NCJ Number
240659
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 36 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2012 Pages: 296-307
Date Published
April 2012
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effect of parents' emotional expressiveness and children's regulatory processes on the early school behavior of physically abused children.
Abstract
The study findings include the following: parents' expression of both positive and negative emotions was associated with various aspects of physically abused children's ability to self-regulate and function in the school setting; and poor self-regulation among the children was associated with higher levels of aggression and lower levels of cooperation and self-directed behavior in the classroom. The primary purpose of this study was to explore the effect of parents' emotional expressiveness and children's regulatory processes on the early school behavior of physically abused children. Data for the study were obtained from a sample of 92 physically abused children, aged 4-7, and 1 of their parents. The parents completed a questionnaire that measured their own emotional expressiveness, while the levels of the children's self-regulatory skills were obtained through teacher and parent observations. The data was analyzed to determine the extent to which parents' positive and negative emotions affected their children's ability to self-regulate in the school setting. The findings indicate that improving parents' expression of positive emotions should be a focus in treating adults accused of physically abusing their children. Study limitations and directions for future research are discussed. Tables and references