Kent State University, Psychological Sciences, 144 Kent Hall, Kent, OH, 44242, United States; University of North Dakota, Psychology, 2000 Columbia Hall, Grand Forks, ND, 58202, United States.
University of Akron, Department of Psychology, Akron, OH, 44325-4301, United States.
Child Abuse Negl. 2018 Nov;85:80-90. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.08.004. Epub 2018 Aug 28.
Parental risk for perpetrating child abuse is frequently associated with intergenerational patterns of abuse: being abused increases the risk for future abuse. Yet, the mechanisms of intergenerational abuse are unclear, and the risk factors for perpetrating child abuse are interrelated. Research suggests that history of childhood abuse, psychiatric distress, and exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) are all related risk factors for perpetrating child abuse. We investigated these three risk factors using the developmental psychopathology framework in a racially diverse sample of high-risk women: women residing in domestic violence shelters. 211 mothers residing in domestic violence shelters completed measures of their own childhood abuse (defined narrowly in a 10-item self-report survey), exposure to and severity of IPV victimization, and structured interviews to diagnose psychiatric disorders. We utilized a hierarchical regression model to predict child abuse potential, accounting for risk factors in blocks roughly representing theorized temporal relationships: childhood abuse followed by psychiatric diagnoses, and then recency of exposure to IPV. Consistent with hypotheses, the strongest predictor of current child abuse potential was the psychiatric diagnosis of PTSD. Mediation tests further explicated that the relationship between maternal history of childhood sexual abuse and current potential for perpetrating child abuse is mediated by IPV-related PTSD symptoms. Results suggest that IPV-related PTSD symptoms, rather than exposure to abuse (i.e., childhood abuse or IPV), is most strongly associated with child abuse potential in recent IPV survivors. Interventions which can ameliorate maternal psychopathology and provide resources are recommended for these vulnerable families.
遭受虐待会增加未来遭受虐待的风险。然而，代际虐待的机制尚不清楚，虐待子女的风险因素也相互关联。研究表明，童年虐待史、精神困扰和亲密伴侣暴力（IPV）的暴露都是虐待子女的相关风险因素。我们在一个种族多样化的高风险女性样本中，即居住在家庭暴力庇护所的女性中，使用发展心理病理学框架研究了这三个风险因素。211 名居住在家庭暴力庇护所的母亲完成了自己童年虐待的测量（在一个 10 项自我报告调查中狭义定义）、暴露于 IPV 受害的程度和严重程度，以及用于诊断精神疾病的结构化访谈。我们利用分层回归模型来预测虐待儿童的可能性，在大致代表理论上时间关系的块中考虑风险因素：童年虐待后是精神疾病诊断，然后是最近暴露于 IPV 的情况。与假设一致，当前虐待儿童可能性的最强预测因素是创伤后应激障碍的精神疾病诊断。中介测试进一步阐明了母亲童年性虐待史与当前虐待子女可能性之间的关系是由与 IPV 相关的 PTSD 症状中介的。研究结果表明，与 IPV 相关的 PTSD 症状，而不是暴露于虐待（即童年虐待或 IPV），与最近经历过 IPV 的幸存者的虐待儿童可能性最密切相关。建议为这些弱势群体家庭提供可以改善母亲精神病理学和提供资源的干预措施。
