 1800 s, alcohol, use was often blamed for,the abuse of women. However ths abuse has been ratonalzed, hstorcally women were trapped because they had vrtually no voce and even fewer rghts n ther home and n socety (Davs, 1991). Those n helpng professons, such as socal work, suggest that the famly should be a safe place n whch we not only get our basc physcal needs met, but the famly s also the prmary place where we grow, learn, love and receve.nurturng. Unfortunately, socal workers know 3

11 that the fctonal, hgh functonng, Caucasan, mddle class "Ozze and Harret" famly of the 1950's may only exst n the televson archves. Today, many Amercan famles are n crss and as a result must deal wth chld.welfare servces, law enforcement agences and the courts (juvenle and famly courts). A growng body of research demonstrates a defnte lnk between adult domestc abuse and chld abuse. n fact, most exstng research suggests the connectons between domestc volence and chld abuse are pervasve. Recent natonal studes have found that 45% to 70% of women n domestc volence shelters report that ther batterers have also commtted some form of chld abuse. Accordng to an extensve study conducted by the Amercan Humane Assocaton (2000), 60% of battered women report that ther batterers have also commtted some form of chld abuse. Further, even usng the most conservatve fgures, chld abuse s 15 tmes more lkely to occur n households where domestc volence s present (McKay, 1994). Addtonally, women who are beaten by ther partners are twce as lkely than other women to abuse a chld (Calforna Department of Socal Servces, 2001). Therefore, rather than the fctonal "Ozze and Harret" televson famly, famles such as the Gellers, wth 4

12 overlappng ssues of famly volence, are today's horrble realty. Unfortunately, advocates for the protecton of chldren and those who advocate for the protecton of battered woman are frequently at odds wth one another; thus, the programs and servces that each group facltates and supports, often have competng goals and nterests. Ths somewhat adversaral relatonshp s based on the hstorcal roots and struggles of these ndvdual movements. Today's chld welfare agences and dependency courts are deeply rooted n the chld protecton movement of the late 1800's, and contnue to be prmarly "chld centered," focusng on the needs of chldren. Conversely, the fght for the protecton of battered women has grown out of the femnst movement, and s phlosophcally rooted n women's rghts ssues (McKay, 1994). n fact, advocates for battered women are often outraged when the chld welfare system accuses, or the courts crmnally charge, battered women for falng to protect ther chldren from ther batterer. Clearly, the most serous cases of chld abuse often nvolve.mult-faceted rsk factors and famlal problems such as domestc abuse. Other factors and ssues related to the abuse of chldren nclude, but are not lmted to: 5

13 soco-economc ssues (poverty, unemployment), famlal stress,,substance abuse, lack of famly support systems, lack of communty support systems, relgon, famly of orgn ssues, and the cycle of famly volence. Although many of the above ssues have been studed n detal, there have been few studes conducted specfcally related to how domestc abuse between parents (or ntmate partners) mpacts the rsk of physcal harm of the chldren wthn the context of chld welfare programs. Problem Focus n 1999, the San Bernardno County Department of Chldren's Servces (DCS) receved 47,601 reports of chld abuse or neglect n whch 15,852 reports nvolved physcal abuse or non-accdental njury to a chld. n 1999, approxmately 1,500 chldren n San Bernardno County were removed from "parental custody" due to severe physcal abuse by a parent, legal guardan or caretaker. Unfortunately, there are no current data avalable related to the number of San Bernardno County chld abuse cases n whch both physcal abuse and domestc abuse were related to DCS nterventon. Currently, San Bernardno County has approxmately 5,000 chldren placed n out-of- home care due to severe abuse or neglect..1 6

14 As stated above, understandng the connecton between chld abuse and domestc volence s a relatvely new area of study n the behavoral scences, ncludng socal work. Clearly studyng the afflaton of chld abuse and domestc volence s mportant for a myrad of professonals for a varety of reasons. n fact, research has shown that chld welfare socal workers need to have a clear understandng of ths lnkage n order to 1 approprately assess for the rsk to the chld, rsk to the socal worker whle n the home, recommend adequate servces, provde sutable case plannng, and to promote J mproved famly functonng (Aron' & Olson, 1997)., Wthn the context of the San Bernardno County Chld Welfare System, there are Countless stakeholders who are concerned about the ssue of domestc volence coupled wth the physcal and emotonal harm of chldren. At the publc agency level, the San Bernardno County Department of Chldren's Servces and the Juvenle Court are frequently faced wth questons such as: Under what crcumstances does domestc abuse endanger chldren n the home? Snce there are many serous domestc abuse cases n whch the chldren are never physcally harmed,, chldren are rarely removed from parental custody due to the emotonal harm caused by domestc abuse alone (no 7

15 physcal harm to the chld). Therefore, ths complex and nterrelated ssue s crtcal for these publc enttes on a case management level (.e., ntal rsk assessment, provdng servces for rsk reducton, tranng needs). At a legal level, attorneys need knowledge of domestc volence (coupled wth chld abuse) when advocatng for ther clents and judges must decde under what crcumstances should chldren be legally removed from parental custody at the rsk of volatng the cvl rghts of the parents/legal guardans. And at an admnstratve level, polcy and procedure must be constantly reevaluated whle remanng n lne wth the law, current models of best practce, networkng wth other agences and mplcatons for staff development. Further, other publc and prvate agences (or enttes) that have a stake n ths ssue nclude: Local law enforcement agences, who frequently deal wth famly volence and chld abuse cases wthout specfc knowledge and tranng that would assst them n rsk assessment. The Dstrct Attorney's Offce, whch would lkely beneft from research fndngs that provde outcome measures related to complance and treatment of volent offenders. 8

16 Mental health practtoners (publc and prvate), who often provde treatment servces for these famles (.e.., ndvdual counselng, parentng classes, anger management). Educatonal nsttutons at all levels (.e., school personnel must educate students who are vctms of domestc and physcal abuse). nsttutons of hgher learnng n whch studes such as ths can provde valuable nformaton for educators and future practtoners. Clents could be mpacted by such research f research fndngs result n chld welfare polcy changes. Foster parents, who often become the caretakers of chldren that are vctms of physcal abuse and domestc abuse, must be aware and senstve to these complex ssues to be effectve surrogate parents. Purpose of the Study The focus of ths study was to expand the theoretcal knowledge about the complextes of cases that encompass both domestc abuse and serous physcal abuse of chldren. Ths wll provde key stakeholders (mentoned above), ncludng socal work practtoners n the feld of chld welfare, wth valuable nformaton. Ths 9

17 nformaton could be used to advance rsk assessment tools, to mprove provson of servces and case management, to advance staff development and tranng, and to further develop polcy and procedures specfc to these very serous cases n the chld welfare system. Therefore, ths study thoroughly examned the followng research queston: "n San Bernardno County chld welfare cases, n whch chldren have been removed from parental custody due to serous physcal abuse and where domestc partner abuse s also present, what factors are most assocated wth successful famly reunfcaton?" 10

18 CHAPTER TWO LTERATURE REVEW ' ntroducton Chapter Two conssts of a dscusson of the relevant lterature. Specfcally, presented below s an extensve revew of the lterature and research related to domestc abuse and chld physcal abuse. Addtonally, chapter Two concludes wth a summary of the theores that guded ths research. Revew of Exstng Lterature Although there have been studes drectly related to these overlappng ssues (.e., prmarly focusng on theores of causes and treatment), few studes have been conducted from the context of chld welfare servces n relaton to case management polcy. To date, there have been no studes of ths ssue conducted to examne ths populaton wthn the San Bernardno County Chld Welfare System. At ths pont, most of the natonal emprcal studes are of women resdng n domestc abuse shelters. Socetal responses to abused chldren and to domestc volence have developed along separate tracks. Chld protectve servces and programs for battered women mantan dfferent hstores and are part of dfferent 11

19 systems (publc versus prvate). Chld welfa're servces seek to protect the chld whle domestc volence programs have the goal of empowerng the woman (McKay, 1994). Smlarly, researchers studyng ether chld maltreatment or spousal abuse have most often focused on one or the other form of volence. Often when one type of vctmzaton has been studed, other types of famly volence have been overlooked, thus lmtng the scope of the avalable research. Exstng studes allow us to determne what degree of overlap exsts between chld abuse and domestc volence but not much more than ths. Part of the problem s that most studes publshed to date report smple statstcs on the percentage of overlappng volence n famles based on survey questons or case record revews that were carred out for other purposes. The data on ths overlap are often mentoned as an asde to the prmary research fndngs. Hughes' (1988) study of chldren s a good example of ths. Ths study mentons that 60% of the chldren accompanyng battered women to a shelter are reported by ther mothers to have also been physcally abused. The prmary focus of the study was the psychologcal and behavoral problems assocated wth a chld's wtnessng volence n the home, not on the 12

20 overlap between chld maltreatment and domestc volence. As a result, there s an estmate of the overlap n ths shelter-based populaton, however, no nformaton s presented related to how these forms of abuse are connected. When tryng to understand the overlap of chld abuse and domestc volence, t s also mportant to revew the research methods, data collecton technques and results for relablty and valdty. Researchers have come to study the lnk between chld abuse and domestc volence mostly from two dfferent drectons. One strategy has been to dentfy evdence of women batterng where known cases of chld abuse exsts. These studes have most often examned archved case records of chld abuse and looked for nformaton ndcatng that a chld's mother was also beng abused. For.example, Whtney and Davs (1999) looked at the Massachusetts Department of Socal Servces' Chld Protecton case records for ndcatons that an ncdent of adult domestc volence had occurred. snce the last case revew. The researchers examned computerzed records for all actve chld protecton cases n Massachusetts over a seven-month perod and found that the average ncdence of adult vctmzaton recorded on a case summary form by the socal worker was 32.48% 13

21 statewde. The overlap jumped to 48.2% when these researchers added nto the data analyss any cases where the socal worker also ndcated a treatment goal of protectng the chld from adult domestc volence. A second and more frequently used strategy has been to lookfor evdence of chld maltreatment n famles where abuse of the mother s known to exst. The percentages of overlap most often nclude only battered women wth chldren present n the home, not all battered women (or battered men) n a partcular sample. Some of the studes have drawn ther data from ntervews wth women resdng n battered women's shelters, others have advertsed n the meda to recrut famles, and stll others have located battered women who were usng other socal servces. For example, n a 1988 study, Bowker, Arbtell,, and McFerron advertsed n a natonal magazne, and developed a natonal sample of 1,000 battered women of whch 775 had chldren n the home. Ths study found that 70% of the male partners were reported to also abuse ther chldren. Accordng to another natonal study enttled, "The 1985 Natonal Famly Volence Survey" n whch there were occurrences (at least one) of both domestc abuse and chld abuse, socal researcher, M.A. Straus found that 14

22 chldren of battered women "run a partcularly hgh rsk of beng abused themselves." n fact/ ths 1978 study of a natonally representatve sample of Amercan famles found that there was a "129% greater chance of chld abuse n famles n whch the husband had ht hs wfe." From ths same study, Straus further concluded that n onethrd of the famles n whch the husband-wfe volence was severe enough to be consdered wfe abuse, the chld(ren) were also vctms of abuse by the mother and/or the father. ncdents of abuse by the mother were actually slghtly hgher. Further, a longtudnal study of battered chldren of battered wves was conducted, n whch 27 battered women resdng n shelters wth chldren under 18 were studed pre-treatment and post-treatment (sx-month treatment program'ncludng self-esteem buldng and "delegtmzng" volence), found that 55.6% of the women and 63% of the men n ths small sample had used "abusve tactcs" on ther chldren wthn the year pror to the mother and chldren enterng the "battered woman shelter." From ths study, the researcher found that ths type program1 may reduce the rsk of chld abuse sgnfcantly (approxmately 40%) wthn the frst sx months of leavng the program (Gles-Sms, 1985). 15

23 Researcher Susan M. Ross n her 1996 study, enttled "Rsk of Physcal Abuse to Chldren of Spouse Abusng Parents," also reled heavly on data and fndngs from the 1985 Natonal Famly Volence Survey. n her study Ms. Ross focused prmarly on how the fndngs n the 1985 Natonal Famly Volence Survey nfluenced rsk assessment related to chld custody ssues n famly court. Therefore, Ms. Ross addressed two prmary research questons n ths study. Frst, dd greater amounts of martal volence ncrease the probablty of chld abuse by the volent spouse? And second, dd husbands show a stronger relatonshp between martal volence and chld abuse than wves? Ms. Ross' study had several sgnfcant fndngs, ncludng: 1). 22% of husbands who were physcally volent toward ther wves had also engaged n physcal chld abuse; 2). 23.9% of volent wves had engaged n physcal abuse of ther chld; and that, 3). female chldren are far less lkely to sustan abuse from ether volent parent. There were also fndngs related to race, age, and other demographcs. The prmary lmtatons of ths study were that other factors lkely related to famly volence, such as: substance abuse, employment 16

24 ssues, ntergeneratonal abuse, and access to support systems were not made varables n ths study. Other famly characterstcs have been examned n assocaton wth the overlap between chld maltreatment and women batterng. Bowker, Arbtell and McFerron (1988), found two famly factors to be sgnfcant predctors of chldren beng abused n famles where known domestc volence exsted. Frst, they found that the more domnant a husband was n the famly's decsonmakng process, the more lkely a chld was to be abused. Second, the larger the number of chldren n a famly the more lkely there s to be chld abuse n the home. Gender and brth order of a chld also appear to be factors n whch chld s targeted for abuse. t appears that male chldren are more at rsk of beng abused when spouse abuse s present n the home. For example, as stated prevously, Ross (1996) reports that female chldren are much less lkely than ther male sblngs to be abused by the volent men (47% decrease) or by volent women (27% decrease) n the household. Prescott & Letko (1977) also found that the oldest male chld was the most lkely vctm of chld abuse when men who also batter ther women partners turned on ther chldren. 17

25 Whle some studes have found that the presence of chldren fathered by former male partners put women at greater rsk of beng abused (Daly, Sngh, & Wlson, 1993), and that the presence of a step-parent put chldren at greater rsk of beng abused (Wlson & Daly, 1987), other studes have found the contrary. n fact, McCloskey, Fgueredo and Koss (1995) found no assocaton between the bologcal relatonshp of a father and abuse of a chld. n a 1987 research artcle, t was suggested that because domestc volence nvolvng male perpetrators has receved ncreasng publc attenton, many researchers and practtoners had began to falsely frame domestc abuse as essentally a masculne form of assaultve behavor (McNeely, 1987). n ths study, these researchers argue that ther analyss of the "Natonal Crme Survey" and Straus's "1985 Natonal Famly Volence Survey" show that the clams that the perpetrators of domestc abuse are overwhelmngly male are not supported by emprcal studes and; thus, are destructve to clents, practtoners and polcy makers. Other research ndcates a lnk between women batterng and subsequent abuse by the mother. The ssue of a mother's use of volence toward her spouse and her 18

26 chldren s unclear at ths pont. Some would argue that women are just as volent as men. Most data provde a dfferent pcture. The "Natonal Crme Vctmzaton Study" has shown women to be more lkely the vctms of volence and homcde at the hands of ntmate partners (Bachman & Saltzman, 1995). Saunders (1986) has documented that a great deal of volence nvolvng women and ther partners s used n self-defense. Conversely, a subsequent study conducted by Straus and Gelles (1990), found that men who were reported to most frequently beat ther wves were also the ones most lkely to be reported as abusng chldren n the home. Clearly, based on the contradctory research fndngs presented above, further n-depth research of how men's and women's use of volence dffers, and how these forms of volence are lnked to chld abuse s needed. n revewng varous therapeutc treatment approaches related to ths problem, one study (Whteman, 1987), suggests that anger s closely related to abusve acts. Therefore, chld abuse nterventon strateges that focus on the mmedacy of the volent nteractons between the parent and chld are most useful. Ths study of a cogntve-behavoral approach to t.reatment used structured therapeutc nterventons, such as cogntve 19

27 restructurng, a relaxaton-tranng program, problem solvng sklls buldng, and a composte of all three technques. Fndngs from ths study ndcate that the use of one or a composte of all three technques resulted n parents beng more empathc toward ther chldren and acceptng of age approprate behavor of ther chldren, thus, reducng the rsk of future anger and abusve behavor toward ther chldren. Another researcher (Stosny, 1994), suggests that successful nterventon wth spouse abusers, most of whom are ordered nto treatment by the court, must overcome formdable anger and resstance, often expressed by hgh 1 attrton and lmted clent partcpaton. n hs study, clents are shown a dramatc vdeo that depcts spousal abuse from the vewpont of a young boy, who as a man has 1 become a1spousal abuser. Accordng to Stosny, although the! vdeo used for ths study was desgned to combat treatment, resstance, clents also "experenced compasson for the chld wtness to famly volence" and learned to convert ther habtual anger response nto non-volent actons. As ntended, the use of the vdeo also sgnfcantly ncreased attendance and partcpaton n the group treatment process. 20

28 Another researcher (Hamln, 1991), hghlghts the necessty for easly accessble comprehensve communty based servces for the treatment of famles that are mpacted by both domestc abuse and chld abuse. n hs study, Hamln found that typcally treatment servces for these famles are fragmented, often compettve (for example, turf wars over fundng) and plagued by poor communcaton. From hs study fndngs, Hamln recommends that teams consstng of law enforcement, medcal practtoners, mental health professons and chld welfare workers work together on cases to address ths fragmentaton and provde clent-centered nterventons and treatment servces. n addton to the research revews presented above, other research relevant to ncdence, rsk assessment and treatment of famles, n whch domestc abuse and chld physcal abuse are prevalent, wll be revewed and summarzed n the fnal study. Gudng Theores One 'mportant theory related to domestc abuse s the theory of learned helplessness. Accordng to psychologst, Lenore Walker (1984), who bulds on the earler theores of expermental psychologst, Martn 21

29 ' l ' ' Selgman, (who frst tested ths theory n a laboratory experment wth anmals, prmarly dogs), "learned helplessness" occurs when faced wth "uncontrollablty." Walker further hypotheszes that the battered women's percepton of helplessness may or may not be accurate. However, ths theory does not propose that the vctm s actually powerless to effect change over a stuaton, but rather t postulates that the vctm beleves nothng she can do wll facltate postve change and/or outcomes. Thus, t becomes extremely dffcult for vctms to "change ther cogntons" to beleve that ther actons can change ther current lfe stuaton. Whle the theores descrbed above can provde 1 specfc theoretcal framework for assessment and 1 treatment of the famly n the "crss of volence," a,, more holstc or ecologcal approach to assessment and treatment s often requred to address the complex and multfaceted ssues related to famly volence (Martn Bloom, 1996). n the Ecologcal-Confgural model, t s theorzed that every sgnfcant socal event, such as makng a frend, gettng marred, havng a baby, talkng 1 wth a clent about a sgnfcant problem, and so on, s ' the product of several forces (nternal and external) ' actng on the people nvolved. "One set of forces f ' / 22

30 strengthens the ndvdual, the support of some group, and the resources from the physcal envronment, whle another set of forces ncreases personal lmtatons, socal stresses, and envronmental pressures." Each type of force (ether postve or negatve) mpacts one's ablty to grow, change behavor or acheve goals. For example, a conservatve Chrstan may use napproprate physcal dscplne on ther chld that results n njures and members of ther church communty may condone and encourage ths type of dscplne. However, f such a case was referred to the authortes, a law enforcement offcal (CPS or law enforcement) mght dscourage ths type of dscplne and may n fact threaten legal consequences. How a parent dscplnes ther chld n the future may be seen as a result of the "pushes and pulls" of these forces/pressures. Accordng to Bloom (1996), "all of lfe s flled wth pushes and pulls of varous degrees and-ntensty." Therefore, "socal servces may be seen as an addtonal force that'clarfes.these varous pushes and pulls and perhaps contrbutes new energy, helpng clents acheve the goals they seek wthn ther contexts." Bloom further suggests that that s not enough to analyze these sx factors for what they contrbute to a partcular 23

31 stuaton/behavor. The practtoner must "specfy the subsystems or components of these major factors, such as cogntve, affectve, behavoral, and physologcal attrbutes of ndvdual strengths and lmtatons; the varous knds of socal groups (.e. famles, peers, organzatons, communtes); and possbly the dfferences between bult and natural envronments." n.summary, the strength of the ecologcal perspectve to assessment and treatment of ndvduals and famles s the holstc approach that vews each person wthn ther own unque envronment. Far too often, an nexperenced practtoner vews and defnes the clent only by ther dagnoss, prescrbed treatment approach and ther own theoretcal framework/bases (Freud, Erckson, Jung, Rogers), rather than takng a holstc vew of people and envronments. Nether of whch can be fully understood except n the context of ts relatonshp wth the other. n fact, f the practtoner routnely consdered usng ecologcally based assessments, they would be less lkely to overlook crtcal clent strengths or lmtatons and are more lkely to thoroughly analyze/assess complex lfe stuatons such as famly volence;' Thus, provde the foundaton for a more comprehensve treatment approach.. 24-

32 Fnally, other less known, but related theores nclude the frustraton-aggresson hypothess whch suggests that people become frustrated, angry and physcally aggressve when ther goals are blocked (Mller,' 1941). And the resource theory of volence whch hypotheszes that "the more resources a person can command, the more force that person has avalable, but that there s a decreased lkelhood of usng that force toward a safe object" (Goode, 1971). Ths theory more smply states that persons wth few resources are more lkely to resort to volence and to choose a "safe target," someone wth less power than they have. Summary Chapter Two was a revew of the lterature and research mportant to the study of the overlappng ssues of chld physcal abuse and domestc abuse. Ths chapter further presented a summary of the theores gudng ths research project ncludng the theory of learned helplessness, the ecologcal model, the frustraton aggresson hypothess, and the resource theory of volence. 25

33 CHAPTER THREE - METHODS ntroducton Chapter Three documents the steps used n developng ths research project. Specfcally, the study desgn, samplng, data collecton and nstruments, procedures, protecton of human subjects and data analyss are presented below. Study Desgn The purpose of ths study was to dentfy, descrbe and analyze the factors most assocated wth successful famly reunfcaton, wthn the context of San Bernardno County chld welfare cases n whch chldren were removed from parental custody due to serous physcal abuse and underlyng ssues of domestc abuse. The general research methodology conssted of a qualtatve and quanttatve revew (content analyss) of an exstng data set (case records). Specfcally, ths study examned a non-random sample of 35 San Bernardno County chld welfare cases extracted from the State of Calforna "Chld Welfare Servces/Case Management System (CWS/CMS)." Ths exploratory nvestgaton of exstng automated data was selected because of the followng: 26

34 Data are readly avalable and easly extracted. Ths research approach allows for unobtrusve study of the research queston that clearly reduces and/or elmnates bas due to reactve behavors of the study populaton. Content analyss of case records allows for the collecton of qualtatve data from case records and the converson of ths data nto quanttatve data that can be statstcally analyzed (reduces the potental researcher bas of a purely qualtatve study). And fnally, ths research approach provdes hstorcal nformaton on famles that can be utlzed to conduct a longtudnal study. An exploratory longtudnal research desgn was employed n ths study to examne the relatonshps between crtcal ndependent varables and the reunfcaton or non-reunfcaton (dependent varable) of chldren who had been removed from parental custody due to serous physcal abuse, and underlyng ssues of domestc partner abuse. Ths desgn provdes a pcture of a phenomenon, whch has not been thoroughly examned, by studyng non-randomly selected famles over a predetermned perod of tme..the results of ths 27

35 exploratory study can be used to ncrease the current understandng of these phenomena and provde a foundaton for future research. Ths s, n essence, a study of the success, or falure (reunfcaton vs. no-reunfcaton), of clents who are court ordered (not randomly selected) to a "full coverage program" (all clents provded wth same servces and treatment programs for the purpose for famly reunfcaton). The prelmnary assumpton of ths study was that: specfc servces and/or factors, such as: level of clent partcpaton, demographc dfferences, perpetrator arrest and the experence and educaton of the caseworker are assocated wth successful reunfcaton. n ths study, quanttatve and qualtatve comparsons are made between clents who successfully reunfy wth ther chldren and those who fal to reunfy, usng the data generated n relaton to the ndependent and dependent varable(s). Lmtatons of ths study related to the study desgn and the use of an automated case management system nclude: Possble nconsstences n entry of case notes and demographc data nto the CWS/CMS system (data may be naccurate, ncomplete or mssng from case fles). 28

36 ' 1 nconsstences n case assessments conducted and recorded by socal workers., Data nconsstences related to automaton problems (data can be mssng or damaged). And fnally, data may be nfluenced by the bases of! the assgned socal workers. Samplng The prmary data source for ths study was San Bernardno County Chld Welfare Servces records extracted from the Chld Welfare Servces/Case Management Servces (CWS/CMS) database. Ths statewde automated system keeps 1 data on Hstory of abuse, type of1 abuse, detaled demographc data, detaled court reports, servces 1 receved and detaled case notes. From these fully ' 1 J automated records, quanttatve (demographc data) and more detaled qualtatve data related to the varable(s) was gathered from general data screens, case notes and structured court reports. n ths study, the research sample ncluded all San Bernardno County chld welfare cases n whch chldren were removed from parental custody due to serous physcal abuse, and underlyng ssues of domestc abuse between January 1, 1999, and September 30, A longtudnal 29

37 study of these dentfed cases was conducted, by revewng relevant nformaton recorded n these case records from January 1, 1999, through June 30, The longtudnal nature of 'ths study s crucal, due to the statutory tme-frames related to famly reunfcaton servces n most chld abuse cases. Specfcally, ths study examned the records of dentfed famles for up to two years because Calforna State law mandates that parents or legal guardans receve famly reunfcaton servces for a mnmum of 6-months to a maxmum of 18-months. Fnally, a sample of court nvolved famles taken from January 1, 1999, to June 30, 1999, allowed the case records of dentfed famles to be extensvely revewed throughout the maxmum reunfcaton cycle (18-months). The automaton of the CWS/CMS system and the use of archval, secondary data, allowed for systematc content analyss of ths research sample. Data Collecton and nstruments Usng content analyss of each dentfed famly case (archval data), qualtatve nformaton was assessed and translated nto a quanttatve form for statstcal analyss. Whle revewng each case for relevant 30

38 quanttatve and qualtatve nformaton, a case data abstracton tool, desgned specfcally for ths study, was used to record pertnent data related to the ndependent and dependent varables (See Case Data Abstracton Tool, APPENDX A) ndependent varables n ths study ncluded the followng demographc nformaton on each parent whch was measured at a nomnal level: sex, race, employment status, educatonal level, role n domestc abuse case, role n chld abuse case, hstory of substance abuse. Each parent's specfc age, length of current domestc relatonshp and the number of chldren was recorded as a contnuous level of measurement. Addtonally, ndependent varables related to servce provson were examned n ths study. Servces provded to the famly nclude separate categores for famly counselng, ndvdual counselng, parentng classes, substance abuse and anger management classes. These categores of servce provson and completon of servces wll be measured at a nomnal level. Other ndependent varables related to perpetrator arrest (nomnal measurement) were also recorded durng the case revew process. Further, ndependent varables related to ncdents of pror chld abuse and domestc 31

39 abuse are also recorded n ths study. Fnally, ndependent varables related to the assgned caseworker's years of experence (contnuous measurement) and educatonal level (nomnal measurement) was recorded and analyzed n ths study. n ths study, the dependent varable was successful reunfcaton of the chld(ren) n the parental home. Ths was measured at a nomnal level based on famly reunfcaton verses no famly reunfcaton. Data Collecton Procedure n ths study, the ntal research sample was selected by screenng for all San Bernardno chld welfare cases whch resulted n chld removal from parental custody due to serous physcal abuse between January 1, 1999, and June 30, These records were extracted from the automated CWS/CMS system by use of a "query" made to the database (lnkng court cases between January 1, 1999, and June 30, 1999, and cases nvolvng serous physcal abuse). From ths prelmnary non-random research sample, all cases were revewed (by the researchers), and those that do not contan documented domestc partner abuse were elmnated from the research sample. As stated prevously, 32

40 the fnal research sample was comprsed of 35 cases. After the fnal research sample was selected, each sample case was assgned an dentfcaton number n order to track each dentfed case through the research process, and to preclude any dsclosure of confdental nformaton. Fnally, ths study utlzed content analyss and a case data abstracton tool (APPENDX A) to categorze addtonal ndependent varables n a SPSS spreadsheet form for statstcal analyss. The data needed to complete the exploratory research process was extracted from automated court reports, case notes and other documentaton contaned n the CWS/CMS system and wrtten prmarly by DCS socal workers over the two-year perod studed. Protecton of Human Subjects The confdentalty and anonymty of the study partcpants was a prmary concern of these researchers. For the sake of protectng the partcpants' anonymty and nputtng the data, a numberng system was utlzed. No partcpant names were used. The sample used by the researchers has been kept confdental by only allowng the researchers to have access to the case name. The research data obtaned, and presented n the fnal 33

41 research project was coded by number only. No names of clents have been released or connected to the nformaton gathered for ths study, n order to protect the confdentalty and anonymty of the famles studed. The unobtrusve nature of ths study desgn (revew of archval records) further protects the prvacy of the famles studed. Data Analyss Usng content analyss and general case revew, all relevant qualtatve and quanttatve data were gathered, quantfed and categorzed n a SPSS spreadsheet format. Ths data was statstcally analyzed usng unvarate, bvarate (Ch-square) and multvarate statstcal analyss (ndependent Means T-Test) to compare the crtcal varables of cases n whch chldren were reunfed wth ther famly and cases n whch reunfcaton dd not occur. ntally smple statstcal tools (bvarate correlatons) were utlzed to dentfy logcal groupngs of varables (.e., demographcs, types and levels of servces, worker characterstcs) to be analyzed usng more complex statstcal analyss (Ch-Square and ndependent Means T-Test). t was ntally hypotheszed 34

42 that varous correlatons between crtcal ndependent varables (ndvdual and famlal characterstcs, servces completed, perpetrator arrest, socal worker experence and educatonal level) and the dependent varable (reunfcaton versus no reunfcaton) exst and would be evdent n ths study. Summary n summary, ths study utlzes an exploratory research desgn n whch extensve content analyss was conducted on 35 chld welfare cases n whch chldren were removed from parental custody due to serous physcal abuse and the presence of domestc volence. From ths data, crtcal varables were analyzed n order to address the research queston of: "n San Bernardno County chld welfare cases, n whch chldren have been removed from parental custody due to serous' physcal abuse and where domestc partner abuse s also present, what factors are most assocated wth successful famly reunfcaton?" 3 5'

43 CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS ntroducton ncluded n Chapter Four s a presentaton of the results of ths research project. Frst, presented below, are the1 results of statstcal analyss of the characterstcs of the non-random sample of the 35 court cases dentfed for ths study. The Chapter concludes wth a summary of the key fndngs of ths research proj ect. Presentaton of the Fndngs n relaton to the dependent varable n ths study, n 25 cases (71.4%) reunfcaton occurred whle n 10 cases (28.6%) chldren were not reunfed wth ther parents. n relaton to a pror hstory of domestc abuse, n 85.7% of the cases there had been domestc volence n the famly home pror to chld removal. n 82.9% of the cases there had been pror chld abuse. Fnally, n 29 of the 35 cases (82.9%) of the cases, the perpetrator of the domestc abuse and/or chld abuse was arrested. Based on the desgn of ths study, all famles n ths sample were comprsed of two adults wth male and 36

44 female parents beng evenly dstrbuted throughout ths sample. The age range of the female parent was 20 to 44 wth a mean of and a medan of The age range of the male parent was 21 to 59 wth a mean of and a medan of The number of years n whch the parents were n a relatonshp pror to chld removal ranged from 1 to 18 wth a mean of 5.18 and a medan of four. n fact, n 75% of the famles studed, the parents had been n the relatonshp fve years or less. The number of chldren n each famly studed ranged from one to sx wth a mean of 2.91 and a medan of three. n,ths study, 23 (65.7%) of the female parents were Caucasan, 7 (20%) were Hspanc, 3 (8.6%) -were Afrcan- Amercan, and 2 (5.7%) were categorzed as other. n 11 cases (31.4%) the female parent was employed, n 19 cases (54.3%) unemployed, and n 5 cases (14.3%) the employment status of the female parent was unknown. n 28 of the cases (80%) the female parent was the vctm of the domestc abuse and n 15 of the cases (42.9%) the female parent was the perpetrator of the physcal abuse. Fnally, n 21 of the cases (60%), the female parent had a hstory of substance abuse pror to chld removal. n relaton to the male parents n ths study, 20 (57.1%) were Caucasan, 8 (22.9%) were Hspanc, 6 (17.1%) 37

45 were Afrcan-Amercan, and 1 (2.9%) was categorzed as other. n 19 cases (54.3%) the male parent was employed, n 9 cases (25.7%) unemployed, and n 7 cases (20%) the employment status of the male parent was unknown. n 33 of the cases (94.3%) the male parent was the perpetrator of the domestc abuse and n 28 of the cases (80%), the male parent was the perpetrator of the physcal abuse. Fnally, n 22 of the cases (62.9%), the male parent had a hstory of substance abuse pror to chld removal. Although all famles n ths study were dentfed as havng chldren removed due to domestc abuse and physcal abuse of the chldren, n only 11 (31.4%) cases the famly completed court ordered famly counselng. n 12 of the cases (34.3%), parents completed ndvdual counselng and n 27 (77.1%) of the cases parentng classes were completed. Fnally, n 16 (45.7%) of the cases, the parent dentfed as the perpetrator of the domestc volence completed an anger management program. Usng statstcal analyss to examne the relatonshps between the dependent varable (chld reunfcaton vs. no reunfcaton) and the ndependent varables, there were no statstcal relatonshps found between the dependent varable and the ndependent varables (measured as contnuous)of: 38

46 The age of female parent The age of male parent, and The years of experence of socal worker. Further, there were no statstcal relatonshps found between the dependent varable and the nomnally measured ndependent varables of: Race of the female parent Employment status of female parent Role;n domestc volence of female parent The female parent's hstory of substance abuse The role of female parent n physcal abuse Race'of the male parent Role n domestc volence of male parent The male parent's hstory of substance abuse The role of male parent n physcal abuse Completon of ndvdual counselng Completon of an anger management program Arrest of the perpetrator Pror chld abuse hstory Pror hstory of domestc abuse, and The educatonal level of the socal worker. 39

47 Usng the ndependent Means T-Test to analyze the statstcal relatonshp between the dependent varable and ndependent varables measured as contnuos data, t was found that the greater the years n the relatonshp the more lkely reunfcaton would occur, t=2.393, df=23.868, p=.o25. Usng ths same statstcal test, t was also found that n ths sample, successful famly reunfcaton was strongly assocated wth a greater number of chldren wthn the famly, t=2.204, df=21.841, p=.o38 (see APPENDX C, Table 1). Usng the Pearson Ch-Square Test to analyze the statstcal relatonshp between the dependent varable and ndependent varables measured as nomnal data, t was found that employment of the male parent was assocated wth successful reunfcaton, X2=4.732, df=l, p=.030 (see APPENDX C, Table 2). Next, usng the same statstcal test, t was found that-the completon of parentng class was strongly assocated wth successful reunfcaton, x2 = 5.85., df = l, p=.o16 (see APPENDX C, Table 3). And fnally, t was found that the completon of famly counselng was very strongly assocated wth successful famly reunfcaton, x2=6.417, df=l, p=.011 (see APPENDX C, Tabl'e 4). 40

48 ! The Pearson Ch-Square Test was also used to analyze J the statstcal relatonshp between other nterestng, ' ' correlatons between varous ndependent varables. Frst, an assocaton was found that suggests that f the female parent was the perpetrator of. the domestc abuse, the male parent was also lkely to be dentfed as a 1 perpetrator, x2=8.485, df=l, p=.004 (see APPENDX C, Table! 5). Next, an assocaton was found that suggests that f the female parent had a hstory of substance abuse there was lkely also a pror hstory of chld abuse, x2=5.666,, df = l, p=.o17 (see APPENDX C, Table 6). Thrd, an assocaton was found that suggests f the male parent had 1 a hstory of substance abuse there was lkely also a pror 1 hstory of chld abuse, x2=6.618, df=l, p=.01 (see APPENDX C, Table 7). Fourth, an assocaton was found 1 that suggests that f the female parent n ths sample had 1 a substance abuse hstory, the male parent would also 1 lkely have a hstory of substance abuse, x2=11.748, df=l, 1 p=.001 (see APPENDX C, Table 8). J ' Ffth, an assocaton was found that suggests that f the male parent was the perpetrator of the domestc abuse, they were also lkely to be the perpetrator of the chld abuse, x2=8.485, df=l, p=.004 (see APPENDX C, Table 9). Sxth, an assocaton was found that suggests that f 41

49 there was a pror hstory of domestc abuse there would lkely be a pror hstory of chld abuse, x2=7.543, df=l, p=.006 (see APPENDX C, Table 10). Seventh, an assocaton was found that suggests that f the female parent s employed, she s far more lkely to be a perpetrator n the domestc abuse, x2=7.033, df=l, p=.008 (see APPENDX C, Table 11). And fnally, a statstcal assocaton was found that suggests that f the female parent s the perpetrator of the domestc volence, she wll lkely also be a perpetrator of the physcal abuse, x2=6.563, df=l, p=.010 (see APPENDX C, Table 12). Summary Chapter Four presented the results extracted from the project. Key fndngs related to the research queston nclude: The greater the years n the relatonshp the more lkely reunfcaton would occur, Successful famly reunfcaton was strongly assocated wth a greater number of chldren wthn the famly. Employment of the male parent was strongly assocated wth successful reunfcaton. The completon of parentng class was also strongly assocated wth successful reunfcaton, and 42

50 The completon of famly counselng was very strongly assocated wth successful famly reunfcaton. Addtonal fndngs not related to the ntal research queston nclude: A statstcal assocaton that suggests that f the. female parent was the perpetrator of the domestc abuse, the male parent was also lkely to be dentfed as a perpetrator. A statstcal assocaton that suggests that f the female parent had a hstory of substance abuse there was lkely a pror hstory of chld abuse. A statstcal assocaton that suggests f the male parent had a hstory of substance abuse there was lkely a pror hstory of chld abuse. A statstcal assocaton that suggests that f the female parent n ths sample had a substance abuse hstory, the male parent would also have a hstory of substance abuse. A statstcal assocaton that suggests that f the male parent was the perpetrator of the domestc abuse, they were also lkely to be the perpetrator of the chld abuse. 43

51 A statstcal assocaton that suggests that f there was a pror hstory of domestc abuse there would also be a.pror hstory of chld abuse. A statstcal assocaton that suggests that f the female parent s employed, she s far more lkely to be a perpetrator n the domestc abuse, and fnally A statstcal assocaton was found that suggests that f the female parent s the perpetrator of the domestc volence, she wll lkely also be a perpetrator of the physcal abuse. 44

52 CHAPTER FVE DSCUSSON ntroducton Chapter Fve presents an overvew of the conclusons drawn from the research fndngs of ths project. Lmtatons of the study are revewed, and recommendatons for future research are made. The chapter concludes wth a summary of the research fndngs. 1 1 Dscusson The purpose of ths study was to determne whch demographc, famlal and servce related varables are assocated wth famly reunfcaton n adjudcated cases, of physcal chld abuse where domestc volence s also present. n relaton to the dependent varable! (reunfcaton vs. no reunfcaton), statstcal analyss 1 (ndependent Means T-Test) showed two contnuous J J ndependent varables wth sgnfcance. The frst sgnfcant varable dentfed was the number of years the parents or ntmate partners had been together. The t longer the duraton of the relatonshp, the more lkely reunfcaton was to occur. Ths fndng suggests that longevty n a relatonshp may add to famly stablty. 1 The second contnuous ndependent varable found to 45

53 be sgnfcant was the number of chldren n the famly. Ths study revealed that n famles wth greater numbers of chldren, reunfcaton was more lkely. t s nterestng to note Bowker, Artell, and McFerron's 1988 study, found that the greater number of chldren n a famly unt, the greater the chance of chld abuse n the home. Even wth that beng true, t s suggested that chldren can also be a strong motvaton for parents to work toward brngng the famly back together. The contnuous varables found not to mpact reunfcaton status ncluded: age of the female parent, age of the male parent,'and years of experence n Chld Protectve Servces of the socal worker. Only three of the nomnally measured ndependent varables n ths study were found to be assocated wth reunfcaton of the famly. Thus, Employment status of the male was found to mpact the famly reunfcaton outcome; n.that, most of the famles that reunfed had an employed male parent. Further, the nomnal varables related to clent servces of completon of famly counselng and completon of a parentng class were found to be assocated wth successful reunfcaton. What s ntrgung s the long lst of nomnal varables not 46

54 correlated wth famly reunfcaton. Ths lst s as follows: Race of the female parent Employment status of the female Female role n domestc volence Female role n physcal abuse Female hstory of substance abuse Race of the male parent Male role n domestc volence Male role n physcal abuse Male hstory of substance abuse Completon of ndvdual counselng Completon of substance abuse treatment Completon of anger management program Arrest of the perpetrator Pror1chld abuse hstory Pror domestc volence hstory Educaton level of socal worker t s unknown why the nomnal varables lsted above dd not mpact whether the famly reunfed. Certanly one would queston why when studyng the ssues of domestc volence' and physcal abuse that completon of an anger 47

55 management program was not necessary when reuntng famles. t s possble that the anger management ssues may have been addressed n the famly counselng sessons although that s speculaton. Results also show that famly hstory of chld abuse, substance abuse, and domestc volence dd not play a part n reunfcaton. Ths would suggest that famles are more lkely to be reunfed based on ther current behavor rather than keepng the chldren out of the home due to past behavor. Ths study also yelded other nterestng fndngs n relaton to assocatons between key ndependent varables. Prevous research has documented that f the male s the batterer then he s lkely to be the abuser of the chldren too. Ths study replcated those fndngs n that f the female parent was the vctm of domestc volence then the male parent was the perpetrator of physcal abuse, and the female parent was non-offendng toward the chldren. Another fndng that was duplcatve of pror research was the adult roles n the domestc volence. For example, eghty percent of the cases studed n ths sample found the female parent to be the vctm.. However, f the female parent was a perpetrator of domestc abuse, the male was also lkely to be abusve toward hs partner and the chldren. n relaton to the 48

56 ndependent varable of substance abuse, ths study found a hgh ncdence of both parents havng drug abuse problems coupled wth a chld abuse hstory. n fact, completon of substance abuse treatment dd not prove to be sgnfcant n the famles whch were reunfed. Lastly, one other nterestng fndng that resulted from ths study was that the employed females were more lkely to be the perpetrator of domestc volence. Lmtatons The followng lmtatons of ths study are mportant when consderng the conclusons descrbed above. Frst, the relatvely small sample sze lmts the ablty to generalze these fndngs to the general populaton. Further; some cases were found to contan ncomplete, naccurate, or mssng data. Addtonally, consstency of the documentaton and avalablty of data was at tmes problematc gven that most data was retreved through a new automated case management system. Fnally, socal worker bas must also be noted as a possble lmtaton of ths study when utlzng case assessments and documentaton that would generally be consdered subj ectve. 49

57 Recommendatons for Socal Work Practce, Polcy and Research Theores related to understandng the co-exstence of chld abuse and domestc volence are stll n the nfancy stage. t s clear from the studes revewed that there are large numbers of chldren and adults n famles who fall vctm to both knds of abuse. Socal workers need to not only be aware of these forms of abuse but they need to routnely assess for the possblty of domestc volence n physcally abusve famles. Ths study demonstrates the necessty of clear assessment and documentaton of all types of abuse and volence. Further, addtonal research of men's and women's use of volence and the lnk to chld abuse s needed to assess and treat the famles. Addtonally, ths research begs for further exploraton nto how these ssues are addressed through Chld Protectve Servce agences and the courts. The fact that n ths study completon of an anger management program was- not a sgnfcant factor n the return of chldren rases questons of how or even f the domestc volence behavor s resolved. Further research s also needed not only to clarfy the nteracton between physcal abuse and domestc 50

58 volence but to understand what other famlal factors nfluence volence toward famly members. Ths study has hghlghted some factors such as employment, parentng classes 1 and famly counselng, whch do mpact reunfcaton of famles. More studes need to be conducted to amplfy what factors make the most dfference for these troubled famles. Snce the ncdence of chld physcal abuse and domestc volence have long been treated as separate ssues, as evdenced by the exstng research, the enttes workng wth ths populaton: chld protectve servce agences, the courts and domestc volence programs, need to work together to meet the needs of these famles. Collaboraton would not only assst the famles but t would ncrease the knowledge base of all concerned wth promotng healthy famles. Conclusons n an effort to ncrease the theoretcal knowledge of the complextes of cases nvolvng serous physcal chld abuse and domestc volence, ths exploratory study was undertaken to answer the queston, "n San Bernardno County chld welfare cases, n whch chldren have been removed from parental custody due to serous physcal 51

59 l! abuse where domestc partner abuse s also present, what factors are most assocated wth successful famly reunfcaton?" The fndngs of the content analyss of a sample of ' thrty-fve cases n San Bernardno County were that the famlal factors of: length of relatonshp of the J j parents, the number of chldren, and employment of the male parent were assocated wth successful reunfcaton. Further, the completon of parentng classes and famly counselng were also strongly assocated wth famly reunfcaton. Ths exploratory study s another step towards! understandng the dynamcs of famles experencng 1 physcal chld abuse and domestc volence. More studes 1 wll be 1 needed to address these problems and to add to the 1 exstng theoretcal foundaton. Ths research, along wth future smlar studes, wll lead to the expanson of : the theoretcal knowledge about famly volence and may assst n ncreased famly reunfcaton, mproved famly servces and the preventon of re-entry nto the chld 1 welfare system. 1 52

60 APPENDX A DATA ABSTRACTON TOOL 53

61 Data Abstracton Tool Dependent Varables 1. Reunfcaton Status: Reunfcaton: 01 No Reunfcaton: 02 Date of Removal: Return Date: ndependent Varables 2. Parent nformaton: Parent 1: Sex: Male (01) Parent 2: Sex: Male (01) Female (02) Female (02) Age: Age: Race: Cauc. (01) Race: Cauc. (01) Hsp. (02) Hsp. (02) Afrcan-Amercan (03) Afrcan-Amercan (03) Aslan (04) Asan (04) Other (05) Other (05) Employed(01)Unemployed (02) Employed(01)Unemployed (02) Educatonal Level: Educatonal Level: Prmary K-8 (01) Prmary K-8 (01) Secondary 9-12 (02) Secondary 9-12 (02) Som e College (03) Some College (03) 4 year college (04) 4 year college (04) >4 year college (05) >4 year college (05) Domestc Abuse: Domestc Abuse: Vctm (01) Vctm (01) Perp. (02) Perp. (02) Physcal Chld Abuse: Physcal Chld Abuse: Yes (01) No (02) Yes (01) No (02) Substance Abuse Hx: Substance Abuse Hx: Yes (01) No (02) Yes (01) No (02) 54

62 4. Chld nformaton (number of chldren): ' t 5. Servces Provded to Famly: ndvdual Counselng Famly Counselng! Parentng Classes 1 Domestc Volence Counselng ' Substance Abuse Counselng j 6. Perpetrator Arrest: Yes (01) No (02) 7. Chld Abuse Hstory: Yes (01) No (02) 1 8. Domestc Partner Abuse Hstory: Yes (01) No (02), 9. Socal Worker Experence ( years of assgned socal worker's experence n DCS ) : 10. Socal Worker Educaton: BA / BS (01) M.A / M.S. (02) M.S.W. (03) Other (04) 55

63 APPENDX B AGENCY AUTHORZATON LETTER 56

64 Agency Authorzaton Letter COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDNO HUMAN SERVCES SYSTEM CATHY CMBALO Drector, July 11, 2001 Dr. Teresa Morrs CALFORNA STATE UNVERSTY SAN BERNARDNO ' DEPARTMENT OF SOCAL WORK 5500 UNVERSTY PARKWAY SAN BERNARDNO, CA Ths letter serves as notfcaton to the Department of Socal Work at Calforna State Unversty, San Bernardno, that Faye Johnson, Jane Scarlett, and Bryan Wng have obtaned consent from the Department of Chldren's Servces (DCS) of San Bernardno County to conduct the research project concernng reunfcaton outcomes of chldren removed from ther home due to serous physcal abuse. 1 Ths letter, also serves as notfcaton to the Department of Socal Work that the Department of Chldren s Servces, San ' Bernardno County, consents to DCS staff partcpaton n ths. research project. CATHY CMBALO, LCSW Drector 57