Pathway to Expectations of Child Functioning Following Sexual Abuse: Caregiver Maltreatment History and Depressive Symptoms
Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of interpersonal violence
Abstract
Caregiver responses and behaviors often play a significant role in a child’s
recovery following child sexual abuse (CSA). Caregiver expectations of their
child’s postabuse functioning has been associated with child symptoms, such
that negative expectations lead to worse outcomes for the child. Additionally,
caregivers who experienced maltreatment in their own childhood may face
difficulties providing support to their child after CSA. Caregivers’ own psychological symptoms may influence their expectations for their child’s future
functioning following CSA. This study utilized structural equation modeling
(SEM) to examine the association between caregivers’ childhood maltreatment histories, their expectations for their child’s future functioning following CSA, and the indirect effect of caregiver depressive symptoms on this
relationship. Participants were 354 nonoffending caregivers presenting to
treatment with their child following CSA disclosure. Caregivers were 23-72
years old (M = 38.38, SD = 8.02), predominately white, and predominately
biological mothers to the youth who were abused. Results indicated that
caregivers who experienced maltreatment in childhood were more likely to
experience depressive symptoms, which then lead to more negative expectations of their child’s future functioning. As negative expectations are associated with poorer outcomes for children following CSA, increased attention to caregivers’ depressive symptoms in treatment may promote more
positive expectations for their child’s postabuse functioning.
Description
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Article
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Keywords
child sexual abuse, treatment, intervention, family issues and mediators, caregivers, outcomes
Citation
Mii, A. E., McCoy, K., Coffey, H. M., Flood, M. F., & Hansen, A. D. J. (2022). Pathway to expectations of child functioning following sexual abuse: caregiver maltreatment history and depressive symptoms. Journal of interpersonal violence, 37(19-20), NP19132-NP19148.