Creating and field-testing diagnostic criteria for partner and child maltreatment.
An integrated set of diagnostic criteria for partner abuse and child abuse and neglect were developed and tested in 4 studies conducted with a branch of America's largest family maltreatment protection agency (i.e., the U.S. military's Family Advocacy Program). Maltreatment criteria then in force were found to have adequate levels of content validity, but experts' and users' feedback indicated ambiguities and poorly specified criteria that undermined reliable application. Criteria incorporating elements of the best existing civilian and military operationalizations were developed and evaluated in two field trials. The final definitions were found to support very high levels of agreement (92%) between base adjudicating committees and master reviewers.
Heyman
Richard E
RE
Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2500, USA. richard.heyman@stonybrook.edu
Smith Slep
Amy M
AM
D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D011581:Psychological Tests / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014481:United States