Is the Brief Version of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory a Valid and Reliable Measure for Childcare Providers?

ABSTRACT

This study aims to validate a Korean version of the Brief Version of the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (BCAP-K) for use with childcare providers in South Korea. By employing a stratified sampling method, 808 childcare providers in charge of infants’ classes were selected for participation. Participants completed a questionnaire that included socio-demographic characteristics, the BCAP-K, frequency of child abuse behaviors, and the Caregiver Interaction Scale. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to identify what the structure of the BCAP-K should be. Construct validity and internal reliability were also examined. Research Findings: The study’s results revealed that the five-factor model (Distress and loneliness, Family conflict, Happiness, Rigidity, and Feelings of Persecution) was the best model for child abuse potential. All BCAP-K subscales were positively related to the frequency of neglect behaviors and negatively associated with childcare providers’ interaction quality. When controlling for the demographic variables, Rigidity was the strongest factor in predicting both child abuse behaviors and child–caregiver interaction. The internal reliability of the BCAP-K was good. Practice or Policy: The BCAP-K may therefore be an effective and time-efficient tool to screen for child abuse risk among South Korean childcare providers.

Disclosure Statement

We have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Notes

1. There are two types of childcare institutes in South Korea: childcare centers and kindergartens. Childcare centers are attended by children aged 0–5 years and are managed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Kindergartens are managed by the Ministry of Education and serve children aged 3–5 years.

2. Both the terms of infants (0 ~ 24 months) and toddler (24 ~ 36 months) are called as “infant [youngah]” which refer to children under the age of three in the national childcare curriculum and Infant Care Act in South Korea.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by NRF(National Research Foundation of Korea) Grant funded by the Korean Government(NRF-2018H1A2A1062267-Global Ph.D. Fellowship Program).