The Development and evaluation of a safety skill intervention for child victims of neglect

Abstract

Child neglect is the least studied, yet most frequently indicated, type of child maltreatment. Still, there are few assessment and treatment methods specifically designed for victims of child neglect. Unintentional injuries have long remained the leading cause of death for children in the United States after the first year of life, and research suggests the majority of these child fatalities are actually the result of child neglect. Homes of neglectful families are often inundated with safety hazards but child-focused home safety skill interventions have yet to be developed. Thus, the present study focused on the development and initial evaluation of a child-focused home safety skills training program for victims of child neglect. The child-training was incorporated into Family Behavior Therapy (FBT), an in-home parent-focused treatment program for child neglect and maternal substance abuse. The original development and initial evaluation of the training in uncontrolled case trials are reviewed. The current study involved two controlled multiple baseline evaluations for child participants. Results after training indicated improvements in children's skills relevant to ameliorating identified home hazards, and suggest the training is promising and worthy of future study.