INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION OF CHILD PHYSICAL ABUSE

Research establishes a relationship between personal childhood history of abuse and child abuse perpetration. This study implements a multiple regression analysis of factors that may moderate this relationship. We examine parents’ educational level and responses to one question on the Child Guidance Interview (CGI). The CGI proposes hypothetical situations to parents in which their child misbehaves, and requires them to describe their likely reactions. Responses are coded as “adaptive” or “maladaptive”. Thirty archival clinical files on parents in western Montana were used. The archival data includes demographic information about the parents’ education level. Research shows that a low level of education increases the risk for committing child abuse. However, it is unknown whether these factors increase abuse risk in parents with their own abuse histories. This study will provide information that may help reduce the intergenerational transmission of child abuse. Maladaptive responses by parents, in addition to lower education levels, may contribute to predicting child abuse in those who have a personal history of abuse. If this is shown, prevention programs targeting parents abused as children might encourage additional general education and/or target the reduction of maladaptive parental practices