Institute of Child Development,University of Minnesota.
Department of Psychology,University of Utah.
Dev Psychopathol. 2019 Feb;31(1):95-111. doi: 10.1017/S095457941800158X.
Research suggests intergenerational links between childhood abuse and neglect and subsequent parenting quality, but little is known about the potential mechanisms underlying intergenerational continuities in parenting. Adult romantic functioning may be one plausible mechanism, given its documented associations with both adverse caregiving in childhood and parenting quality in adulthood. The present study used data from the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation to (a) investigate prospective associations between childhood experiences of abuse and neglect and multiple parenting outcomes in adulthood, and (b) evaluate the degree to which adult romantic functioning mediates those associations. Information regarding childhood abuse and neglect was gathered prospectively from birth through age 17.5 years. Multimethod assessments of romantic functioning were collected repeatedly through early adulthood (ages 20 to 32 years), and parenting quality was assessed as participants assumed a parenting role (ages 21 to 38 years). As expected, childhood abuse and neglect experiences predicted less supportive parenting (observed and interview rated) and higher likelihood of self-reported Child Protective Services involvement. The association with interview-rated supportive parenting was partially mediated by lower romantic competence, whereas the association with Child Protective Services involvement was partially mediated by more relational violence in adult romantic relationships. Implications of these novel prospective findings for research and clinical intervention are discussed.
研究表明，儿童期虐待和忽视与随后的育儿质量之间存在代际联系，但对于育儿代际连续性的潜在机制知之甚少。鉴于成人浪漫功能与儿童期不良养育和成年期养育质量都有相关的记录，它可能是一个合理的潜在机制。本研究使用明尼苏达风险和适应纵向研究的数据，（a）调查儿童期虐待和忽视经历与成年后多种育儿结果之间的前瞻性关联，以及（b）评估成人浪漫功能在多大程度上中介这些关联。从出生到 17.5 岁，前瞻性收集了关于儿童期虐待和忽视的信息。通过成年早期（20 至 32 岁）反复进行浪漫功能的多方法评估，并在参与者承担育儿角色时（21 至 38 岁）评估育儿质量。正如预期的那样，儿童期虐待和忽视经历预示着支持性育儿（观察和访谈评分）较少，以及自我报告的儿童保护服务介入的可能性更高。与访谈评分支持性育儿的关联部分通过较低的浪漫能力来介导，而与儿童保护服务介入的关联部分通过成人浪漫关系中更多的关系暴力来介导。讨论了这些新的前瞻性发现对研究和临床干预的意义。
