Using Family Stress Model in Predicting the Risk for Abuse of Adolescents

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the contribution of
family economic hardship, economic pressure, stress
experience and family functioning in predicting the risk for
abuse among mothers of Croatian adolescents under the
Family Stress Model. The sample included 722 mothers of
first-grade high school students from central Croatia. The
results showed that lower education and parents'
unemployment, higher levels of stress and family conflict and
lower levels of family intimacy predicted higher risk for child
abuse. Family intimacy and conflicts showed partial
mediation effect on the relationship between economic
hardship, economic pressure, and experience of stress with
risk for abuse. The development of effective programs for the
parents who are at risk for child abuse, together with
interventions for reducing economic hardship is an important
direction for lowering risk for child abuse.