Relationships Between Experiences of Parental Violence During Childhood and Women's Self-Esteem

• NCJ Number: 173383
• Journal: Violence and Victims Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 1998 Pages: 63-77
• Author(s): W R Downs; B A Miller
• Date Published: 1998
• Length: 15 pages
• Grant Number(s): R01 AA07554
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examines relationships between women's childhood experiences of parental violence and development of low self-esteem during adulthood.

Abstract

The study explored separately for father-daughter and mother-daughter relationships experiences of parental verbal aggression and physical violence during childhood and development of low self-esteem during adulthood. Data were collected from 472 women ages 18 to 45 during in-depth interviews drawn from outpatient alcoholism treatment, driving while intoxicated education programs, shelter for battered women, outpatient mental health treatment, and randomly from the community. Control variables included respondents' alcohol problems and help-seeking behavior, parental alcohol problems, number of changes in childhood family, and respondents' race and social class. Controlling for these variables, father-to-daughter verbal aggression, moderate violence, and severe violence were related to women's lower self-esteem in adulthood. Conversely, controlling for these variables, mother-to-daughter verbal aggression, moderate violence, and severe violence were not related to women's lower self-esteem in adulthood. Tables, notes, references