A comparative study of abused and neglected American Indian children in the Southwest

doi:10.1016/0277-9536(92)90027-N

Social Science & Medicine

Volume 35, Issue 3, August 1992, Pages 305-315

https://doi.org/10.1016/0277-9536(92)90027-N Get rights and content

Abstract

Samples of target and control American Indian children in the Southwest United States are compared for child abuse/neglect and family alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is present in virtually all families that abuse/neglect children. However, alcohol abuse exists exclusive of the association with child abuse/neglect. The study demonstrates that alcohol abuse is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for child abuse/neglect.

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Cited by (29)

Childhood physical and sexual abuse: Prevalence and correlates among adolescents living in rural Taiwan
2008, Child Abuse and Neglect
Citation Excerpt :
However, no epidemiological study has examined the prevalence of physical and sexual abuse in Taiwanese adolescents in the community. Previous studies have reported several risk factors of childhood physical and sexual abuse, including gender (Crowley, Mikulich, Ehlers, Hall, & Whitmore, 2003; Thompson, Kingree, & Desai, 2004), family conflict (Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz, 1980), parental substance abuse (DeBruyn, Lujan, & May, 1992), unemployment (Gillham et al., 1998) and low education level (Zuravin & DiBlasio, 1992). Further studies are necessary to examine whether these factors are associated with childhood physical and sexual abuse in non-Western societies.
The aims of this cross-sectional survey study were to examine the prevalence and correlates of childhood physical and sexual abuse in adolescents living in the rural areas of Taiwan.
A sample of indigenous (n = 756) and non-indigenous (n = 928) adolescents was randomly selected from junior high schools in the rural areas of southern Taiwan. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data anonymously. The prevalence of childhood physical and sexual abuse was examined and their correlates were examined using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.
A total of 374 (22.2%) adolescents reported experience of physical abuse and 42 (2.5%) reported sexual abuse in their childhood. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that the adolescents who perceived poor family function, frequent family conflicts and whose parents drank habitually were more likely to experience physical abuse. The adolescents who were indigenous and perceived frequent family conflicts were more likely to experience childhood sexual abuse. Further analyses indicated that indigenous boys had a higher risk of being the victims of sexual abuse than non-indigenous boys, while no difference was found between indigenous and non-indigenous girls.
The results remind clinical workers of the importance of taking abuse histories from adolescents on a routine basis, and this is especially important in the case of dysfunctional families.
Adolescents who live in rural areas have less social and medical resources for early detection and intervention of physical and sexual abuse. Correlates of physical and sexual abuse identified in this study may be helpful for the design and implementation of preventive intervention.
Alcohol dependence and domestic violence as sequelae of abuse and conduct disorder in childhood
1998, Child Abuse and Neglect
Objectives: To examine in the Navajo population: (1) the importance of childhood abuse as a risk factor for conduct disorder; (2) the importance of each form of abuse and conduct disorder as risk factors for alcohol dependence; and (3) the relative importance of each form of abuse, conduct disorder, and alcohol dependence as risk factors for being a perpetrator and/or victim of domestic violence.
Method: The study is based on a case-control design. Cases (204 men and 148 women) between the ages of 21 and 65 were interviewed in alcohol treatment program and matched to community controls. There were two groups of controls: alcohol dependent (374 men, 60 women) and nonalcohol dependent (157 men, 143 women). When adjusted for stratification by age, community of residence, and sex, the combined control groups comprise a representative sample of the Navajo male and female population 21–65 years of age.
Results: The prevalence of physical and sexual abuse before age 15 is within limits observed in other populations. Each form of abuse is a risk factor for conduct disorder. Along with conduct disorder, physical abuse is a risk factor for alcohol dependence. Physical abuse and alcohol dependence are independent risk factors for being involved in domestic violence as both perpetrator and victim. There appears to have been no secular trend in the incidence of childhood abuse over the past several generations, but there is suggestive evidence that domestic violence has become more common.
Conclusions: Physical abuse is a significant risk factor for alcohol dependence as well as for domestic violence independent of the effects of alcohol abuse. The effects of sexual abuse with regard to both domestic violence and alcohol dependence do not appear to be significant.
Objectif: D’étudier chez les Navahos: (1) les mauvais traitements en tant que facteur important de risque menant aux troubles de comportement; (2) l’importance des différents types de maltraitance en tant que facteurs de risque pour développer des troubles d’alcool et de dépendance sur la drogue; et (3) l’importance relative de chaque type de mauvais traitement, de désordre de comportement et de dependance sur l’alcool par rapport à la probabilité de devenir un agresseur ou une victime de violence entre conjoints.
Méthode: Cette recherche s’est basée sur une étude de cas avec groupes contrǒles. On a interviewé 204 hommes et 148 femmes ǎgés de 21 à 65 ans, appareillés à deux groupes contrǒles: l’un composé de 304 hommes et 60 femmes souffrant de dépendance sur l’alcool et un groupe contrǒle de 157 hommes et 143 femmes sans problèmes de dépendance. Prenant en considération l’ǎge, le lieu de résidence et le sexe, les deux groupes contrǒles dans l’ensemble constituent un échantillon représentatif d’hommes et de femmes navahos dans une population ǎgée de 21 à 65 ans.
Résultats: La prévalence des mauvais traitements physiques et sexuels avant l’ǎge de 15 ans ressemble à la population en général. Chaque type de mauvais traitement représente un facteur de risque pour les désordres de comportement. Les mauvais traitements physiques sont un facteur pour la dépendance sur l’alcool. Pour ce qui est de la violence entre conjoints, les mauvais traitements physiques et la dépendance sur l’alcool sont des facteurs de risque qui sont indépendants, tant pour l’agresseur que pour la victime. Il ne semble pas y avoir d’augmentation des cas de mauvais traitements d’une génération à l’autre mais il semblerait que les cas de maltraitance entre conjoints soient plus fréquents.
Conclusions: Les mauvais traitements physiques sont un facteur important de risque menant à la dépendance sur l’alcool et aussi à la violence entre conjoints indépendamment des effets de l’abus de l’alcool. Les conséquences des mauvais traitements sexuels par rapport à la violence entre conjoints et la dépendance sur l’alcool ne semblent pas $e ̦$ des facteurs importants.
Objetivo: Examinar en la población “Navajo” (1) la importancia del maltrato infantil como factor de riesgo para los trastornos de conducta, (2) la importancia de cada forma de maltrato y de los trastornos de conducta como factores de riesgo para la dependencia del alcohol, y (3) la importancia relativa de cada forma de maltrato, trastornos de conducta y dependencia del alcohol como factores de riesgo para ser perpetrador y/o vı́ctima de violencia doméstica.
Método: El estudio se basa en un diseño caso-control. Los casos (204 varones y 148 mujeres) con edades comprendidas entre 21 y 65 años fueron entrevistados en un programa de tratamiento del alcoholismo y fueron emparejados con el grupo control formado por sujetos de la comunidad. Se formaron dos grupos de sujetos control: (1) sujetos dependientes del alcohol (374 varones y 60 mujeres). Cuando todos los sujetos del grupo control quedaron ajustados de manera estratificada por edad, barrie de recidonoia, y sexo se observó que constituı́an una muestra representativa de la población de mujeres y hombres de etnia “Navajo” con edades comprendidas entre 21 y 65 años.
Resultados: La prevalencia de maltrato fı́sico y abuso sexual ocurrido antes de los 15 años se encuentra dentro de los lı́mites observados en otras poblaciones. Cada forma de maltrato es un factor de riesgo para los trastornos de conducta. El maltrato fı́sico, junto con los trastornos de conducta es un factor de riesgo para la dependencia del alcohol. El maltrato fı́sico y la dependencia del alcohol son de riesgo independientes para la implicación en violencia doméstica tanto como vı́ctima como perpetrador. Parece que no se observa una tendencia antigua a la incidencia del maltrato infantil a lo largo de las generaciones pasadas, pero hay una cierta evidencia de que la violencia doméstica está haciéndose más frecuente.
Conclusión: El maltrato fı́sico es un factor de riesgo significativo para la dependencia del alcohol ası́ como para la violencia doméstica independientemente de los efectos del abuso del alcohol. Los efectos del abuso sexual en relación tanto con la violencia doméstica como con la dependencia del alcohol no parecen ser significativos.
Prevalence, characteristics, and impact of childhood sexual abuse in a southwestern American Indian tribe
1997, Child Abuse and Neglect
Objective: There were two objectives; first, to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of child sexual abuse in an American Indian community, and second, to determine whether persons with histories of child sexual abuse are at greater risk to develop psychiatric disorders and behavioral problems than persons who report no such history.
Method: A sample of 582 Southwestern American Indian tribal members was collected for a genetic and linkage study on alcoholism and psychiatric disorders in three large and interrelated pedigrees. Subjects were recruited from the community without knowledge of their clinical histories or those of their relatives. Child sexual abuse and psychiatric disorders were assessed using a semi-structured psychiatric interview.
Results: Females were more likely to be sexually abused as children (49%) than were males (14%). Intrafamilial members accounted for 78% of the reported child sexual abuse. Sexually abused males and females were more likely to report childhood and adult behavioral problems than were nonabused subjects. There was a strong relationship between multiple psychiatric disorders and child sexual abuse, with sexually abused males and females more likely to be diagnosed with ≥3 psychiatric disorders, both including and excluding alcohol dependence or abuse, than were nonabused subjects.
Conclusion: Child sexual abuse in this population is both an index of family dysfunction and community disorganization as well as a predictor of later behavioral patterns and psychopathology.
Objectif: Il y avait deux objectifs. Premièrement, évaluer la prévalence et les caractéristique de l'abus sexuel des enfants dans une communauté amérindienne, et deuxièmement, déterminer si les personnes avec des antécédents d'abus sexuels au cours de l'enfance sont plus à risque de développer des maladies psychiatriques et des problèmes de comportement que les personnes n'ayant pas signalé ces antécédents.
Méthode: Un échantillon de 582 membres d'une tribu amérindienne du sud-ouest a été réuni pour une étude génétique sur l'alcoolisme et les maladies psychiatriques à l'intérieur de trois pedigrés reliés entre eux. Les sujets ont été recrutés dans la communauté sans connaissance préalable de leur histoire clinique ou celle de leurs proches. L'abus sexuel et les maladies psychiatriques ont étéévalués à l'aide d'un interrogatoire psychiatrique semi-structuré.
Résultats: Les femmes présentaient plus d'abus sexuel au cours de l'enfance (50%) que les hommes (14%); les auteurs de l'abus sexuels faisaient partie de la famille dans 78% des cas. Les hommes et les femmes abusés sexuellement signalaient plus de troubles du comportement au cours de l'enfance et à l'âge adulte que les autres sujets non-abusés. La corrélation entre l'abus sexuel et de multiples problèmes psychiatriques était très forte, puisque les hommes et les femmes abusés sexuellement souffraient souvent de plus de 3 problèmes psychiatriques, avec ou sans alcoolisme et toxicomanie.
Conclusion: L'abus sexuel dans cette population est à la fois un indicateur de dysfonctionnements familiaux et de désorganisation de la communauté ainsi qu'un prédicateur de problèmes du comportement et de psychopathologie à long terme.
Objetivo: Los objetivos son dos. Primero, investigar la prevalencia y características del abuso sexual a los niños en una comunidad de indios americanos; y segundo, determinar si las personas con una historia de abuso sexual en la niñez tienen mayor riesgo de sufrir desórdenes psiquiátricos y problemas conductuales que las personas no abusadas.
Método: Se obtuvo una muestra de 582 indios americanos, miembros de una tribu del suroeste, para un estudio genético y de relación sobre el alcoholismo y desórdenes psiquiátricos en tres grandes “pedigrees” (historias familiares) interrelacionados. Los sujetos fueron reclutados de la comunidad sin conocimiento de sus historias clínicas o la de sus familiares. Se evaluaron los desórdenes mentales y las experiencias de abuso en la niñez, con una entrevista psiquiátrica semi-estructurada.
Resultados: Las mujeres tenían más riesgo de ser sexualmente abusadas en la niñez (50%) que los varones (14%). El 78% de los casos de abuso sexual en la niñez reportado era intrafamiliar. Los varones y las mujeres abusadas sexualmente en la niñez aparecen más propensos a reportar problemas conductuales, tanto en la niñez como en la adultez, que los sujetos no abusados. Se obtuvo una fuerte correlación entre múltiples desórdenes psiquiátricos y el abuso sexual en la niñez, en que los varones y las mujeres sexualmente abusados tenían más probabilidad de ser diagnósticados con >de 3 desórdenes psiquiátricos, que los sujetos no abusados.
í comunitaria como también anticipan posteriores patrones conductuales y psicopatología.
Native American families and child neglect
1996, Children and Youth Services Review
This paper presents findings from an NCCAN-funded study of family functioning in neglecting families and in a comparison group of low-income families with no prior referrals for child neglect. It examines a sub-sample of a larger study of 77 Native American families from two states: Iowa and Oregon. Data were gathered through structured interviews with families and self-report measures completed by the primary caregiver and the children. Two—way analysis of variance was used to test differences between the neglect and comparison groups, controlling for per capita income and tribe. This study found that the family's current situation was more important than the caregiver's history in differentiating neglecting from comparison families. Multiple problems, substance abuse, and a history of criminal charges were strongly related to neglect. The number of fathers in the family was also related to the risk of neglect and regular contact with a father was the only type of social support that reduced the likelihood of neglect. Since this study relied on non-probability sampling, the findings are not generalizable to other populations. However, the results confirm previous research and suggest hypotheses for further testing.
Cultural aspects of substance abuse and alcoholism: Assessment and management
1995, Psychiatric Clinics of North America
Clinical care for substance abuse and alcoholism requires knowledge of the patient’s culture. Thorough assessment should include prescriptions for substance use, proscriptions against substance use, and knowledge of permitted-but-not-required substances in the patient’s culture. Clinicians should be aware of the differing patterns of pathogenic use among diverse cultures. Poor enculturation during childhood or leaving one’s cultural origins can increase the risk of substance disorders. Skill in taking a cultural history aids in identifying these premorbid factors as well as in planning successful treatment. Cultural affiliation can influence access to and availability of treatment. Patients should have culturally consistent role models during treatment. Some treatment approaches merely need to be applied in a culturally sensitive manner; others may be thought of as “culture bound,” relevant for one group but not for another. Clinicians should guide patients in choosing appropriate “cultures of recovery.” From a group perspective, cultural groups should consider the potential pathogenicity to culturally prescribed practices of substance use, should adapt models of recognition and intervention that are culturally consistent, and should be beware of using a particular substance as a counterculture symbol.
Testing the cycle of maltreatment hypothesis: Meta-analytic evidence of the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment
2019, Development and Psychopathology

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A comparative study of abused and neglected American Indian children in the Southwest

Abstract

Child Abuse Neglect: Int. J.

Child Abuse Neglect: Int. J.

Child Abuse Neglect: Int. J.

Child Abuse Neglect: Int. J.

Child Abuse Neglect: Int. J.

Child Abuse Neglect: Int. J.

Child Abuse Neglect: Int. J.

Child Abuse Neglect: Int. J.

Soc. Sci. Med.

Psychopathology and its antecedents among American Indian adolescents

Adv. clin. Psychol.

External pressure/internal change: child neglect on the Navajo reservation

Substance abuse and American Indians: prevalence and susceptibility

Int. J. Addict.

A Poison Stronger than Love: The Destruction of an Ojibwa Community

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

American Indian Holocaust and Survival: A Population History Since 1942

Drunken Comportment: A Social Explanation

Family violence in cross-cultural perspective

The sequelae of child maltreatment

Is treatment too late? What ten years of evaluative research tell us

Child Abuse Neglect: Int. J.

Do abused children become abusive parents?

Am. J. Orthopsychiat.

The intergenerational transmission of abuse

Family Violence

Risk of maltreatment of children living with stepparents

Time, place, and parental awareness: a cognitive-developmental perspective on family adaptation and parental care

Adolescent sexual offenders

Juvenile Sexual Offending: Causes, Consequences, and Correction

Suicide of perpetrators after disclosure of child sexual abuse

Child Abuse Neglect: Int. J.

Symptomatology in men who were molested as children: a comparison study

Am. J. Orthopsychiat.