The Therapeutic Use of Previewing to Deter Parental Abuse

Previewing, a process by which the caregiver introduces the infant to imminent developmental events, may serve as a preventive strategy for deterring abusive behavior. Previewing encompasses the caregiver's predictions and subsequent enactments of upcoming maturational skills with the infant. Caregivers who share an adaptive relationship with their infants tend to manifest previewing behaviors, while caregivers at risk for abuse generally do not. The prevalence of previewing among adaptive caregivers suggests its utility as a technique for deterring abusive behavior. The preventive benefits of previewing are illustrated by two case histories involving pregnant women at risk for abuse.