THE PARENT-REPORT MULTIDIMENSIONAL NEGLECT SCALE*

 

Melissa Holt, Glenda Kaufman Kantor, and Murray A. Straus

Family Research Laboratory, University of New Hampshire

Durham, NH 03824  603-862-2594

 

PRELIMINARY DRAFT

 

 

NOTE:  As of this writing the survey using this instrument with a community sample of parents is still in process.  Consequently, the only purposes are to make available the version of the Multidemensional Neglect Scale being used in that survey  Forms PA, PAS, PB, PBS) -- and to provide an outline of a planned paper reporting the results and normative data.

 

 

MULTIDIMENSIONAL NEGLECT SCALE – FORMS PA, PAS, PB, PBS

 

Copyright 2003 by Glenda Kaufman Kantor and Murray A. Straus

Use of this scale requires permission of the copyright owners.  To request permission,

please use the Permission To Use form In the section on neglect papers in the website http://pubpages.unh.edu/~mas2

 

 

 

This document gives the scales as used in a NH-Maine community survey of neglect,

Winter-Spring 2003

 

FORM             For use with parents of children age

     PA                          5-15

     PAS                        5-15 (Short Form)

 

     PB                          0-4 years 11 months

     PBS                        0-4 years 11 months (short Form)

 

NOTE 1 Item Order:  The items are listed here grouped by scale.   However, for administering the scales, they were arranged in random order.   The random order arrangement is given at the end.

 

NOTE 2 Obsolete Response Categories:   The response categories below were adopted about half way through the survey in response to problems with the following categories that are no longer used::

 

Now I am going to ask questions about some of the ways  that parents and children interact. Please tell me if  in the last 6 months this was like your situation with

                 ?

  Was that ... 1. not at all like you ...2.  a little like you ...3.  sort of like you or ...4/  really a lot like you?

 


 

FORM PA

For parents of children age 5-15

 

Now I am going to ask questions about some of the ways that parents and children interact. Please tell me if (in the last 6 months) this was like your situation with NAME?

First, watched your child playing.

 

Please tell me if in the last six months this happened with NAME.  Would you say it:

1)      Never happened

2)      Sometimes happened

3)      Frequently happened

4)      Always happened

 

Items that have “_O” are to be asked of families where the referent child is 10-15 years old instead of the like-numbered item (eg. E3 is asked about children 9 years and under, and E3_O is asked about children 10-15 years).  Otherwise, all items are to be asked for all eligible referent children.

 

E1        1. Watched your child playing

E2        2. Made your child feel better when he/she was sad

E3        3. Hung your child’s drawings in the home

E3_O   4. Hung your child’s schoolwork in the home

E4        5. Told your child you loved him/her

E5        6. Did fun things with your child

E6        7. Cooked your child’s favorite foods

E7        8. Were too busy to answer your child when he/she asked questions

E8        9. Praised your child

E9        10. Let your child know when he/she did something right

 

C1       11. Showed interest in your child’s activities or hobbies

C2       12. Met or talked with your child’s teachers at school

C3       13. Sat down and talked with your child

C4       14. Brought your child to museums and other interesting places

C5       15. Read books with your child

C6       16. Helped your child with his/her schoolwork

C7       17. Talked with your child about what he/she was learning in school

C8       18. Helped your child when he/she was having trouble understanding something

 

S5        19. Weren’t sure there was someone to take care of or check on your child when you                   weren’t home

S1        20. Didn’t know where your child was playing when s/he was outdoors

S1_O   21. Knew where your child was going after school

S2        22. Left your child in the car alone

S2_O   23. Called your child from work to check up him/her

S3        24. Left your child places where you weren’t sure he/she was really safe

S6        25. Didn’t care if your child got in trouble at school

S4        26. Made sure your child went to school in the morning

S8        27. Didn’t know what your child was doing when he/she was not at home

S8_O   28. Cared if your child did things wrong like steal

S7        29. Knew the friends your child was with

S9        30. Did not leave your child home alone

 

P1        31. Made sure that your child took a bath or shower

P2        32. Kept your house clean

P3        33. Made sure your child wore clothes to keep him/her warm or dry

P5        34. Wasn’t able to take your child to the doctor when he/she was really sick

P6        35. Took your child to the doctor for check-ups

P7        36. Made sure that your child brushed his/her teeth everyday

P8        37. Took your child to the dentist for check-ups

P9        38. Didn’t have enough food in the house for the child

P10      39. Encouraged your child to eat vegetables, fruit, and milk

P11      40. Let your child fill up on candy, chips, and soda

P12      41. Didn’t have a house, apartment, or trailer to live in

P13      42. When it was cold outside, the house is warm enough

P14      43. Your child didn’t have his/her own bed to sleep in at night

 

Ab1      44. Didn’t have help to take care of your child when you needed to go out

Ab2      45. Left your child some place and did not come back

 

F1        46. Adults in the house hit each other or threw things & your child might have heard it

F2        47. Adults in the house hit each other or threw things & your child might have seen it

F3        48. Didn’t stop someone in the house from hurting your child

 

Al1       49. Got drunk (high) and couldn’t take care of your child

Al2       50. Let your child drink beer or alcohol

 

SHORT FORM PAS

For parents of children age 5-15

 

Now I am going to ask questions about some of the ways that parents and children interact. Please tell me if (in the last 6 months) this was like your situation with NAME?

First, Hung your child’s drawings in the home

 

Please tell me if in the last six months this happened with NAME.  Would you say it:

1. Never happened

2. Sometimes happened

3. Frequently happened

4. Always happened

 

E3        1. Hung your child’s drawings in the home

E3_O   2. Hung your child’s schoolwork in the home

E4        3. Told your child you loved him/her

 

C1       4. Showed interest in your child’s activities or hobbies

C6       5. Helped your child with his/her schoolwork

 

S2        6. Left your child in the car alone

S2_O   7. Called your child from work to check up him/her

S4        8. Made sure your child went to school in the morning

 

P6        9. Took your child to the doctor for check-ups

P9        10. Didn’t have enough food in the house for the child

P13      11. When it was cold outside, the house is warm enough

 

Ab1      12. Didn’t have help to take care of your child when you needed to go out

 

F1        13. Adults in the house hit each other or threw things & your child might have heard it

F3        14.  Didn’t stop someone in the house from hurting your child

 

A12      15. Let your child drink beer or alcohol


MULTIDIMENSIONAL NEGLECT SCALE – FORM PB

For parents of children age 0 to 4 years 11 months

 

Now I am going to ask questions about some of the ways that parents and children interact. Please tell me if (in the last 6 months) this was like your situation with NAME?

First, watched your child playing.

 

Please tell me if in the last six months this happened with NAME.  Would you say it:

1. Never happened

2. Sometimes happened

3. Frequently happened

4. Always happened

 

E1        1.  Watched your child playing.

E2i       2.  Made your child feel better when s/he was sad or upset.

E4i       3.  Talked to your child when s/he babbled, tried to talk, or talked to you.

E5        4.  Did fun things with your child.

E6i       5.  Provided your child’s favorite foods.

E7i       6.  Caressed or kissed your child.

E8        7.  Praised your child.

E9        8.  Let your child know when s/he did something right.

 

C1i       9.  Showed interest in your child’s activities or play.

C3i       10.  Held, or sat down and talked with your child.

C4i       11.  Brought your child to different or interesting places.

C5       12.  Read books with your child.

C7i       13.  Helped child learn to talk, or learn new words, by pointing and naming objects or

body parts (eyes, nose).

C8i       14.  Gave your child toys to help him (her) learn new skills.

 

S2i       15.  Left your child in the car alone for just a short period of time.

S3        16.  Left your child places where you weren’t sure he or she was really safe.

S4i       17.  Can always hear your child when s/he crises and you are out of the room.

S6i       18.  Distract your child when s/he tries to do something that could be unsafe (pull on electric plug; touch stove).

S7i       19.  Felt comfortable with the person that you left your child with.

S9        20.  Didn’t leave your child at home alone.f

 

P1i       21.  Made sure that your child got a bath nearly every day.

P2        22.  Kept your house clean.

P3i       23.  Made sure your child worse clothes that kept him/her warm or dry.

P5        24.  Wasn’t able to take your child to the doctor when he/she was really sick.

P6        25.  Took your child to the doctor for check-ups.

P9        26.  Didn’t have enough food in the house for the child.

P12      27.  Didn’t have a house, apartment, or trailer to live in.

P13      28.  When it was cold outside, the house is warm enough.

P14      29.  Your child doesn’t have his/her own bed to sleep in at night.

P10i     30.  Provided your child with a variety of foods (as approved by the doctor or nurse).

 

Ab1      31. Didn’t have help to take care of your child when you needed to go out.

Ab2      32. Left your child some place and did not come back.

 

F1        33. Adults in the house hit each other or threw things & your child might have heard it.

F2        34. Adults in the house hit each other or threw things & your child might have seen it.

F3        35. Didn’t stop someone in the house from hurting your child.

 

Al1       36. Got drunk (high) and couldn’t take care of your child.

Al2i      37. Gave your child sips of alcohol or beer when s/he was fussy.

 

 

MULTIDIMENSIONAL NEGLECT SCALE – FORM PBS

For parents of children age 0 to 4 years 11 months

 

Now I am going to ask questions about some of the ways that parents and children interact. Please tell me if (in the last 6 months) this was like your situation with NAME?

First, watched your child playing.

 

Please tell me if in the last six months this happened with NAME.  Would you say it:

1. Never happened

2. Sometimes happened

3. Frequently happened

4. Always happened

 

E7i. Caressed or kissed your child.

E5. Did fun things with your child.

 

C1i Showed interest in your child’s activities or play.

C3i Held or sat down and talked with your child.

 

S2i Left your child in the car alone for just a short period of time

S3 Left your child places where you weren’t sure he or she was really safe.

S4i Can always hear your child when s/he cries and you are out of the room.

 

P6   Took your child to the doctor for check-ups.

P9    Didn’t have enough food in the house for the child.

P13  When it was cold outside, the house was warm enough .

 

Ab1  Didn’t have help to take care of your child when you needed to go out

 

F1  Adults in the house hit each other or threw things & your child might have heard it

F3. Didn’t stop someone in the house from hurting your child

 

A12i Gave your child sips of alcohol or beer when s/he was fussy.

 

 


PLANNED TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR PAPER ON THIS INSTRUMENT

 

THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL NEGLECT SCALES

            Refer readers to NS1, 2, and 5

 

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARENT-REPORT FORM

            Full scale

            Short form

 

RELIABILITY

            This section will provide normative data

 

PREVALENCE OF NEGLECT

 

SOME CORRELATES OF NEGLECT

 

RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THE SHORT FORM

 

DISCUSSION

 

APPENDICES – Forms PA, PAS, PB, PBS

 

 

 



*  Address correspondent to murray.straus@unh.edu.   For a list of other publications on neglect and related issues by members of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire, log into the laboratory web site www.unh.edu/frl.

            It is a pleasure to express appreciation to  ???  and to the members of the Family Research Laboratory Seminar for valuable comments and suggestions. The work has been supported by National Institute of Mental Health grants R01MD39144-01  and  T32MH15161 and by the University of New Hampshire.