Major theoretical models (main period) | Related theories | Point of dis-order | Examples of “risk” factors | Examples of empirical support | Implications for prevention science and practice |
Psychiatric & psychological (1960s) | Medical; parental psychopathology; intergenerational transmission of child abuse; psychodynamic theories including attachment, social learning, behavioural and cognitive theories | Parent | Parental health characteristics including mental ill-health, family violence, alcohol-other drugs misuse; life crisis and stressors; parent-child role reversal | | · Selective and indicative prevention programs · Individualised adult psycho-therapeutics · Family preservation services · Home visitation |
Child-initiated abuse (1960s) | Goodness-of-fit (child temperament and parent sensitivity— responsiveness); child behaviour including crying behaviour | Child | Child-characteristics including younger age, misbehaviour, conduct and related issues, disabilities (special needs), difficult child temperament | | · Parent education and training programmes · Family support services · Home visitation · Child-focused family therapies |
Sociological & environmental (1970s) | Social systems theory; culture, norms, traditions, and customs | Societal (situational/ contextual factors) | Poverty; social disadvantaged neighbourhoods; unemployment; social isolation; stressful and “toxic” social environments; lack of social support systems; cultural acceptance of violence against children | | · Social-justice approaches · Systemic interventions · Population-level approaches · Community-based initiatives · Mass media and social marketing approaches · Economical and material support |
Developmental-Ecological-transactional (1980s) | Developmental psychopathology; socioecological theory | Parent-child- society | Family and societal characteristics including multiple cumulative risk factors | | · Public-health models and primary prevention · Social policies and legislations · Neighbourhood-based interventions · Systems approach in child-protection intervention/prevention |
Bio-psychosocio-cultural (since 1990s) | Multifactorial theories (including all the above) | Multiple risk factors (including all the above) | | · Multi-agency and sectoral services · Multidisciplinary collaborative approaches |