The relationships of dissociation and affective family environment with the intergenerational cycle of child abuse.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose was to test a model that may explain how physically abused children become physically abusive parents. It was predicted that when the family's affective environment is uncohesive, unexpressive, and conflictual, a history of abuse experiences would be associated with elevated dissociation. It was hypothesized that dissociation would mediate between a childhood history of abuse and the current potential to be physically abusive.


METHODS
Abuse history, affective environment in the family-of-origin, dissociation, and abuse potential were assessed in a sample of 76 mothers with elementary school-age children.


RESULTS
Predictions were supported. Affective Family Environment moderated the relation between abuse history and dissociation, with abuse history relating to greater dissociation primarily when the family environment was conflictual, uncohesive and unexpressive. Further, dissociation significantly mediated the relation between abuse history and abuse potential (Z = 2.19, p < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Dissociation's strong association with abuse potential may partially explain why only some abused children later perpetuate the cycle of abuse, as those who are not dissociative into adulthood are likely to have lower abuse potential, in contrast to those displaying elevated dissociation. The extent of the dissociation may depend on the affective family environment in which the abuse took place.
ENKI Health & Research Systems, East Los Angeles, CA 90022, USA.
David Singh
DS
Narang
Josefina M
JM
Contreras
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents; D004213:Dissociative Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D015146:Midwestern United States; D009035:Mothers; D010287:Parent-Child Relations