NCJ Number
204161
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2004 Pages: 78-91
Date Published
February 2004
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study explored differences between sexually abused mothers of nonsexually abused children (abuse discontinuity mothers) and sexually abused mothers of sexually abused children (abuse continuity mothers), so as to identify those factors that may help to break the intergenerational cycle of abuse.
Abstract
The participants were 196 children and their mothers who had volunteered for a larger study that examined intergenerational abuse, attachment, and maternal support. A total of 96 children were sexually abused, and the remaining 100 children had no reported history of abuse. All of the children and mothers were African-American, reflecting the predominant population that used the services at the hospital from which the majority of participants were recruited. A semistructured, clinical interview inquired about demographic data, mothers' childhood history, and a self-report of early childhood experiences with primary caretakers, as well as any experiences of emotional, sexual, or physical abuse or neglect. Other questions addressed interpersonal loss through death or separation, instances of disruptions in the family of origin, and mother's childhood experience of attachment with parental figures. The interview also inquired about maternal adult functioning, including substance abuse, current psychological functioning, any physical or psychiatric symptomatology, degree of stability in their heterosexual relationships, and any abuse experiences in adulthood. Four groups were identified based on maternal report of a history of childhood sexual abuse and the child's abuse status: sexually abused mothers of children who were not sexually abused, sexually abused mothers whose child was sexually abused, mothers with no history of sexual abuse whose children had no history of sexual abuse, and mothers with no history of sexual abuse who had a sexually abused child. The findings show that mothers who broke the cycle of abuse were functioning as well as the nonsexually abused mothers in the study. Also, sexually abused mothers with abused children evidenced significantly more disturbed functioning than the other three groups of mothers, notably in their attachment relationships. Overall, the findings indicate the importance of attachment-related factors as significantly associated with resilience. Although reporting negative memories of childhood relationships with their mothers, abuse discontinuity mothers had a secure style of attachment as adults, suggesting a positive model of self and others and the ability to develop healthy relationships. 7 tables and 60 references