TY - JOUR PY - 2024// TI - The role of psychopathology and emotion regulation in the intergenerational transmission of childhood abuse: a family study JO - Child maltreatment A1 - Nimphy, Cosima A. A1 - Kullberg, Marie-Louise J. A1 - Pittner, Katharina A1 - Buisman, Renate A1 - van den Berg, Lisa A1 - Alink, Lenneke A1 - Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian A1 - Elzinga, Bernet M. A1 - Tollenaar, Marieke SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - Previous studies have shown that parents with a history of childhood abuse are at increased risk of perpetrating child abuse. To break the cycle of childhood abuse we need to better understand the mechanisms that play a role. In a cross-sectional extended family design including three generations (N = 250, 59% female), we examined the possible mediating role of parental psychopathology and emotion regulation in the association between a history of childhood abuse and perpetrating child abuse. Parents' own history of childhood abuse was associated with perpetrating abuse toward their children, and externalizing (but not internalizing) problems partially mediated this association statistically. Implicit and explicit emotion regulation were not associated with experienced or perpetrated abuse.

FINDINGS did not differ across fathers and mothers.

FINDINGS underline the importance of (early) treatment of externalizing problems in parents with a history of childhood abuse, to possibly prevent the transmission of child abuse.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1077-5595 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10775595231223657 ID - ref1 ER -