Effect of maltreatment on preschoolers' narrative representations of responses to relieve distress and of role reversal

A total of 80 low-socioeconomic status maltreated preschoolers were contras ted with 27 nonmaltreated preschoolers on their narrative representations. The children completed story stems, taken from the MacArthur Story-Stem Bat tery (MSSB; I. Bretherton, D. Oppenheim, H. Buchsbaum, R. N. Emde, & the Ma cArthur Narrative Group, 1990), that introduced stressful family situations . Using the MacArthur narrative coding manual (J. Robinson, L. Mantz-Simmon s, J. Macfie, & the MacArthur Narrative Group, 1992), coders rated portraya ls of parental and child character responses, as well as participant respon ses, to relieve children's distress. They also rated role reversal (childre n caretaking their parents) from the narrative emotion coding manual (S. L. Warren, L. Mantz-Simmons, gr R. N. Emde, 1993). Maltreated preschoolers po rtrayed parents and children as responding less often-yet themselves as ste pping into the story more often to relieve children's distress-than did non maltreated preschoolers. Abused children (sexually, physically, or both) po rtrayed the most participant responses, and neglected children (with no abu se) portrayed the fewest child responses. Role reversal was associated with physical abuse.