Brief Counseling for Perceived Parental Neglect: a Single-Case Experimental Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35723/asps.v1i2.97Keywords:
Single-Case Design, Child Counseling, Perceived Parental Neglect, Counselor Education, Parental Acceptance–Rejection TheoryAbstract
Parental neglect is a form of child abuse that can cause emotional distress and disrupt a child's psychosocial development, particularly during preadolescence when the need for acceptance, involvement, and autonomy begins to increase. This study aims to analyze the effectiveness of Brief Counseling in reducing emotional distress and increasing perceptions of parental acceptance in preadolescent children experiencing indications of parental neglect. The study used a quantitative experimental approach with a single case design type AB. The subject of the study was a preadolescent child who showed indicators of parental neglect. Data were collected through interviews, observations, and repeated measurements of the level of emotional distress and perceptions of parental acceptance at each counseling session. Data analysis was conducted using visual analysis of changes in levels, trends, and stability of data in the baseline (before intervention) and intervention phases. The results showed that emotional distress remained high and relatively stable before the intervention was administered, then decreased consistently after the intervention was administered. Perceptions of parental acceptance also increased during the intervention phase compared to the baseline phase. In addition, changes in data patterns indicate a functional relationship between the implementation of Brief Counseling and improvements in children's emotional conditions and relational perceptions, which is in line with the explanation of Parental Acceptance-Rejection Theory (PARTheory). This study concludes that Brief Counseling has the potential to be an effective intervention for helping preadolescents experiencing perceived parental neglect and suggests that SCED is a useful approach for evaluating the effectiveness of practice-based counseling interventions. However, these findings are limited by the involvement of only one participant and the short duration of the intervention. Therefore, future research should utilize a more robust SCED design, involve more participants, and conduct follow-up measurements to improve the validity and generalizability of the findings.
References
[1] Aktay, M. (2020). The effects and treatment of child abuse and neglect. Gelişim ve Psikoloji Dergisi, 1(2), 169–184. https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/gpd/issue/54914/774648
[2] Akova, F., Koyuncu, Z., Erol, E., Doğangün, B., Güler Baysoy, N., Dokur, M., … Karadağ, M. (2022). Child abuse as an example of coexistence of emotional and physical trauma among children: An academic overview with Altmetric perspective. Cureus, 14(3), e23347. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.23347
[3] Becker, E. M., Becker, K. D., & Ginsburg, G. S. (2012). Modular cognitive behavioral therapy for youth with anxiety disorders. School Mental Health, 4, 243–253. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-012-9080-2
[4] Bozdemir, F., & Gündüz, B. (2016). The relationships between attachment styles, parental attitudes, childhood trauma experiences, and emotional intelligence. International Journal of Human Sciences, 13(1), 1797–1814.
[5] Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. Basic Books.
[6] Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Harvard University Press.
[7] Brown, D. W., Anda, R. F., & Tiemeier, H. (2009). Adverse childhood experiences and the risk of premature death. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 37(5), 389–396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2009.06.021
[8] Campos, A. P., Robles, J., Matthes, K. E., Alexander, R. C., & Goode, R. W. (2025). Parenting practices to prevent childhood obesity among Hispanic families: a systematic review. Childhood Obesity, 21(2), 113–128. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2024.0311
[9] Chao, R. K., & Tseng, V. (2002). Parenting of Asian Americans. Lawrence Erlbaum.
[10] Deblinger, E., Steer, R. A., & Lippmann, J. (2001). Two-year follow-up study of cognitive behavioral therapy for sexually abused children. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 40(10), 1140–1148. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0145-2134(99)00091-5
[11] Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. W. W. Norton.
[12] Erkman, F., & Rohner, R. P. (2006). Youths’ perceptions of corporal punishment, parental acceptance, and psychological adjustment. Cross-Cultural Research, 40(3), 250–267. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069397106287924
[13] Erten, E., Kalkay Üney, A., & Fıstıkçı, N. (2015). Bipolar bozukluk ve çocukluk çağı travması. Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar, 7(2), 157–165. https://doi.org/10.5455/cap.20140719110459
[14] Faller, K. C., & Henry, J. (2000). Child sexual abuse: A case study in community collaboration. Child Abuse & Neglect, 24(9), 1215–1225. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0145-2134(00)00171-X
[15] Gaffey, A. E., Aranda, F., Burns, J. W., & Hobfoll, S. E. (2019). Psychosocial vulnerability and social support. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 32(1), 18–31.
[16] Kasuto, S. A. (2005). The effect of family interaction on children’s social and cognitive development. Marmara University.
[17] Khaleque, A., & Rohner, R. P. (2012). Transnational relations between perceived parental acceptance and personality dispositions. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 16(2), 103–115. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868311418986
[18] Masten, A. S., & Coatsworth, J. D. (1995). Competence, resilience, and psychopathology. Wiley.
[19] Mehta, D., Kelly, A. B., Laurens, K. R., & Mathews, B. (2021). Child maltreatment and long-term outcomes. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01258-8
[20] Pelendecioğlu, B., & Bulut, S. (2009). Çocuğa yönelik aile içi fiziksel istismar [Intra-family physical abuse against children]. Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 9(1), 49–62.
[21] Polat, O. (2001). Çocuk ve şiddet [Child and violence]. Der Yayınları.
[22] Pollak, S. D., Cicchetti, D., & Klorman, R. (1998). Stress, memory, and emotion. Development and Psychopathology, 10(4), 811–828. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579498001886
[23] Ray, D. C., Armstrong, S. A., Balkin, R. S., & Jayne, K. M. (2010). Single-case design in child counseling research. Counselor Education and Supervision, 49(3), 193–208. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6978.2010.tb00098.x
[24] Rohner, R. P. (1980). Worldwide tests of parental acceptance-rejection theory. Behavior Science Research, 15(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/106939718001500102
[25] Rohner, R. P. (2016). Introduction to interpersonal acceptance-rejection theory (IPARTheory) and evidence. Online readings in psychology and culture, 6(1), 2307-0919. https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1055
[26] Rohner, R. P., & Khaleque, A. (2010). Testing central postulates of PARTheory. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 2(1), 73–87.
[27] Shonkoff, J. P., Garner, A. S., & The Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health. (2012). The lifelong effects of early childhood adversity. Pediatrics, 129(1).
[28] Teicher, M. H., Andersen, S. L., & Polcari, A. (2003). The neurobiological consequences of early stress. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 27(1–2), 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0149-7634(03)00007-1
[29] Ungar, M. (2008). Resilience across cultures. British Journal of Social Work, 38(2), 218–235. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcl343
[30] Wilson, D. R. (2010). Health consequences of childhood sexual abuse. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 46(1), 255–256. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6163.2009.00238.
[31] Yılmaz, G., İşiten, N., Ertan, Ü., & Öner, A. (2003). Bir çocuk istismarı vakası [A case of child abuse]. Çocuk Sağlığı ve Hastalıkları Dergisi, 46(4), 295–298.
