Abstract
This article presents data on the development of a child maltreatment actuarial risk inventory, The Cleveland Child Abuse
Potential Scale (C-CAPS). The study consisted of three groups in a juvenile court setting: child custody cases without indication
of maltreatment (N = 34), cases where maltreatment was indicated (N = 37), and a third middle ground group of cases referred to the court’s Diagnostic Clinic (N = 47). This third group of cases had not elevated to court involvement with a filing of child maltreatment. Study results
provide compelling support for overall classification accuracy, with 100% specificity and 95% sensitivity and an overall hit
rate of 98%, when only the maltreatment and non-maltreatment groups were compared. Adding the third group of possible maltreatment
cases dropped the overall hit rate to 71%. The instrument was able to correctly classify 85% of Non-Maltreatment cases and
76% of Maltreatment cases. The overall factor structure of the instrument is also reviewed.
Potential Scale (C-CAPS). The study consisted of three groups in a juvenile court setting: child custody cases without indication
of maltreatment (N = 34), cases where maltreatment was indicated (N = 37), and a third middle ground group of cases referred to the court’s Diagnostic Clinic (N = 47). This third group of cases had not elevated to court involvement with a filing of child maltreatment. Study results
provide compelling support for overall classification accuracy, with 100% specificity and 95% sensitivity and an overall hit
rate of 98%, when only the maltreatment and non-maltreatment groups were compared. Adding the third group of possible maltreatment
cases dropped the overall hit rate to 71%. The instrument was able to correctly classify 85% of Non-Maltreatment cases and
76% of Maltreatment cases. The overall factor structure of the instrument is also reviewed.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Article
- Pages 1-11
- DOI 10.1007/s10896-012-9412-x
- Authors
- Frank Ezzo, Family Conciliation Services, Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Division of Domestic Relations, 1 W Lakeside Ave, Suite 52, Cleveland, OH 44113, USA
- Kevin Young, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, Wade park Campus 10701 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Journal Journal of Family Violence
- Online ISSN 1573-2851
- Print ISSN 0885-7482