Phases of Research into Risk Factors for Children

Research into risk factors associated with harm to children has passed through several phases. Early research focused on broad risk factors that were associated with an increased risk that a child might be maltreated and might develop a mental disorder. Some findings from early research remain valid. However, some findings made during the early period of research into broad risk factors for child maltreatment have been superseded by findings made in more recent phases of research that have clarified mechanisms by which mental disorder is transmitted and that highlights new approaches for early therapy intervention. This chapter draws attention to new phases of research that focus on three topics: (a) specific mechanisms that transmit mental disorders in families; (b) new forms of family-based intervention; and (c) new methods to assess dysfunctional dynamics that occur in vulnerable families.