Child maltreatment (CM) is a serious public health issue, affecting over half of all children globally. Although most CM is perpetrated by parents or caregivers and their reports of CM is more accurate than professionals or children, parent or caregiver report instruments measuring CM have never been systematically evaluated for their content validity, the most important psychometric property. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the content validity of all current parent or caregiver report CM instruments.
Methods:
A systematic literature search was performed in CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Sociological Abstracts; gray literature was retrieved through reference checking. Eligible studies needed to report on content validity of instruments measuring CM perpetrated and reported by parents or caregivers. The quality of studies and content validity of the instruments were evaluated using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments guidelines.
Results:
Fifteen studies reported on the content validity of 15 identified instruments. The study quality was generally poor. The content validity of the instruments was overall sufficient, but most instruments did not provide high-quality evidence for content validity.
Conclusions:
Most instruments included in this review showed promising content validity. The International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Child Abuse Screening Tool for use in Trial appears to be the most promising, followed by the Family Maltreatment–Child Abuse criteria. However, firm conclusions cannot be drawn due to the low quality of evidence for content validity. Further studies are required to evaluate the remaining psychometric properties for recommending parent or caregiver report CM instruments.
AndaR. F.ButchartA.FelittiV. J.BrownD. W. (2010). Building a framework for global surveillance of the public health implications of adverse childhood experiences. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 39, 93–98. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2010.03.015
4.
AsadollahiM.JabraeiliM.Asghari JafarabadiM.HallajM. (2016). Parents’ attitude toward child abuse conducted in the health centers of Tabriz. International Journal of School Health, 3, e60221. http://doi.org/10.17795/intjsh-31198
5.
AteahC. A.DurrantJ. E. (2005). Maternal use of physical punishment in response to child misbehavior: Implications for child abuse prevention. Child Abuse & Neglect, 29, 169–185. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2004.10.010
6.
BailhacheM.LeroyV.PilletP.SalmiL. R. (2013). Is early detection of abused children possible? A systematic review of the diagnostic accuracy of the identification of abused children. BMC Pediatrics, 13, 202. http://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2431-13-202
7.
BavolekS. J.KeeneR. G. (1999). Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory-AAPI-2: Administration and development handbook. Family Development Resources, Inc.
8.
BavolekS. J.KlineD. F.McLaughlinJ. A.PublicoverP. R. (1979). Primary prevention of child abuse and neglect: Identification of high-risk adolescents. Child Abuse & Neglect, 3, 1071–1080. http://doi.org/10.1016/0145-2134(79)90152-2
9.
BodenJ. M.HorwoodL. J.FergussonD. M. (2007). Exposure to childhood sexual and physical abuse and subsequent educational achievement outcomes. Child Abuse & Neglect, 31, 1101–1114. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2007.03.022
10.
Bower-RussaM. (2005). Attitudes mediate the association between childhood disciplinary history and disciplinary responses. Child Maltreatment, 10, 272–282. http://doi.org/10.1177/1077559505277531
11.
ChavisA.Hudnut-BeumlerJ.WebbM. W.NeelyJ. A.BickmanL.DietrichM. S.ScholerS. J. (2013). A brief intervention affects parents’ attitudes toward using less physical punishment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37, 1192–1201. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.06.003
12.
ChenM.ChanK. L. (2016). Effects of parenting programs on child maltreatment prevention: A meta-analysis. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 17, 88–104. http://doi.org/10.1177/1524838014566718
13.
ChiarottoA. (2019). Patient-reported outcome measures: Best is the enemy of good but what if good is not good enough?Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 49, 39–42. http://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2019.0602
14.
CohenJ.HumphreysL. H. (1968). Weighted kappa: Nominal scale agreement provision for scaled disagreement or partial credit. Psychological Bulletin, 70, 213–220. http://doi.org/10.1037/h0026256
15.
Compier-de BlockL. H. C. G.AlinkL. R. A.LintingM.van den BergL. J. M.ElzingaB. M.VoorthuisA.TollenaarM. S.Bakermans-KranenburgM. J. (2017). Parent-child agreement on parent-to-child maltreatment. Journal of Family Violence, 32, 207–217. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-016-9902-3
16.
CordierR.SpeyerR.ChenY.Wilkes-GillanS.BrownT.Bourke-TaylorH.DomaK.LeichtA. (2015). Evaluating the psychometric quality of social skills measures: A systematic review. PLoS One, 10, e0132299–e0132299. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0132299
17.
CortinaJ. M. (1993). What is coefficient alpha? An examination of theory and applications. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 98–104. http://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.78.1.98
18.
CurrieJ.Spatz WidomC. (2010). Long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect on adult economic well-being. Child Maltreatment, 15, 111–120. http://doi.org/10.1177/1077559509355316
19.
DaneseA.McEwenB. S. (2012). Adverse childhood experiences, allostasis, allostatic load, and age-related disease. Physiology & Behavior, 106, 29–39. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.08.019
20.
DevriesK.KnightL.PetzoldM.MerrillK. G.MaxwellL.WilliamsA.CappaC.ChanK. L.Garcia-MorenoC.HollisN.KressH.PetermanA.WalshS. D.KishorS.GuedesA.BottS.RiverosB. C. B.WattsC.AbrahamsN. (2018). Who perpetrates violence against children? A systematic analysis of age-specific and sex-specific data. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 2, e000180. http://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2017-000180
21.
FelittiV. J.AndaR. F.NordenbergD.WilliamsonD. F.SpitzA. M.EdwardsV.KossM. P.MarksJ. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14, 245–258. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8
22.
FinkelhorD.ShattuckA.TurnerH. A.HambyS. L. (2014). The lifetime prevalence of child sexual abuse and sexual assault assessed in late adolescence. Journal of Adolescent Health, 55, 329–333. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.12.026
23.
GershoffE. T.LeeS. J.DurrantJ. E. (2017). Promising intervention strategies to reduce parents’ use of physical punishment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 71, 9–23. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.01.017
24.
GlaserD. (2000). Child abuse and neglect and the brain—A review. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 41, 97–116. http://doi.org/10.1111/1469-7610.00551
25.
GordonD. A.JonesR. H.NowickiS. (1979). A measure of intensity of parental punishment. Journal of Personality Assessment, 43, 485–496. http://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4305_9
26.
GuyattG. H.OxmanA. D.VistG. E.KunzR.Falck-YtterY.Alonso-CoelloP.SchünemannH. J.GRADE Working Group. (2008). GRADE: An emerging consensus on rating quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. British Medical Journal, 336, 924–926. http://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.39489.470347.AD
27.
HeymanR. E.SnarrJ. D.SlepA. M. S.BaucomK. J. W.LinkhD. J. (2019). Self-reporting DSM–5/ICD-11 clinically significant intimate partner violence and child abuse: Convergent and response process validity. Journal of Family Psychology. http://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000560
28.
HillisS.MercyJ.AmobiA.KressH. (2016). Global prevalence of past-year violence against children: A systematic review and minimum estimates. Pediatrics, 137, 1–13. http://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-4079
29.
HoldenG. W.BrownA. S.BaldwinA. S.Croft CaderaoK. (2014). Research findings can change attitudes about corporal punishment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 38, 902–908. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.10.013
30.
HoldenG. W.ZambaranoR. J. (1992). Passing the rod: Similarities between parents and their young children in orientations toward physical punishment. In SigelI. E.McGillicuddy-DeLisiA. V.GoodnowJ. J. (Eds.), Parental belief systems: The psychological consequences for children (2nd ed., pp. 143–172). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
31.
KirisciL.DunnM. G.MezzichA. C.TarterR. E. (2001). Impact of parental substance use disorder and child neglect severity on substance use involvement in male offspring. Prevention Science, 2, 241–255. http://doi.org/10.1023/a:1013662132189
32.
KrugE. G.LindaL. D.JamesA. M.AnthonyB. Z.RafaelL. (Eds.). (2002). World report on violence and health. Word Health Organization.
33.
LangJ. M.ConnellC. M. (2017). Development and validation of a brief trauma screening measure for children: The child trauma screen. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 9, 390–398. http://doi.org/10.1037/tra0000235
34.
LoeberR.FarringtonD. P.Stouthamer-LoeberM.Van KammenW. B. (1998). Antisocial behavior and mental health problems: Explanatory factors in childhood and adolescence. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
35.
LoundsJ. J.BorkowskiJ. G.WhitmanT. L. (2004). Reliability and validity of the mother-child neglect scale. Child Maltreatment, 9, 371–381. http://doi.org/10.1177/1077559504269536
36.
MeinckF.BoyesM. E.CluverL.WardC. L.SchmidtP.DestoneS.DunneM. P. (2018). Adaptation and psychometric properties of the ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tool for use in trials (ICAST-Trial) among South African adolescents and their primary caregivers. Child Abuse & Neglect, 82, 45–58. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.05.022
37.
MoherD.LiberatiA.TetzlaffJ.AltmanD. G.PRISMA Group. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLoS Medicine, 6, e1000097. http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097
38.
MokkinkL. B.de VetH. C. W.PrinsenC. A. C.PatrickD. L.AlonsoJ.BouterL. M.TerweeC. B. (2018). COSMIN risk of bias checklist for systematic reviews of patient-reported outcome measures. Quality of Life Research, 27, 1171–1179. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-017-1765-4
39.
MokkinkL. B.TerweeC. B.PatrickD. L.AlonsoJ.StratfordP. W.KnolD. L.BouterL. M.de VetH. C. W. (2010a). The COSMIN checklist for assessing the methodological quality of studies on measurement properties of health status measurement instruments: An international Delphi study. Quality of Life Research, 19, 539–549. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-010-9606-8
40.
MokkinkL. B.TerweeC. B.PatrickD. L.AlonsoJ.StratfordP. W.KnolD. L.BouterL. M.de VetH. C. W. (2010b). The COSMIN study reached international consensus on taxonomy, terminology, and definitions of measurement properties for health-related patient-reported outcomes. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 63, 737–745. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2010.02.006
41.
NegriffS.SchneidermanJ. U.TrickettP. K. (2017). Concordance between self-reported childhood maltreatment versus case record reviews for child welfare–affiliated adolescents: Prevalence rates and associations with outcomes. Child Maltreatment, 22, 34–44. http://doi.org/10.1177/1077559516674596
42.
PatrickD. L.BurkeL. B.GwaltneyC. J.LeidyN. K.MartinM. L.MolsenE.RingL. (2011). Content validity—Establishing and reporting the evidence in newly developed patient-reported outcomes (PRO) instruments for medical product evaluation: ISPOR PRO good research practices task force report: Part 2—Assessing respondent understanding. Value in Health, 14, 978–988. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2011.06.01
43.
PrinsenC. A. C.MokkinkL. B.BouterL. M.AlonsoJ.PatrickD. L.de VetH. C. W.TerweeC. B. (2018). COSMIN guideline for systematic reviews of patient-reported outcome measures. Quality of Life Research, 27, 1147–1157. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-018-1798-3
44.
PrinsenC. A. C.VohraS.RoseM. R.BoersM.TugwellP.ClarkeM.WilliamsonP. R.TerweeC. B. (2016). How to select outcome measurement instruments for outcomes included in a “Core Outcome Set”—A practical guideline. Trials, 17, 449. http://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-016-1555-2
45.
RicciL.LanfranchiJ.LemetayerF.RotondaC.GuilleminF.CosteJ.SpitzE. (2018). Qualitative methods used to generate questionnaire items: A systematic review. Qualitative Health Research, 29, 149–156. http://doi.org/10.1177/1049732318783186
46.
RodriguezC. M.RussaM. B.HarmonN. (2011). Assessing abuse risk beyond self-report: Analog task of acceptability of parent-child aggression. Child Abuse & Neglect, 35, 199–209. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2010.12.004
47.
RunyanD. K.DunneM. P.ZolotorA. J.MadridB.JainD.GerbakaB.MenickD. M.Andreva-MillerI.KasimM. S.ChooW. Y.IsaevaO.MacfarlaneB.RamirezC.VolkovaE.YoussefR. M. (2009). The development and piloting of the ISPCAN child abuse screening tool—Parent version (ICAST-P). Child Abuse & Neglect, 33, 826–832. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2009.09.006
48.
RussaM. B.RodriguezC. M. (2010). Physical discipline, escalation, and child abuse potential: Psychometric evidence for the Analog Parenting Task. Aggressive Behavior, 36, 251–260. http://doi.org/10.1002/ab.20345
RussellB. S.BritnerP. A. (2006). Measuring Shaken Baby Syndrome awareness: Preliminary reliability of a caregiver attitudes and beliefs survey. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 15, 765–777. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-006-9050-0
51.
SainiS. M.HoffmannC. R.PantelisC.EverallI. P.BousmanC. A. (2019). Systematic review and critical appraisal of child abuse measurement instruments. Psychiatry Research, 272, 106–113. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.068
SedlakA. J.MettenburgJ.BasenaM.PettaI.McPhersonK.GreeneA.LiS. (2010). Fourth National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS–4): Report to Congress. Administration for Children and Families.
54.
SijtsmaK. (2009). On the use, the misuse, and the very limited usefulness of Cronbach’s Alpha. Psychometrika, 74, 107–120. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11336-008-9101-0
55.
SpeyerR.CordierR.KertscherB.HeijnenB. J. (2014). Psychometric properties of questionnaires on functional health status in oropharyngeal dysphagia: A systematic literature review. BioMed Research International, 2014, 458–678. http://doi.org/10.1155/2014/458678
56.
SprangersM. A. G.AaronsonN. K. (1992). The role of health care providers and significant others in evaluating the quality of life of patients with chronic disease: A review. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 45, 743–760. http://doi.org/10.1016/0895-4356(92)90052-O
57.
StewartC.KirisciL.LongA. L.GiancolaP. R. (2015). Development and psychometric evaluation of the child neglect questionnaire. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 30, 3343–3366. http://doi.org/10.1177/0886260514563836
58.
StithS. M.LiuT.DaviesL. C.BoykinE. L.AlderM. C.HarrisJ. M.SomA.McPhersonM.DeesJ. (2009). Risk factors in child maltreatment: A meta-analytic review of the literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 14, 13–29. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2006.03.006
59.
StoltenborghM.Bakermans-KranenburgM. J.AlinkL. R. A.IjzendoornM. H. (2015). The prevalence of child maltreatment across the globe: Review of a series of meta-analyses. Child Abuse Review, 24, 37–50. http://doi.org/10.1002/car.2353
60.
StrausM. A.HambyS. L.FinkelhorD.MooreD. W.RunyanD. (1998). Identification of child maltreatment with the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales: Development and psychometric data for a national sample of American parents. Child Abuse & Neglect, 22, 249–270. http://doi.org/10.1016/S0145-2134(97)00174-9
61.
StrausM. A.HambyS. L.WarrenW. L. (2003). The Conflict Tactics Scales handbook: Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2) and CTS—Parent-child version (CTSPC). Western Psychological Services.
62.
StrausM. A.KinardE. M.WilliamsL. M. (1995). The multidimensional neglectful behavior scale, Form A: Adolescent and adult-recall version. Family Research Laboratory, University of New Hampshire.
63.
StreinerD. L.NormanG. R.CairneyJ. (2015). Health measurement scales: A practical guide to their development and use (5th ed.). Oxford University Press.
64.
TeicherM. H.SamsonJ. A.AndersonC. M.OhashiK. (2016). The effects of childhood maltreatment on brain structure, function and connectivity. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 17, 652–666. http://doi.org/10.1038/nrn.2016.111
65.
TerweeC. B.BotS. D. M.de BoerM. R.van der WindtD. A. W. M.KnolD. L.DekkerJ.BouterL. M.de VetH. C. W. (2007). Quality criteria were proposed for measurement properties of health status questionnaires. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 60, 34–42. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2006.03.012
TerweeC. B.PrinsenC. A. C.ChiarottoA.WestermanM. J.PatrickD. L.AlonsoJ.BouterL. M.de VetH. C. W.MokkinkL. B. (2018). COSMIN methodology for evaluating the content validity of patient-reported outcome measures: A Delphi study. Quality of Life Research, 27, 1159–1170. http://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-018-1829-0
68.
TwentymanC. T.PlotkinR.DodgeD.RohrbeckC. A. (1981, November). Inappropriate expectations of parents who maltreat their children. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Toronto.
69.
van HarmelenA.van TolM.van der WeeN. J. A.VeltmanD. J.AlemanA.SpinhovenP.van BuchemM. A.ZitmanF. G.PenninxB. W. J. H.ElzingaB. M. (2010). Reduced medial prefrontal cortex volume in adults reporting childhood emotional maltreatment. Biological Psychiatry, 68, 832–838. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.06.011
70.
VittrupB.HoldenG. W.BuckJ. (2006). Attitudes predict the use of physical punishment: A prospective study of the emergence of disciplinary practices. Pediatrics, 117, 2055–2064. http://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2005-2204
71.
VoisineS.BakerA. J. L. (2012). Do universal parenting programs discourage parents from using corporal punishment: A program review. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 93, 212–218. http://doi.org/10.1606/1044-3894.4217
72.
WieringB.de BoerD.DelnoijD. (2017). Patient involvement in the development of patient-reported outcome measures: A scoping review. Health Expectations, 20, 11–23. http://doi.org/10.1111/hex.12442
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
