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S. Pitts, H. Dubowitz, J. Hussey, A. Litrownik, R. Thompson, D. Runyan, M. Black

Measuring Child & Youth Neglect: Evaluating a Youth-Report Neglect Measure. S. Pitts, H. Dubowitz, J. Hussey, A. Litrownik, R. Thompson, D. Runyan, M. Black University of Maryland School of Medicine. Child & Youth Neglect. Pervasive problem Most common form of child maltreatment

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S. Pitts, H. Dubowitz, J. Hussey, A. Litrownik, R. Thompson, D. Runyan, M. Black

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  1. Measuring Child & Youth Neglect:Evaluating a Youth-Report Neglect Measure S. Pitts, H. Dubowitz, J. Hussey, A. Litrownik, R. Thompson, D. Runyan, M. Black University of Maryland School of Medicine

  2. Child & Youth Neglect • Pervasive problem • Most common form of child maltreatment • Short and long-term harm

  3. A Multi-Dimensional Measure • Neglect - a heterogeneous phenomenon • Main subtypes: • Physical • Emotional (Psychological) • Monitoring (Supervisory) • Educational

  4. A Continuous Measure • Neglect occurs on a continuum Needs fully metNot at all • Measure should be stable • Across: • Genders • Ages

  5. Measure • Modified version of Straus, Kinard, & Williams. (1995). The Multidimensional Neglect Scale, Form A: Adolescent and Adult-Recall Version. • 5 questions added • Inquired about specific time frames • Likert response options; not frequency

  6. Measure • Scale is youth-report • Individuals responded to each item twice, for 2 timeframes: • During “Elementary School” (6-11 yrs.) • During the “Past Year” • At both ages 12 & 14

  7. Examples of items Physical Needs “Give you enough to eat” Emotional Support “Tell you they loved you” Parental Monitoring “Take an interest in your friends” Educational support “Helped you with homework”

  8. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) • CFA helps determine: • Appropriate number of factors • How well items relate to factors • CFA also allows comparison of two (or more) groups. • Is measurement the same for females & males? • The same at ages 12 & 14?

  9. Measurement Stability • Is the variable measured the same in two or more groups (times)? • Stability needed before making: • Statements regarding group mean differences in neglect • Statements about how neglect is changing over time

  10. Analyses • Evaluated individual item correlations & distributions • Evaluated 4-factor measurement structure • Evaluated measurement stability across gender, time, & timeframe

  11. Confirmatory Factor Analysis • A model with 4 correlated factors: • Physical Needs - 4 items • Emotional Support - 7 items • Monitoring - 5 items • Educational Support - 4 items • Partial support for a multi-dimensional measure of neglect • Educational Support factor was redundant, & dropped

  12. Modified CFA • 3 factor measure of Neglect • Physical Needs • Emotional Support • Monitoring • Model fit well • Loadings (relations of each item with its factor) all high (> .50)

  13. Group equivalence To infer the “same” measure, must display: • Configural invariance • Same number of factors measured by the same items • Metric equivalence • Loadings (relations of each item with its factor) are the same

  14. Group equivalence Gender • Both requirements met - age 12 data Age • Both requirements met - ages 12 & 14 Time frame • Both requirements met - Past Year & Elementary School periods

  15. Conclusions • Promising development of a 3-factor self-report measure of child & youth neglect. • Measurement structure of Physical Needs, Emotional Support, and Parental Monitoring was: • Equivalent across sexes • Equivalent over an early- adolescent age range (12 to 14)

  16. Further research • Examine whether the 3 factors are associated with different: • Antecedents • Outcomes • The conceptual distinction of 3 factors of neglect should be empirically demonstrated

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