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ISPCAN Child Abuse Screening Tools Retrospective version (ICAST-R): Delphi study and field testing in seven countries
Michael P Dunne1, Adam J Zolotor, Desmond K Runyan
1School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove 4059, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Child Abuse & Neglect
|October 27, 2009
Summary
A new survey tool, the ICAST-R, was developed with international experts to measure child abuse retrospectively. Field trials show it has satisfactory properties for global use in estimating prevalence and describing perpetrators.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Child abuse is a significant global issue requiring reliable measurement tools.
- Existing tools may lack cross-cultural applicability and consensus among experts.
- Retrospective measurement of child abuse is crucial for understanding prevalence and risk factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To achieve international expert consensus on the structure and content of a new survey tool for retrospective child abuse measurement.
- To evaluate the performance and translatability of the developed instrument through an international field trial.
Main Methods:
- Development of the questionnaire through expert focus groups and a two-wave Delphi study.
- Translation into six languages and field testing in seven countries with 842 young adults (aged 18-26).
- Assessment of item importance, translatability, prevalence rates, internal consistency, and missing data.
Main Results:
- Expert consensus was reached on item inclusion, exclusion, and translatability.
- The International Child Abuse Screening Tool-Retrospective (ICAST-R) includes 15 primary questions on abuse types, perpetrator characteristics, and timing.
- Field testing indicated high lifetime prevalence (often >10%), moderate to high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha .61-.82), and low missing data (<1.5%).
- Peer and adult perpetrators were most frequently nominated, including non-family adults and teachers.
Conclusions:
- The ICAST-R is based on international expert consensus and demonstrates clear translation and satisfactory psychometric properties for estimating child abuse prevalence.
- The tool is suitable for diverse cultural and linguistic contexts, potentially improving global research comparability.
- Adoption of ICAST-R's behaviorally specific questions as key indicators can enhance consistency in child maltreatment surveys.
