PARENTING STRESS AND ANGER EXPRESSION AS PREDICTORS OF CHILD-ABUSE POTENTIAL

To explore one potential pathway to physical child abuse, the present investigation used hierarchical regression analysis using measures of parenting stress and anger expression to jointly predict child abuse p otential. The Parenting Stress Index, State-Trait Anger Expression Inv entory, and the Child Abuse Potential Inventory were administered to t wo different samples of New Zealand parents. As expected, both studies revealed parenting stress and anger expression and were individually positively correlated with child abuse potential; the major finding in volved the strong joint contribution of parenting stress and an expres sion in predicting Child Abuse Potential Inventory scores. Application of findings for intervention and prevention are discussed. (C) 1997 E lsevier Science Ltd.