Despite high rates of alcohol and marijuana use and dating violence among individuals between the ages of 15 and 24, limited research has examined a link between substance use and dating violence within adolescent samples. Moreover, although both problem drinking and dating violence perpetration have been linked to a history of childhood maltreatment (CM), few studies have examined the potential mechanisms of a relationship between these variables. The current study tested the predictive role of CM in adolescent alcohol and cannabis use and dating violence perpetration in a sample of youth with CM histories; in particular, we were interested in predicting the temporal co-occurrence of these behaviours. It was hypothesized that trauma symptomatology would play a mediating role in this relationship. Results demonstrated that only witnessing emotional domestic violence predicted the co-occurrence of substance use and dating violence; in general, trauma symptomatology was not found to be a significant mediator.

Despite high rates of alcohol and marijuana use and dating violence among individuals between the ages of 15 and 24, limited research has examined a link between substance use and dating violence within adolescent samples. Moreover, although both problem drinking and dating violence perpetration have been linked to a history of childhood maltreatment (CM), few studies have examined the potential mechanisms of a relationship between these variables. The current study tested the predictive role of CM in adolescent alcohol and cannabis use and dating violence perpetration in a sample of youth with CM histories; in particular, we were interested in predicting the temporal co-occurrence of these behaviours. It was hypothesized that trauma symptomatology would play a mediating role in this relationship. Results demonstrated that only witnessing emotional domestic violence predicted the co-occurrence of substance use and dating violence; in general, trauma symptomatology was not found to be a significant mediator.

Background: Online victimisation during adolescence is associated with adverse outcomes across multiple domains. However, previous research has demonstrated that some adolescents are at greater risk of experiencing online victimisation than others. Literature on traditional peer victimisation has highlighted the importance of children’s early experiences and the family context but it is unclear how these factors relate to online victimisation. The first study reviews the evidence for associations between the phenomenon of cyber-victimisation (CV) and parenting behaviours, whereas the second study investigates online victimisation which includes experiences of online harassment and unwanted contact of a sexual or offensive nature. Aim: A systematic review was conducted to determine whether positive parenting behaviours protect against CV during adolescence. An empirical study investigated whether experiences of childhood maltreatment were associated with online victimisation and whether this relationship was mediated by attachment insecurity and risky electronic communication in an adolescent sample. Method: A systematic review of the literature identified seventeen studies which met inclusion criteria. Parenting behaviours were categorised into offline and online parenting behaviours and the findings from each study were reported. Studies were also assessed against 15 quality criteria. In the second study, 123 students aged 12- 16 were recruited. Five self-report questionnaires were administered measuring experiences of childhood maltreatment, attachment, risky electronic communication, electronic media use and online victimisation. Results: Offline parenting behaviours, particularly general monitoring, may reduce the likelihood of adolescents experiencing CV. There was greater variation in the findings relating to online parental mediation strategies, but in general these strategies did not consistently predict a significant increase nor a reduction in CV. The empirical study found that whilst attachment anxiety partially mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and online victimisation, attachment avoidance and risky electronic communication did not. However, childhood maltreatment and risky electronic communication were significant predictors of online victimisation. Conclusion: Parenting behaviours and early childhood experiences may play an important role in the victimisation of adolescents online. Interventions which promote positive parenting and attachment security may help to protect young people against online victimisation. However, more empirically rigorous and longitudinal studies are needed to enhance our understanding of the risk factors and the protective factors involved.

No description available.

Childhood maltreatment by a caregiver can occur in many forms, ranging from overt abuse to more subtle neglect. Amidst a primary focus on the outcome of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), less research attention has been given to understanding the impact of maltreatment on one's developing sense of self, internal working model (IWM) of relationships, and emotion regulation capacities. Difficulties experiencing, regulating, and enjoying a full range of affect are common transdiagnostic features among adult survivors of child maltreatment, who frequently display emotional reactivity (e.g., mood swings, anger) and/or disengagement (e.g., numbing, dissociation). What makes the difference between individuals who lash out in emotional outbursts, those who tend to withdraw or dissociate, and those who frequently alternate between these two affective poles? In a mixed college and community sample of 417 adults, we explored two covert forms of childhood emotional maltreatment (e.g., chronic emotional disengagement and frightened/helpless parenting) as potentially linked to adult psychological and relational functioning. Controlling for the effects of childhood physical and sexual abuse, path analysis indicated that these types of maltreatment were significantly associated with insecure attachment patterns, emotional reactivity, and dissociation in adulthood. These findings inform therapeutic work with survivors of childhood trauma, signifying the importance of thorough assessment to uncover potential psychological legacies of emotional abuse and/or neglect, which can at times be overlooked or assumed to be less pathogenic than other more obvious forms of maltreatment.

No description available.

While experiencing childhood maltreatment (CM) increases the risk for negative lifetime outcomes, protective factors can lessen the harmful impact of stressful experiences and contribute to one's overall resilience. Musical engagement may operate as a protective factor by facilitating creative expression, increasing feelings of mastery, and providing a sense of belonging. It may also present stressors due to the unique demands of music performance (e.g., time constraints, competitiveness, scarce career opportunities). Due to the limited current research looking at musicians that have experienced trauma, we used a constructivist grounded theory approach to understand how the experience of engaging in music education and performance as children influenced resilience among adult survivors of CM. We invited thirteen students from prestigious music performance programs to participate based on their demonstrated resilience to perform at elite levels, despite reports of severe CM. Participants reflected on their experiences with CM, music education and performance, their identities as musicians, and the concept of resilience. Our analysis of interview transcripts supported the positive influence of social support, self-efficacy, and time and space away from their primary perpetrators of CM. Participants also consistently noted challenges present within organized music education, including ineffective instructors, pressure to perform well, and music used as a form of maltreatment which hindered their abilities to cope with CM. Implications based on key findings support making trauma-informed music instruction available equitably to all children and increased awareness among professionals of instructors' influence to facilitate or impede the coping process.

Prior research has suggested that children are at a greater risk of maladjustment in cases where a parent has experienced childhood maltreatment. The purpose of this study is to explore the role of parent's childhood maltreatment in its effects on parenting behavior, parent characteristics, and child adjustment. The multiple pathways through which parent's childhood maltreatment can be both directly and indirectly linked to child maladjustment were explored. Further, risk and protective factors, such as early age of becoming a parent or high parent education, which may play a role were examined as both potential moderators and mediators of the relation between parent's childhood maltreatment and children's maladjustment. Overall, several of the hypothesized pathways were supported. In particular, parent depression and parent's socio-demographic factors were found to act as mediators and moderators of the relations between parent's childhood maltreatment and child maladjustment. There was lesser evidence of child maltreatment behaviors and parenting behaviors mediating or moderating the relations between parent's childhood maltreatment and child maladjustment. Recommendations for future research directions as well as directions for intervention and prevention efforts for at-risk families and children will be suggested. / Ph. D.

Impairments in aspects of social cognition have been found in children who have experienced maltreatment; however, the long-term impact of childhood maltreatment on social cognition is less well understood. This study examined areas of social cognition that may be associated with poor psychological, social, and emotional outcomes in adults who have experienced intra-familial childhood maltreatment. In a sample of university students (N = 68), childhood maltreatment was associated with social cognitive impairment in two models of emotional intelligence (EI), trait EI and ability EI, and advanced theory of mind (ToM). Higher frequency and severity of specific subtypes of childhood maltreatment predicted lower trait EI, ability EI, and ToM. In particular, neglect predicted lower ToM and ability EI scores. Psychological abuse alone predicted lower trait EI while physical abuse was not a significant predictor for any of the social-cognitive variables. Further, the data showed maternal vs. paternal maltreatment predicted specific social cognitive outcomes. Understanding the relationship between social cognitive deficits and intra-familial maltreatment may guide clinical and community assessment and treatment approaches, as well as provide information on the pervasive and continuing impact of childhood maltreatment. / February 2017

Book Summary: This volume offers an overview of the latest research on perinatal adaptation among women who have faced trauma, loss and/or adversity, both in childhood and/or as an adult, and describes the varied trajectories of adaptive and maladaptive coping that follow. The range of outcomes considered span from health-limiting (e.g. mental illness, substance use, unhealthy life style behaviours) to health-promoting (e.g. resilience and posttraumatic growth). These outcomes are examined both in relation to mothers’ experience of motherhood and parenting, and with regard to their children’s lives. Interpersonal trauma, experienced in childhood and/or or adulthood, can have a profound effect on how women experience the transition into motherhood – from pregnancy, to childbirth, and postpartum caregiving. Women across the globe are exposed to high rates of interpersonal violence, and face the physical and emotional consequences of such events. The shift into motherhood is an emotionally evocative period in a woman’s life, entailing not only challenges, but also the potential for healing and growth. Individual chapters will present state-of-the-art research, and will also highlight the voices of women who have personally experienced trauma, illustrating the effects on their experiences as mothers. Throughout the book, the consistent emphasis is on clinical implications and on ways that providers can create a context for healing and growth with the help of current evidence-based and promising treatment methods.