IDENTIFICATION OF CHILD MALTREATMENT WITH THE PARENT-CHILD CONFLICT TACTICS SCALES - DEVELOPMENT AND PSYCHOMETRIC DATA FOR A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF AMERICAN PARENTS

Objective: To create a parent-to-child version of the Conflict Tactics Scales, the CTSPC. Method: Description of the conceptual and methodol ogical approaches used and psychometric data for a nationally represen tative sample of 1,000 U.S. children. Results: (1) Improved Psychologi cal Aggression and Physical Assault scales. (2) New Nonviolent Discipl ine scale, supplementary scale for Neglect, and supplemental questions on discipline methods and sexual abuse. (3) Reliability ranges from l ow to moderate. (4) Evidence of discriminant and construct validity. C onclusions: The CTSPC is better suited to measuring child maltreatment than the original CTS. It is brief (6 to 8 minutes for the core scale s) and therefore practical for epidemiological research on child maltr eatment and for clinical screening. Methodological issues inherent in parent self-report measures of child maltreatment are discussed. (C) 1 998 M. A. Straus. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.