Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to examine the joint influences of experiential avoidance and social problem solving on the link between childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and intimate partner violence (IPV). Experiential avoidance following CEA may interfere with a person’s ability to effectively problem solve in social situations, increasing risk for conflict and interpersonal violence. As part of a larger study, 232 women recruited from the community completed measures assessing childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, experiential avoidance, maladaptive social problem solving, and IPV perpetration and victimization. Final trimmed models indicated that CEA was indirectly associated with IPV victimization and perpetration via experiential avoidance and Negative Problem Orientation (NPO) and Impulsivity/Carelessness Style (ICS) social problem solving strategies. Though CEA was related to an Avoidance Style (AS) social problem solving strategy, this strategy was not significantly associated with IPV victimization or perpetration. Experiential avoidance had both a direct and indirect effect, via NPO and ICS social problem solving, on IPV victimization and perpetration. Findings suggest that CEA may lead some women to avoid unwanted internal experiences, which may adversely impact their ability to effectively problem solve in social situations and increase IPV risk.
Highlights
Childhood maltreatment is a significant problem within the United States
With the exception of childhood sexual abuse history and the Negative Problem Orientation social problem solving domain, physical intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration was positively correlated with childhood physical and emotional abuse, experiential avoidance, and Avoidance Style and Impulsivity/Carelessness social problem solving domains
childhood emotional abuse (CEA) did not have a direct effect on IPV perpetration and victimization after including the impact of experiential avoidance and maladaptive social problem solving. These results suggest that affective and cognitive processes affected by CEA can jointly impact risk for IPV perpetration and victimization among women
Summary
Childhood maltreatment is a significant problem within the United States. One nationally representative sample found that one in eight children reported some form of childhood maltreatment during the study year, with childhood emotional abuse (CEA) being most commonly experienced [1].Another study examining prevalence rates of childhood maltreatment in a large community sample found that about 17% of women and 21% of men reported childhood physical abuse (CPA), nearly 8%of women and approximately 2% of men experienced childhood sexual abuse (CSA), and approximately 14% of women and nearly 10% of men reported experiencing CEA. One nationally representative sample found that one in eight children reported some form of childhood maltreatment during the study year, with childhood emotional abuse (CEA) being most commonly experienced [1]. Another study examining prevalence rates of childhood maltreatment in a large community sample found that about 17% of women and 21% of men reported childhood physical abuse (CPA), nearly 8%. CEA is one of the most commonly reported forms of childhood maltreatment, it is understudied and less understood than other forms of childhood abuse [3,4,5]. Psychological maltreatment, broadly defined, is characterized by parental behaviors that ignore or harm a child’s psychological or emotional needs, including acts of ignoring, terrorizing, exploiting, corrupting, neglecting, or rejecting a child [3,4]. U.S child welfare statistics indicate rates of psychological maltreatment ranging from
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