Does Maltreatment Beget Maltreatment? A Systematic Review of the Intergenerational Literature
Date
2012
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Trauma, Violence, & Abuse
Abstract
In this paper, we critically review the literature testing the cycle of maltreatment hypothesis which posits continuity in maltreatment across adjacent generations. That is, we examine whether a history of maltreatment victimization is a significant risk factor for the later perpetration of maltreatment. We begin by establishing 11 methodological criteria that studies testing this hypothesis should meet. They include such basic standards as using representative samples, valid and reliable measures, prospective designs, and different reporters for each generation. We identify 47 studies that investigated this issue and then evaluate them with regard to the 11 methodological criteria. Overall, most of these studies report findings consistent with the cycle of maltreatment hypothesis. Unfortunately, at the same time, few of them satisfy the basic methodological criteria that we established; indeed, even the stronger studies in this area only meet about half of them. Moreover, the methodologically stronger studies present mixed support for the hypothesis. As a result, the positive association often reported in the literature appears to be based largely on the methodologically weaker designs. Based on our systematic methodological review, we conclude that this small and methodologically weak body of literature does not provide a definitive test of the cycle of maltreatment hypothesis. We conclude that it is imperative to develop more robust and methodologically adequate assessments of this hypothesis to more accurately inform the development of prevention and treatment programs. (Author Abstract)
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Keywords
child abuse, intergenerational abuse, literature review, cycle of violence, research methodology
Citation
Thornberry, T. P., Knight, K. E., & Lovegrove, P. J. (2012). Does maltreatment beget maltreatment? A systematic review of the intergenerational literature. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 13(3), 135-152.