| Patterns of caregiving and attachment behavior were examined for interactions of 36 dyads, referred for evaluation by DSS due to alleged maltreatment. Standard procedures included Preschool Strange Situation, toy clean-up task, and interviews. IRB granted permission to use clinic evaluation and background file information. Criteria for inclusion were children ages 24--80 months, history of alleged abuse or neglect by the primary caregiver, and ongoing CPS involvement.; Attachment and caregiving behavior were originally coded for clinical purposes. Reliability was determined through recoding and conferencing all tapes using the Marvin-Britner Caregiver Behavior System. Caregivers were rated on sensitivity, affection, rejection, overinvolving, pressuring, role-reversing, support, delight, and flat and negative affect. Child attachment classifications were also double-coded, using the Cassidy-Marvin Preschool System. Behaviors including indiscriminate friendliness, fearfulness, and compulsive compliance were noted. Clean-up interactions were coded for caregiver structuring, positive and negative regard, child compliance, and dyadic cooperation.; Background information included maltreatment allegedly perpetrated by caregivers. Dyads were placed into physical abuse, verbal abuse, neglect, and failure to protect groups. Other variables examined were caregiver maltreatment histories, psychiatric diagnoses, substance abuse, domestic violence, and CPS interventions.; Associations among background variables, behavioral ratings, and classifications were examined through descriptive and inferential analyses. One dyad had a secure relationship in this high-risk sample. Two children had avoidant attachment, and the remaining 33 exhibited non-ordered attachment, 12 with "D" or role-reversed behavior, and 19 with "I/O" or a mixture of non-ordered behaviors. All but one caregiver exhibited non-ordered caregiving, with 14 role-reversed, 9 a confusing mixture, 7 disengaged, and 5 controlling/threatening. Caregivers and children had significantly concordant classification patterns.; Verbally abusive caregivers, often overlooked in other studies, appeared less sensitive, more rejecting and more overinvolving with their children than the other groups of caregivers. The failure to protect (FTP) group, typically grouped with neglecting parents, exhibited more delight and role-reversal and less overinvolving and pressuring. They reported significantly more abuse in childhood, violence in adult relationships, and difficulty structuring the clean-up task. These results and others were discussed in light of previous research on attachment, caregiving, and maltreatment. Implications for intervention and future exploration were described. |
