ABSTRACT
This chapter presents some approaches to assessing parenting attitudes and skills that are central to the mission of most Family-Based Service (FBS) programs. One of the primary aims of most FBS programs is to improve parenting skills and behaviors. Belsky has proposed an ecological model of parenting that includes the multiple interactions of parent, child, and contextual factors. The initial research on parenting behavior was stimulated in the 1930s by Freud’s emphasis on the importance of early childhood experiences in personality development. Many instruments have been developed to study parenting knowledge and beliefs, including age-appropriate expectations, knowledge of child development, and beliefs about appropriate discipline. Assessment of parenting must include information about the parent’s capacity to provide adequate care. The Child Abuse Potential Inventory was designed to measure both personal and interactional dimensions of parenting in order to assess the risk of physical child abuse.
