Theoretical Frameworks Conceptualizing Intergenerational Transmission of Child Maltreatment

Author(s):  
Lisa Schelbe ◽  
Jennifer M. Geiger
PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. e0232792
Author(s):  
Renate S. M. Buisman ◽  
Katharina Pittner ◽  
Marieke S. Tollenaar ◽  
Jolanda Lindenberg ◽  
Lisa J. M. van den Berg ◽  
...  

Social Work ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Becci Akin ◽  
Michelle Johnson-Motoyama ◽  
Nancy Jo Kepple ◽  
Shelby Clark

According to the World Health Organization, one in four adults report a history of physical maltreatment, and an estimated 41,000 children under the age of 15 die due to homicide death. Although the majority of children who are maltreated will not continue this pattern as parents of their own children, the need to prevent child maltreatment is significant. Child abuse and neglect are public health problems that can lead to morbidity and mortality in childhood and increased risk for health concerns into adulthood such as alcoholism, smoking, and drug abuse; depression and suicide; high-risk sexual behaviors; sexually transmitted diseases; and certain chronic diseases. As a single country example of the costly public health problem, the total lifetime economic burden resulting from new cases of fatal and nonfatal child maltreatment in the United States has been estimated to be above $120 billion. In an attempt to understand why and how some individuals who are abused and neglected continue this cycle, the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment has long been a topic of great interest. Understanding the pathways to child abuse and neglect is necessary for disrupting the intergenerational cycles of maltreatment. Given that childhood exposure to maltreatment has long-term consequences and significant costs to society, knowledge of these pathways is critical for developing strategies for early identification, engagement of children and parents, prevention, and intervention. This article provides an overview of select resources for developing a foundational understanding of intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment. First, published literature on Theoretical Reviews and Conceptual Frameworks are provided. Selected articles present varying views on key theories and concepts that guide current understandings of the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment. Following the theory overview is a section of selected Reviews of Empirical Studies, including literature reviews guided by well-defined methodological criteria, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Next is a section that provides Methodological Examples, including subsections of selected Cross-Sectional Studies on varying topics and populations related to the generational continuity of maltreatment, Longitudinal Studies on Adult Subsequent Maltreatment of Children, Longitudinal Studies on Adult Subsequent Parenting Characteristics and Practices, and Qualitative Studies. Then, a section on special interests is presented (i.e., Population, Problem-Specific, or Other Special Interest Studies), comprising the topics of Biological and Neurological Factors, Intimate Partner Violence, Adolescent Mothers, and International Studies. Finally, the last four sections include select resource lists for Journals, Textbooks, Organizations, and Websites that may be helpful for identifying additional articles and other resources on the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tangeria R. Adams ◽  
Elizabeth D. Handley ◽  
Jody Todd Manly ◽  
Dante Cicchetti ◽  
Sheree L. Toth

AbstractChild maltreatment represents a pervasive societal problem. Exposure to maltreatment is predictive of maladjustment across development with enduring negative effects found in adulthood. Compelling evidence suggests that some parents with a history of child abuse and neglect are at elevated risk for the maltreatment of their own children. However, a dearth of research currently exists on mediated mechanisms that may underlie this continuity. Ecological and transactional theories of child maltreatment propose that child maltreatment is multiply determined by various risk factors that exist across different ecological systems. Intimate partner violence (IPV) often co-occurs with child maltreatment and may represent a pathway through which risk for child abuse and neglect is transmitted across generations within a family. Informed by theories on the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment and utilizing a community-based, cross-sectional sample of 245 racially and ethnically diverse, low-income mothers and daughters, the objective of this study was to investigate IPV as a propagating process through which risk of child abuse and neglect is conferred from parent to child. We found evidence suggesting that mothers’ history of maltreatment is associated with both their IPV involvement and their adolescent daughters’ maltreatment victimization (with exposure to IPV as a maltreatment subtype excluded for clarity). Maternal IPV also partially accounted for the continuity of maltreatment victimization from mother to adolescent. A secondary analysis that included the adolescent's own engagement in dating violence provided compelling but preliminary evidence of the emergence of a similar pattern of relational violence, whereby adolescent girls with maltreatment histories were likewise involved in abusive intimate relationships. Future directions and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 154120402110036
Author(s):  
Jessica M. Craig ◽  
Catia Malvaso ◽  
David P. Farrington

Research indicates that individuals with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are more likely to offend, and that some ACEs, such as offending and child maltreatment, are transmitted from one generation to the next. However, the extent to which ACEs are transferred across generations and its subsequent impact on offending has not been examined. Using data from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, this study examined the intergenerational transmission of ACEs and the extent to which this was associated with offending in the second generation. Although parental ACEs increased the likelihood of the subsequent generation’s ACEs, other risk factors attenuated this effect. Additionally, ACEs’ impact on the second generation’s convictions was also weakened after controlling for other risk factors. This provides evidence of intergenerational transmission of ACEs and additionally the effects of ACEs on the risk of offending. However, these associations are not straightforward and other risk factors likely play an important role in elucidating these relationships.


Author(s):  
Jason M Armfield ◽  
Emmanuel S Gnanamanickam ◽  
David W Johnston ◽  
David B Preen ◽  
Derek S Brown ◽  
...  

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