Abstract

CALHEIROS, Manuela  and  MONTEIRO, Maria Benedicta. Social-ecological contexts of children maltreatment and neglect. Psicologia [online]. 2001, vol.15, n.1, pp.117-145. ISSN 0874-2049.

The aim of the study is to analyse the importance of several social psychological variables on the variability of parental patterns of maltreatment and neglect with their children. The theoretical frameworks include Belsky's ecological model (1980; 1993; 1995) and Cicchetti and col. 's transactional model (Cicchetti & Rizley, 1981; Cichetti & Lynch, 1993) concerning the determinants of parental behaviour. 379 children of Lisbon public schools, aged 6 to 15, were assessed by their teachers that filled in two questionnaires. The first assessed parental abusive behaviours of physical and psychological maltreatment and physical neglect. The second assessed children and family variables concerning the ontogenical context as well as their micro-, exo-, and macro-systems. Results show the importance of children's, family's and ecological variables on parental abusive behaviours, the most salient being child's age, health and school achievement; family's structure, health, internal violence and drug consumption; social isolation or discrimination.

Keywords : Contextos ecológicos; contexto social; família; mau trato; negligência; crianças.

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