NCJ Number
202591
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2003 Pages: 288-301
Date Published
November 2003
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the convergence of cognitions and satisfaction with the child in parents that have physically abused their children.
Abstract
Cognitive biases of abusive parents predispose them to view ambiguous or neutral child behavior as provocative, annoying, and warranting discipline. The resulting disciplinary encounter has the potential to escalate into an abusive episode. The three measures of parental cognition -- unrealistic expectations of the child, low perceived control in situations of caregiving failure, and hostile attribution bias -- were assessed in regard to parental satisfaction. The hypothesis stated that the three measures of parental cognition and parental satisfaction would show low convergence. Also, the hypothesis stated that the cognitive distortions and low satisfaction would be associated with aggressive parental behavior. Parental depression and externalizing child behavior were expected to interact with parental cognitions to contribute to aggressive parental behavior. Finally, parental depression and externalizing child behavior were expected to contribute to low parental satisfaction, which in turn would contribute to aggressive parental behavior. Data were gathered from adult participants in a treatment study for child physical abuse and examined at two time points 12 weeks apart. The results showed that parental satisfaction with the child was significantly correlated with aggressive parental behaviors. Parental satisfaction was significantly correlated with parent reports of aggressive parental behavior measured 12 weeks later. The hypothesis that unrealistic expectations of the child, perceptions of low control in caregiving failure, and hostile attribution bias would be related to aggressive parental behaviors was not supported. The measures of parental cognitions and satisfaction were not significantly correlated with each other. Parental cognitions did not interact with either depression or child behavior to predict aggressive parental behavior, over and above the contribution of cognitions and depression or child behavior. Where there were significant correlations between externalizing child behavior and aggressive parental behavior and between parental depression and aggressive parental behavior, analyses showed some limited support for an indirect path through parent satisfaction. 1 figure, 5 tables, 67 references