Measures a child’s overall perception of each parent’s discipline style and practices.
DISCIPLINE INDEX (DI)
Purpose: Reflects the manner in which a child is being socialized, to delay gratification of impulses, to think before acting. In an era of increasing incarceration rates and racial diversity in the workplace, appropriate delay of impulse expression is essential.
Age: 6 years and up
Testing Time: 35 minutes
Scoring: 10 minutes
The Discipline Index systematically obtains information from a child about the child’s overall perceptions of each parent’s socialization and discipline style and practices. Its non-verbal responses spare the child both loyalty conflicts as well as the need to verbalize directly negative statements about either parent. The child can also offer spontaneous verbal comments to the assessor. It is suitable for use in cases covering an exceptionally broad range of issues, and an exceptionally broad range of ages (from 6 on up).
The manner and means by which parents choose to socialize and discipline a child are significantly correlated with many important ultimate outcomes for a child:
Children who have not been adequately socialized do more poorly in school behaviorally and academically.
They have poor relationships with peers
They seek out peers who also have problems
They fail to negotiate the perils of childhood and adolescence very well
Excessive punishment and lack of attunement can help create a child who may become withdrawn and potentially explosive or acts out
Inconsistent discipline can often create a child with an inappropriate sense of boundaries
The DI can be helpful in a large number of areas: CHILD THERAPY, NORMAL CHILD DEVELOPMENT, CUSTODY ASSESSMENTS, FAMILY THERAPY, PARENTING AND FAMILY ISSUES PLANNING, CHILDREN WHO NEED HELP, INVESTIGATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT, ASSESSMENT OF PRE- AND POST-PARENTING INTERVENTIONS, CLASSROOM ASSESSMENTS OF BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS, CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICE ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT.
The Discipline Index yields information about parental disciplinary practices in 6 categories. Each has its own scale: CLEAR EXPECTATIONS, EFFECTIVELY MONITORS, CONSISTENT ENFORCEMENT, FAIRNESS, ATTUNEMENT, MODERATES ANGER.
Contains: DI Manual, 8 sets of DI Response Cards, 8 Scoring Summaries, Stylus-pen, Placement dots, Response Card box with foam insert.