NCJ Number
135783
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Dated: (1992) Pages: 75-87
Date Published
1992
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study describes the adult functioning of a group of 13 persons who were severely battered as young children.
Abstract
In this longitudinal study, 22 children in the sample were judged abused. Of these, 13 were interviewed as adults. The interview included the administration of several standardized scales: the Profile of Mood States, Buss and Durkee's aggression measure, Moos' Family Environment Scale, and a social support measure. Some individuals exhibited limited autonomy and few adult coping skills, but others were raising families, holding jobs, and maintaining functional social ties. There was little evidence of overt aggression in the group, but resentment and suspiciousness scores were high. Many subjects maintained ties with their troubled parents, and others sought out birth parents after losing contact with them in childhood. Several had developed long-term stable marriages, and social supports were adequate for most subjects in the group. Overall, study findings indicate that early abusive trauma and adult functioning have no simple relationship. 6 tables, 25 references, and summaries in French and Spanish