NCJ Number
165342
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 21 Issue: 2 Dated: (February 1997) Pages: 207-209
Date Published
1997
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This review of two studies examines social support and coping strategies as mediators of the effects of child abuse and neglect.
Abstract
Runtz and Schallow surveyed students to determine whether they had suffered physical or sexual abuse as children. Having identified a sample of 191 women and 110 men who did report this experience, they interviewed them to find out how they had coped with their victimization. They used Burt and Katz's five-factor model derived from the study of adult rape victims. The coping styles identified were anxious, cognitive, expressive, and self- destructive. The study used a statistical method that tests the salience of a hypothesized model that describes the connection between child maltreatment and later psychological outcome. Coping and social support were entered into this model, and the statistical relevance of the theory was tested. Out of the five coping styles, three factors accounted for most of the mediating influence between abuse and psychological outcome. These were factors described as expressive/cognitive, avoidance, and self- destruction. The first factor was positive, and the latter two were linked with more negative psychological outcomes. Social support from friends and family was also linked with outcome. In another study, Chaffin and colleagues examined 84 sexually abused children between 7 to 12 years old and explored their coping styles. Overall, this work lends support to active and social coping styles as effective strategies for children; however, their work also suggests caution for those practitioners who advise children against avoidant coping strategies, because these strategies were surprisingly associated with benefits. The study also shows an interrelationship between coping and social support. The implications of these findings for mental health professionals and social workers who work with child abuse victims are discussed. 3 references