NCJ Number
202593
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2003 Pages: 319-333
Date Published
November 2003
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article discusses parenting characteristics of female survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA).
Abstract
Relations between adult female survivors and their own children represent an important realm of interpersonal functioning that has recently gained momentum as a topic of research. Several theoretical formulations may be applied to help explain an association between CSA and later parenting difficulties. The clear theoretical links between CSA and later parenting processes have spurred much of the recent research on the parenting practices of adult survivors. The aspects of parenting considered in this research review were childbearing patterns, the intergenerational transmission of CSA, maternal reactions to child CSA disclosure, parenting skills and behaviors, parental violence toward children, attitudes toward parenting, and adjustment of survivors’ children. The results of the review suggest that CSA survivors may experience difficulties with some aspects of parenting. Survivors may have difficulties establishing clear generational boundaries with their children, may be more permissive as parents, and may be more likely to use harsh physical discipline. The limited research and limitations in study design preclude causal inferences and make conclusions tentative at the present time. Those working with adults should be cognizant of the possibility that effective parenting may be particularly difficult for those with a history of CSA. Helping adult survivors modulate their affective and behavioral response may be useful in avoiding an all-or-nothing style of reacting to child misbehavior. The Parenting Stress Index may be a useful measure for assessing these difficulties. Future research that focuses specifically on survivors that become effective parents can be useful in developing interventions that bolster parenting strengths and resilience among those with a history of CSA. 110 references