Self-criticism and romantic relationship satisfaction as serial mediators of links between childhood psychological maltreatment and loneliness

Constructing the 'zero family': Breaking the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment from the perspective of care-experienced parents

BACKGROUND

Several studies have explored the mechanisms of intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment (ITCM), which also involves care-experienced parents; however, what is less explored is their direct experience, especially regarding resilience processes.

OBJECTIVE

Developing the theoretical framework of ITCM through an exploration of the perspectives of those who appear to have interrupted it.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A sample of 27 Italian parents - with experience in foster and/or residential care - who have broken the ITCM, completed an in-depth interview between May 2021 and February 2023.

METHODS

A Constructivist Grounded Theory (Charmaz, 2014) approach was adopted in carrying out the interviews, which focused on daily experiences of parenting (Morgan, 2011) and on factors perceived as supporting ITCM interruption. Data were analyzed using open, focused and theoretical coding; the analysis itself was discussed with a consultive board of care-experienced parents.

RESULTS

The study highlighted important aspects that, from parents' perspectives, play a role in breaking ITCM: for instance, how their parenting experience is a challenging process of constructing what they term 'zero family'. Furthermore, starting a family from scratch requires coming to terms with the past, re-imagining oneself as a parent, and managing the complexity of everyday life despite such tensions.

CONCLUSIONS

The results throw light on how the transition to parenthood itself is perceived as a significant developmental opportunity for the interruption of ITCM. However, many problems persist, foregrounding the relevance of discussing possible supports to strengthen parenting agency and skills. Such a discussion should therefore be increasingly informed by ecological approaches and parents' perspectives (also on everyday practices and life contexts), thus avoiding the risk of pathologizing responses.

Effects of Subjective Orgasm Experience in Sexual Satisfaction: A Dyadic Analysis in Same-Sex Hispanic Couples

Subjective orgasm experience (SOE) is a component of sexual health that refers to the perception, sensation and/or appraisal of orgasm at a psychological level. This construct has scarcely been studied in non-heterosexual individuals and couples, and never before from a dyadic perspective. In this study, in which 104 same-sex Hispanic couples participated (48 male-male and 56 female-female), we explored the dyadic influence of SOE dimensions on sexual satisfaction, the mediating role of relationship satisfaction on the association of both phases of sexual response, as well as the explanatory capacity that discrepancies in these dimensions had on sexual satisfaction. The results indicated that the orgasmic dimensions that gained more prominence were Affective and Sensory. A dyadic influence of both on sexual satisfaction was observed only in male couples, as well as a detriment of sexual satisfaction when there were discrepancies in them, especially in women. Moreover, relationship satisfaction was a significant mediator between all dimensions of SOE and sexual satisfaction in both types of couples. This work highlights the need to take into account the SOE of both partners and how this individual experience can affect other dimensions of a more interpersonal nature, such as sexual or relationship satisfaction.