Search

Child maltreatment (CM) in one generation can predict CM in the next generation, a concept known as intergenerational continuity. Yet, the form taken by the intergenerational continuity of CM remains unclear and fathers are mostly absent from this literature. This longitudinal study aimed to document patterns of intergenerational continuity of substantiated CM, on the maternal and paternal sides, by examining the presence of: homotypical CM, which is the same type of CM in both generations; and heterotypical CM, which is different CM types in both generations. The study included all children substantiated for CM with the Centre Jeunesse de Montréal between 1 January 2003, and 31 December 2020, with at least one parent who was also reported to that agency during their childhood (n = 5861 children). The cohort was extracted using clinical administrative data, and logistic regression models were tested with the children’s CM types as the dependent variables. Homotypical continuity was found for: (1) physical abuse on the paternal side; (2) sexual abuse on the maternal side; and (3) exposure to domestic violence on the maternal side. Heterotypical continuity was also prevalent, but to a lesser extent. Interventions helping maltreated parents overcome their traumatic past are essential to foster intergenerational resilience.

Maltreatment among school-aged children is associated with negative impacts on development and can contribute to the onset of psychological difficulties, including early depressive symptoms. Maltreatment can have devasting consequences, thus it is important to better understand the mechanisms contributing to children’s psychological outcomes. Purpose: The objective of this study was to examine children’s personality functioning (ego control and ego resiliency) as mediators of the association between substantiated maltreatment and depression. Methods: A total of 300 school-aged children were followed over the course of 3 years in the context of a summer camp (168 maltreated children; 132 non-maltreated children). Maltreatment status was determined through cases referred by the Monroe County Department of Social Services, New York. Ego control and ego resiliency at year 2 (T2), as measured by camp counselors using the California Child Q-Set, were tested as mediators. Children’s depressive symptoms were self-reported using the Childhood Depression Inventory at year 3 (T3). A parallel mediation model was tested using Mplus. Results: Maltreatment was not directly associated with depression at either time point, but significantly predicted both mediators. Ego undercontrol significantly predicted increased depressive symptoms at T3, while there was no significant prediction by ego resiliency. Conclusions: These findings point to the longitudinal paths to early depressive symptoms in maltreated children and the mediating effect of children’s ego control which could be a target for intervention.

Background Child sexual abuse is associated with a plethora of devastating repercussions. A significant number of sexually abused children are likely to experience other forms of maltreatment that can seriously affect their emotion regulation abilities and impede on their development. The aim of the study was to test emotion regulation and dissociation as mediators in the association between cumulative childhood trauma and internalized and externalized behavior problems in child victims of sexual abuse. Methods Participants were 309 sexually abused children (203 girls and 106 boys; Mean age = 9.07) and their non-offending parent. Medical and clinical files were coded for cumulative childhood trauma. At initial evaluation (T1), parents completed measures assessing children's emotion regulation abilities and dissociation. At Time 2 (T2), parents completed a measure assessing children's behavior problems. Mediation analyses were conducted with emotion regulation and dissociation as sequential mediators using Mplus software. Results Findings revealed that cumulative childhood trauma affects both internalized and externalized behavior problems through three mediation paths: emotion regulation alone, dissociation alone, and through a path combining emotion regulation and dissociation. Limitations Both emotion regulation and dissociation were assessed at T1 and thus the temporal sequencing of mediators remains to be ascertained through a longitudinal design. All measures were completed by the parents. Conclusions Clinicians should routinely screen for other childhood trauma in vulnerable clienteles. In order to tackle behavior problems, clinical interventions for sexually abused youth need to address emotion regulation competencies and dissociation.

Objectives: Adults with a history of childhood maltreatment report problems with emotion regulation (ER) and parenting, which can contribute to maladaptive outcomes in offspring. The following narrative review consists of a theoretical and empirical synthesis of the literature examining child maltreatment, emotion regulation, and parenting, with an emphasis on parental emotion socialization. Method: Building upon the literature contained in the review, we developed a novel conceptual model that elucidates some of the mechanisms involved in the intergenerational transmission of emotion dysregulation among mothers with a history of childhood maltreatment. Taking into account risk and protective factors (e.g., socio-economic status, polyvictimization, teenage motherhood, access to social supports), our conceptual model highlights both direct (e.g., social learning) and indirect (e.g., ER difficulties) mechanisms through which child maltreatment contributes to problems with parental emotion socialization and ER difficulties in the next generation. Implications: Directions for future research and implications for intervention will be discussed with an emphasis on preventing the continuity of maladaptive parenting by promoting the development of parents’ ER abilities in a trauma-informed, resilience-focused framework.

Objectives: Child maltreatment is a serious problem worldwide associated with numerous developmental and psychological problems that can impede children’s short and long-term functioning. The negative effects of maltreatment may put children on a trajectory where they are likely to experience later abuse and even abuse their own children. While studies have focused primarily on the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment (victim-to-perpetrator cycles), there are studies, albeit fewer, documenting cycles of intergenerational continuity of maltreatment (victim-to-victim cycles; e.g., child sexual abuse). Clear theoretical frameworks are lacking from studies on intergenerational maltreatment. This review aimed to systematically identify theories, theoretical or conceptual frameworks that have been used to explain the victim-to-victim cycles of maltreatment.Methods: Searches were executed in PsychINFO, Medline, and Scopus. Fifteen papers were included in this review.Results: The most common theories used to explain the intergenerational continuity of maltreatment victimization were attachment theory and traumatic stress models. Other identified theories include those from social, developmental, and biological domains. Notably, there were only five papers on the intergenerational continuity of child sexual abuse, highlighting a lack of focus on the theoretical explanations of this issue. Based on the findings, a unified model of victim-to-victim cycles of maltreatment is proposed to guide future studies.Implications: Future research in this area could include testing and comparing theoretical explanations and advancing the current state of the literature by using qualitative and mixed methods.