National Crime Victims Research Treatment Center, 2345Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Louis A. Faillace, M.D., Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 12340University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Child Maltreat. 2023 Feb;28(1):76-84. doi: 10.1177/10775595211061163. Epub 2022 Feb 1.
Maternal support is theorized as a critical predictor of children's recovery from sexual abuse. However, following disclosure, several factors may cause maternal support to fluctuate over time. This study examined the effects of hypothesized risk factors, mother's relationship to the perpetrator and maternal psychological distress, as well as protective factors, maternal belief of disclosure, lower levels of child blame, and mother-child relationship quality, as predictors of change in maternal support over a 9 month period. Mothers ( 38.42, = 8.99) and their children ( = 11.57, = 2.69; 85% female), recruited from a child advocacy center following sexual abuse disclosure, completed measures of maternal support. Mothers reported on their relationship to the perpetrator, psychological distress, belief of disclosure, child blame, and mother-child relationship quality. On average, mother- and child-reports of maternal support were stable across time. Belief of disclosure and child blame predicted mother- and child-report of maternal support. Psychological distress and mother-child relationship quality predicted change in mother-report, but not child-report of maternal support. Researchers and clinicians should consider potential fluctuations in maternal support in assessment and intervention following child sexual abuse.
母亲的支持被认为是儿童从性虐待中恢复的关键预测因素。然而，在披露后，有几个因素可能会导致母亲的支持随时间波动。本研究考察了假设的风险因素、母亲与施害者的关系和母亲的心理困扰，以及保护因素，如母亲对披露的信念、较低的儿童责备程度和母子关系质量，对母亲支持在 9 个月期间变化的预测作用。母亲（38.42， = 8.99）及其子女（ = 11.57， = 2.69；85%为女性）在性虐待披露后从儿童倡导中心招募，完成了母亲支持的测量。母亲报告了她们与施害者的关系、心理困扰、披露信念、儿童责备和母子关系质量。平均而言，母亲和孩子对母亲支持的报告在整个时间内都是稳定的。披露信念和儿童责备预测了母亲和孩子对母亲支持的报告。心理困扰和母子关系质量预测了母亲报告的变化，但不预测孩子报告的母亲支持的变化。研究人员和临床医生在儿童性虐待后进行评估和干预时应考虑母亲支持的潜在波动。
