Childhood Abusive and Supportive Experience, Inter-Parental Violence, and Parental Alcohol Use: Prediction of Young Adult Depressive Symptoms and Aggression

• NCJ Number: 215882
• Journal: Journal of Family Violence Volume: 21 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2006 Pages: 43-61
• Author(s): Karen B. Nicholas; Elizabeth H. Rasmussen
• Date Published: January 2006
• Length: 19 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined both the children of alcoholics and child abuse (experiencing and/or witnessing abuse) in order to identify the effects on young adults of growing up in alcoholic homes compared to growing up in abusive homes.

Abstract

As predicted, experiencing abuse and witnessing interparental violence were more predictive of both depressive symptoms and aggression than was growing up with parental alcohol abuse. Emotional abuse by the father significantly predicted both depression and aggression for women. Higher physical abuse by the mother was related to less depression for women and less aggression for men, and higher interparental violence was related to more depression for women and more aggression for men. These findings suggest that greater professional and public awareness of the effects of even mildly abusive parental behaviors, especially emotional abuse, may help parents understand the impact their behavior can have on their children and help professionals be more effective in treating aggressive and depressive symptoms in adults. Using multiple regression, retrospective reports of parental abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual) and parental support (love/support, independence, and fairness), witnessing violence between parents, and parental alcohol use were used as predictor variables for outcomes noted by both literatures. Study participants were a convenience sample of 142 female and 156 male students enrolled at a western university. They were primarily White and from middle-class homes. They were administered the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test to determine the history of parental alcohol use. The Exposure to Abusive and Supportive Environments-Parenting Inventory was administered to measure experiences of abusive and supportive childhood home environments. The Conflict Tactics Scale measured the use of reasoning, verbal aggression, and violence within the childhood family. The Costello and Comrey Depression Scale measured current depression symptoms, and the Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory measured mode of hostility expression. 4 tables and 121 references