NCJ Number
217373
Journal
Journal of Emotional Abuse Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Dated: 2006 Pages: 47-67
Date Published
2006
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This preliminary study examined differences in posttraumatic symptoms in predominately minority battered women (n=55) as a function of their childhood trauma histories.
Abstract
The study found that the frequency of childhood exposure to family violence did not predict adult trauma-related symptoms for this particular sample; however, direct maltreatment, specifically childhood emotional abuse, did predict adult trauma-related symptoms above and beyond other forms of childhood maltreatment and current domestic violence. Childhood emotional abuse (negative verbal and nonverbal labeling without physical abuse) was significantly related to adult survivors' hyperarousal and intrusion symptoms. Avoidant symptoms were most strongly predicted by current domestic violence. Current psychological abuse, which was pervasive in this sample, added significantly to the variance in trauma symptoms beyond the effects of physical abuse. One obvious interpretation of these findings is that personal, more directly experienced childhood abuse may make women more vulnerable to the impact of similarly personally directed violence. Study participants were 55 women residents of 2 inner New York City domestic-violence shelters. They were predominately African-American, Caribbean, and Latina. The instrument used in the face-to-face structured interviews with the women was developed for use in this and other studies (Lewis et al., 2006). It originated as a baseline, shelter-entry questionnaire used to evaluate the historical, contextual, and psychosocial background of new residents. It measured exposure to family violence as a child; childhood maltreatment (emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, and physical abuse); symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorders; current domestic violence (physical); and current domestic violence (psychological). 4 tables and 60 references