The Child Abuse Potential Inventory: cross-validation in Croatia

The aim of this study was to cross-validate the Child Abuse Potential Inventory by Milner in Croatia. The inventory was translated and administered to 59 parents reported to centres of social work for child abuse or neglect and to a sample of 383 in the general population of parents. Data on sociodemographic variables and socioenvironmental stressors on the family were also collected. A significant difference in scores on the inventory's Abuse Scale between groups of parents was found. Discriminant analysis indicated an over-all correct classification rate for the Abuse Scale of 87.59%. The coefficient of internal consistency for the Abuse Scale for all respondents was 0.91. Results were interpreted as supportive of concurrent predictive validity in the Croatian sociocultural context.