published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Psychology

This dissertation represents an attempt to better understand why physically abused children are more likely to develop aggressive tendencies. A sample of adolescents receiving child protection services was administered a battery of self-report measures on maltreatment, health, and well-being; an aggression measure was administered a year later. The specific focus was to determine whether aggressive youth were more likely to (1) have suffered harsher physical abuse, (2) generate violence outcome expectancies that favour recourse to aggression, and (3) report higher levels of abuse-related shame. Respectively, the second and third hypotheses were based on social information processing and shame-rage models of aggression. / Only the hypothesis of the fast study on maltreatment characteristics was supported. Victims of frequent and severe abuse were more likely to report aggression. As for the second and third study, the expectation of positive outcomes from violence and feelings of shame-rage (as indicated by high levels of guilt-free shame) were actually inversely related to aggression. / Even though these results went in the opposite direction of the hypotheses, they are not altogether in conflict with theoretical models. According to L. Rowell Huesmann's description of social information processing, a hostile worldview was considered a mediating factor in the development of aggression problems. The tendency for aggressive youth to expect negative rather than positive outcomes from violence can be interpreted as support for this view. Abuse-related shame was not related to aggression, but it did demonstrate the predicted association with anger and hostility. The suggestion therefore is that feeling shame as a result of abuse leads to pent-up rather than expressed rage. / Given these results, it is suggested that victims of harsh maltreatment be targeted for appropriate prevention and skills promotion programs. Also, future research should investigate whether the formation of problematic relationship schemas and the tendency to suppress abuse-related emotions contribute to the maintenance of aggression problems.

No description available.

The primary goal of this study was to assess the development of maltreated school-age children's ability to understand the thoughts, feelings, and points of view of others. Level of egocentrism and social perspective-taking coordination were assessed in a group of 49 maltreated and 49 demographically matched nonmaltreated children. Twenty-six elementary and 23 high school students in each group are individually interviewed and their responses to hypothetical interpersonal situations coded for egocentricity and level of perspective-taking ability. The findings revealed that the maltreated students were more egocentric and delayed in their perspective-taking development at both the elementary and high school level. Maltreated elementary school children with higher levels of egocentrism were more likely than their less egocentric peers to report higher perceived social competence and self-worth. Theoretical implications, within the context of an organic-developmental approach, and implications for future research and clinical interventions are discussed.

No description available.

Object representations of sexually abused girls were compared to those of a clinical control group with no history of maltreatment. In addition, girls subjected to sexual abuse by itself were compared with girls who were sexually abused in conjunction with physical abuse and/or neglect (i.e., multiply abused). TAT stories were analyzed using the Object Relations and Social Cognition Scale which assesses four dimensions of object relations. It was hypothesized that sexually abused children would manifest more general and highly pathognomic impairment than controls along four dimensions of object relations. It was also hypothesized that multiple abuse would be associated with more general and highly pathognomic impairment in object relations than sexual abuse by itself.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 208-228). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 208-228). Also available on the Internet.

M.A. / Statistics show an increase in the number of cases of abused and neglected children handled by the Child Protection Unit. These particular statistics indicate only the number of reported cases, which according to Lewis (1999) and Starke (1995) should be tripled to estimate the true number of children being abused every day. Action research was selected for this study to assist the parents and the children in extending their understanding of their situation and thus resolve problems that confront them. A high percentage of parents are aware that abuse and neglect exists in their relationships; they are also aware that behavioural problems may be exhibited by their children as a result of exposure to abuse and neglect. There is a growing need for counselling, guidance and support amongst the youth to be assertive, and be safe in their contexts. The psycho-education programme was based on the model of psychoeducation. Psycho-education as an alternative does not focus on sick or abnormal behaviour but rather has as its core a preventative focus-training in skills to solve problems now and in the future. During group work the children were trained to collectively experience, explore and communicate their feelings, and to learn alternative ways of dealing with abuse and neglect in their different contexts. The programme's effectiveness was evaluated. All the children acquired prevention concepts after the exposure to the programme. Fifty six percent of the parents observed some improvement in their children's behaviour, and eighty percent of the children reported that they were still afraid to talk to their parents about issues of discipline, for example corporal punishment.

The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive and emotional functioning of neglected, physically abused, and clinical control children between six and thirteen years of age who were referred for testing at the Dallas Child Guidance Clinic.