NCJ Number
236144
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 35 Issue: 7 Dated: July 2011 Pages: 459-467
Date Published
July 2011
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Given the evidence linking abusive parenting and violent aggressive behavior by the abused child, this study examines a conceptual model proposed by Lewis (1992) in which the relationship between abusive parenting and violent delinquency is mediated by emotional and attributional factors, namely shame and how it is processed in the psychological dynamics of the abused child.
Abstract
Shame is a state in which a person has a self-consciousness of failure to meet the standards set for him/her by an authority figure whom they perceive as imputing value based on meeting their expectations. Shame is a painful emotional experience and is associated with an overwhelming desire to hide or disappear. According to the general conceptual model proposed by Lewis, if a victim's attributions about why the traumatic events occurred are internal, stable, and global, they are most likely to induce intensely negative feelings of shame and increase the likelihood of poor adjustment. Whether or not the poor adjustment results in depressive or aggressive symptoms depends on a person's response to shame. The current study considers two responses to shame, i.e., expression and conversion. Expressed shame is associated with negative attributions that are internal, stable, and global, accompanied by withdrawal, depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, and feelings of worthlessness. Alternatively, shame may be repressed and converted into other forms, such as "other-blaming" attributions, anger, or other strong emotions. This study found that abusive parenting impacts delinquency directly and indirectly through the effects of shame that is converted into blaming others, leading to aggression and violence. The study involved a retrospective study of 112 adolescents (90 boys and 22 girls ages 12-19) who were incarcerated in a juvenile detention facility pending criminal charges. They completed measures of exposure to abusive and nonabusive discipline expressed and converted shame, and violent delinquency. 1 figure, 3 tables, and 59 references