Physical, Emotional, and Sexual Victimization Across Three Generations: a Cross-Sectional Study

Childhood trauma and factors influencing primary school teachers' reporting of child abuse: Insights from Italy

BACKGROUND

Childhood traumatic experiences can profoundly impact individuals, posing risks to the physical and psychological well-being of children and influencing their psychological development. Teachers in primary schools play a critical role in identifying and reporting suspected cases of child abuse and maltreatment (CAM), which initiates child protection interventions. However, the psychological factors that influence teachers' likelihood of reporting suspected CAM cases remain largely unexplored.

AIM

This study investigates the influence of teachers' childhood traumatic experiences and psychological factors (i.e., cognitive empathy and psychological detachment) on their reporting behavior regarding child abuse and maltreatment, addressing an important social issue.

PARTICIPANTS

The study involved 1380 primary school teachers from Italy (88.3 % female; aged 21-69, Mage 46.7, DS 10.3).

RESULTS

The results reveal that teachers with a history of childhood emotional abuse tend to report a higher number of suspected child abuse and maltreatment cases. Other forms of traumatic childhood experiences were not significantly associated with teachers' reporting suspected cases of CAM. Additionally, cognitive empathy and psychological detachment emerge as significant predictors of teachers' reporting behavior.

CONCLUSIONS

This research contributes to the existing literature by providing unique insights into actual reporting behavior within an unexplored cultural context.

[Emotional Maltreatment of Children and Adolescents - Definitions, Prevalences, Risk Factors and Psychological Consequences]

The aim of this article is to provide an introductory overview of the phenomenon of emotional maltreatment of children and adolescents by presenting national and international literature and, in particular, to illustrate the consequences for the mental health of those affected. First, relevant definitions are made and forms of appearance of emotional child maltreatment are presented. A comparison of national and global prevalences shows that emotional child maltreatment is one of the most prevalent forms of child maltreatment. There are different risk factors that can exist at the level of the parents as well as at the level of the children or the environment. The risk that children and adolescents who have experienced emotional violence will have experienced other forms of childmaltreatment is high.There aremultiple consequences for victims of emotional child maltreatment which can result in different, longterm participatory impairments. Especially the psychological and somatic consequences of emotional childmaltreatment can be compared to the consequences of child sexual abuse and physical child maltreatment. Nevertheless, the significance of emotional maltreatment for affected children and adolescents is still underestimated in practice. Often, the effects of emotionalmaltreatment on those affected are not visible. Froma child and adolescent psychiatric/ psychotherapeutic perspective, the psychological consequences must therefore be clearly stated. Finally, there is a need for a broader understanding of emotional child maltreatment that also includes peer and sibling violence.

Adverse Childhood Experiences in Mexico: Prevalence and Association with Sociodemographic Variables and Health Status

Background

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) refer to a semantic field of negative childhood events that, in conjunction with insufficient personal, family, or contextual coping resources, have the potential of becoming traumatic.

Objective

To assess the prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and their association with sociodemographic variables and physical and mental illnesses in a Mexican sample.

Design

A cross-sectional design was used. The sample included 917 Mexican adults who responded to the Adverse Childhood Experiences International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ). Most of the participants were female (79.3%) with an average age of 37 years, a monthly income between 500 and 2,500 USD (59.2%), had completed university education (45.6%) and were married or in a common-law marriage (53.1%). Data was collected through Google Forms, and the link to the form was shared through electronic social networks.

Results

A total of 48.3% of the participants presented seven to nine types of ACEs. Among their responses, the most prevalent categories were emotional neglect (95.1%), family violence (83.3%), and emotional abuse (78.6%). A significant association was found between the number of ACEs and the mental illness diagnosis (x2(20) = 15.16; p<001). Women were found to report more experiences of sexual abuse (z = -6.62, p<. 001), whereas men reported more experiences of community violence (z= -4.27, p < .001) and collective violence (z = -3.94, p<.001).

Conclusions

The prevalence of ACEs in the Mexican population is high. However, men and women reported differences in certain types of ACEs. It was found that people with a diagnosis and family history of mental illnesses presented a higher number of ACE categories.

Applying the Integrative Model to Predict Intention to Use Corporal Punishment Among Low-income Parents

Child corporal punishment (CP) is associated with child physical abuse, which is a public health problem in the United States. Informed by the integrative model of behavioral prediction, this study surveyed low-income Black, Hispanic, and White parents who had children younger than 6 years old (N = 260) to identify major risk factors that determined intention to use CP to discipline children. Structural equation modeling revealed that attitudes, descriptive norms, and perceived efficacy of alternative discipline strategies were associated with intention to use CP. Additionally, parents' childhood CP frequency and past use of CP with their own children were influential distal variables that indirectly predicted CP intention. Results indicated the utility of the model in this behavioral context. Communication intervention programs targeting low-income parents should leverage perceived norms, perceived efficacy of alternative discipline strategies, and attitudes to change CP behavior.

Reflections of Childhood Violence on Maternity in Turkey

This study examines the effects of paternal violence experiences of women on their own mothering attitudes and on their relationships with their mothers. The study employed the interpretive phenomenology design. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were used. The study group consisted of four women selected according to the criterion sampling method. The results were grouped under three headings: "perceptions about the mother's attitudes towards the violence perpetrated by the father," "attitudes towards children," and "relationships with the mother." The present study shows the effects of intergenerational transmission of violence on women's lives. The obtained results are expected to contribute to the development of therapeutic interventions for women exposed to domestic violence in childhood.

Addressing Intergenerational Trauma in an Adolescent Reunification Program: Case Studies Illustrating Service Innovation

Adolescents in out-of-home care generally have poor prospects for reunification with their birth families. However, for some adolescents in care, with deliberate support and intervention, there may opportunities for successful reunification. The Adolescent Reunification Program (ARP) is an Australian program designed to assist young people aged 12-17 years return home to their families. The program focuses on supporting families, mentoring young people so as to meet their developmental and educational needs, and providing a safe home environment. It also included an innovative therapeutic component which focused on addressing the consequences of intergenerational trauma in order to help repair relationships between parents and children. The purpose of this paper is to describe the therapeutic component of the program and to examine the potential value of therapy in a family reunification context with a particular focus on client receptivity and preliminary evidence on outcomes. Using case illustrations, this paper describes the therapeutic component of the ARP and provides a preliminary evaluation of these components using a mixed methods approach, including standardised psychological assessments, qualitative interviews with parents and young people, and reflections from the program workers. The therapeutic component of the ARP may have helped to break the cycle of intergenerational trauma by bringing focus to the interrelationships between how people feel and how they act. This was done through the work of therapists attempting to combine non-judgmental exploration and positive therapeutic framing with practical support within the context of the environment where the family reunification occurred. Therapy in conjunction with practical supports within a multidisciplinary collaborative approach may help to facilitate better outcomes for reunification when working with complex families.