Child Abuse Potential Inventory

Date

1986

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

PAR

Abstract

Milner developed the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI) in 1986 to help protective services workers detect physical child abuse in their investigations of reported child abuse cases. This is a self-report screening instrument given to parents or caregivers suspected of abuse. The test consists of 160-items and uses an “agree/disagree,” forced-choice format. CAPI contains a total of 10 standard scales and 2 specials scales (added to the measure in 1990). The 10 standard scales include a 77-item Child Abuse Scale and 3 validity scales. The primary clinical scale—Abuse Scale—can be divided into six factor scales: Distress; Rigidity; Unhappiness; Problems with Child and Self; Problems with Family; and Problems with Others. The two special scales are Loneliness and Ego-Strength, and the three validity scales are Lie, Random Response, and Inconsistency. There have been multiple studies that have shown that the parent or care-giver’s score on the CAP inventory is predictive of the child’s long-term intelligence, socioemotional outcome, and development as well as future behavior by the parent or care-giver. In the preliminary validation study done by Milner in 1984, he found a significant relationship between CAPI abuse scores and subsequent abuse as well as between abuse scores and later neglect. (CVR Abstract)

Description

Cost: Yes
Training: Yes
Number of Items:160

Keywords

Child Abuse, Screening Tool, Purpose: Detection, Administration Method: Practitioner-Administered, Population: Adults, Domain: Grief/Loss, Domain: Externalizing Symptoms, Domain: Health, Domain: Parenting Services and Systems, Domain: Mood and Anxiety Symptoms, Domain: Interpersonal/Interactional Problems

Citation

Milner, J. (1986). The Child Abuse Potential Inventory Manual, DeKalb, IL: Psytec Inc. Milner, J. (1990). An Interpretive Manual for The Child Abuse Potential Inventory, Dekalb, IL: Psytec Inc.

DOI