An integrated resilience factors and family ecological model of child abuse and neglect

Abstract

Referring to the family ecological theory, resilience perspective, and previous research findings about the ontogenic system, microsystem, mesosystem, and child abuse and neglect, this study focuses on four research objectives: (a) to examine the mediating effect of the microsystem on the relationship between ontogenic system and child abuse and neglect; (b) to investigate the moderated mediating role of resilience factors (optimism, parenting self-efficacy, problem-focused coping, and forgiveness) on the mediated relationship between ontogenic factors (history of abuse in parents, impulsivity, and child behavioral problems), microsystemic factors (marital dissatisfaction and parent-child attachment), and child abuse and neglect; (c) to establish the moderated mediating role of parents’ Chinese cultural values on the mediated relationship between the ontogenic system, microsystem, and child abuse and neglect; (d) to develop an integrated resilience factors and family ecological model of child abuse and neglect. Using a cross-sectional survey research method, 565 families (1,655 participants) with children studying at grades 4 to 6 (ages 9 to 13) were assessed. The moderated mediating relationships between the variables of interest and child abuse and neglect were examined using PROCESS (Hayes, 2012), and the translated scales, namely Child Abuse and Trauma scale, ZuckerMan-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire, Asian American Values Scale–Multidimensional Scale, Heartland Forgiveness scale, and Relationship Dynamic Scale, were validated by a confirmatory factor analysis using LISREL 8.8. The results showed that microsystemic factors mediate the relationship between ontogenic system and child abuse and neglect. Resilience factors have conditional moderated mediating effects while the Chinese cultural values strengthen the negative influences of risk factors on child abuse and neglect. An integrated resilience factors and family ecological model that incorporates risk and protective factors and embraces Chinese cultural values was developed for interpreting child abuse and neglect systematically. It also enriched the family ecological theory by identifying particular positive effects of resilience factors that decreased the risk of child abuse and neglect in the Chinese population. In addition, the present study provided innovative notions of the moderated mediating effects of protective and risk factors on child abuse and neglect; validated and modified the scales that were developed in the West to be valid measurements for the Hong Kong population. In conclusion, this integrated resilience factors and family ecological model gave a more detailed picture of child abuse and neglect systematically by integrating both the risk and protective factors, and embraced the Chinese cultural values among Chinese families.

Date of Award	16 Feb 2015
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	City University of Hong Kong
Supervisor	Yuk Ching Sylvia KWOK LAI (Supervisor)