Citation

McCullough M, Scherman A. Adolescence 1998; 33(130): 375-384.

Affiliation

Department of Educational Psychology, University of Oklahoma, Norman 73019, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, Libra Publishers)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9706323

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between family-of-origin interaction and environment and the potential for young mothers to abuse their children. Females aged 14 to 21 from three teen parenting programs completed the Teen Parenting Questionnaire, the Family Environment Scale, and the Child Abuse Potential Inventory. Low scores on family cohesion were found to correlate with high scores on child abuse potential. This suggests that providing the teenager with an accepting and supportive atmosphere may assist her in building a positive identity as a mother. Increased understanding of how family-of-origin issues contribute to young mothers' potential to abuse their children will aid school and community professionals in providing better services for this population.

Language: en