The overall objective of the study is to determine the contribution of child and caregiver variables in the behavioral and emotional functioning of maltreated children who are placed in foster or adoptive care.
The specific aims of the study are to answer the following questions: 1) Which child and caregiver variables moderate the effects of abuse and neglect on children's behavior (i .e., which variables are associated with better child functioning in the new placement?) and 2) Does the type and severity of preplacement maltreatment predict a child's behavior in a foster or adoptive home? Sample: The sample includes 130 child-parent dyads referred to the UVA Child-Parent Attachment Clinic. All children have histories of maltreatment and are between the ages of 1 and 7 years. The caregivers include foster and adoptive parents. Measures: Information is gathered from each of the dyads according to a standard clinic protocol. Questionairre measures include the Child-Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Parenting Stress Index (PSI), and the Symptom Checklist 90-R (SCL-90-R). Observational coding measures include the Infant and Preschool Strange Situations (adapted for older children), and the Caregiver Behavior Coding System. Maltreatment information is gathered from clinic files, agency reports, and from interviews, and is coded for type and severity of maltreatment. Analyses:The sample size (> 130) is sufficient to detect medium effect sizes (d=.15) at p<.05 in multiple regression with 5 independent variables and chi square analyses. Coder agreement will be determined with Cohen's kappa. Hierarchical multiple regression will be used to determine the amount of variance accounted for in CBCL scores and attachment behavior by type and severity of pre- placement maltreatment. Independent variables include PSI, SCL-90-R, and Caregiver Behavior Ratings. Structural equation modeling will test a path model of hypothesized relationships among variables.
