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The present study examines the role of neglect potential in adolescent mother-child dyads, both in terms of antecedents and its consequences for children's development. Participants were 100 adolescent mother-child dyads who were part of a larger, longitudinal study. Data were collected from the third trimester of pregnancy until the children's 10th year Histories of maternal neglect and the quality of mother-child interactions during early childhood were found to predict neglect potential during middle childhood. Mothers with high neglect potential had children who exhibited more externalizing problems and fewer adaptive behaviors, with neglect potential mediating the effects of both early abuse potential and the quality of parenting on children's later externalizing behaviors. Results suggest that neglect potential may be a mechanism through which early potential for child abuse and insensitive maternal interactions affect later externalizing problems in children of adolescent mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study offers a new way to ascertain information about child neglect by evaluating a self-report measure of neglectful behaviors, the Mother-Child Neglect Scale (MCNS). The scale was modified from an existing self-report measure, the Neglect Scale (NS), which was originally designed to measure personal histories of neglect. One hundred adolescent mothers were administered the MCNS and NS in two occasions via phone interviews. In addition, maternal abuse potential and the quality of mother-child interactions were assessed when children were age 3 and 5 years. The MCNS had high internal consistency and moderate test-retest reliability. Convergent validity was found between the MCNS and maternal histories of neglect as well as observed parenting behaviors and child abuse potential; those relationships remained after social desirability was controlled. This research tool may prove useful, in conjunction with existing assessment instruments, in determining the type and severity of past neglectful behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]