Examines factors that may serve as predictors of child psychological maltreatment (CPM) in Palestinian families. Study participants were 1,000 12- to 16-year-old Palestinian children from the West Bank who were interviewed at school by female counselors. The battery of questionnaires, modified to account for the distinctive characteristics of Palestinian society, included: scales to measure economic pressure on parents and patterns of parental behavior that conveyed to children that they were worthless, flawed, unloved, or unwanted; the Gender Inequities Scale; the Family Ambience Scale; the Parental Support Scale; the Harsh Discipline Scale; the Family Values Scale; and the Fulfillment of Child’s Material Needs Scale. Study results revealed an alarmingly high number of Palestinian children being psychologically maltreated by their parents, with a significant proportion considered psychologically abused. Other findings (1) supported earlier research that correlated maltreatment with poor academic performance; (2) indicated that children living in 2-parent homes were at higher risk of subsequent psychological abuse than were those in single-parent families; and (3) demonstrated that economic hardship was a significant risk factor for CPM, offset somewhat in families that fostered traditional values. Effective CPM prevention would involve early interventions to enhance parenting skills and appropriate child rearing practices. (Description from source)
