Type and timing of mothers' victimization: Effects on mothers and children

Objectives. There is mounting concern about how mothers' own victimization experiences affect their children. This study examines the effects of mothe rs' victimization on their own mental health and parenting and on their chi ldren's behavior, development, and health. The effects of both timing and t ype of victimization are assessed. A related objective was to determine if there was a cumulative risk effect produced by victimization during both ch ildhood and adulthood, or both physical and sexual. Setting. Urban families in an eastern state and urban and rural families in a southern state. Participants. A total of 419 mothers and their children 6 to 7 years old we re identified from 2 sites. The eastern sample was recruited in the first 2 years of life from 3 pediatric clinics: 1 for children at high risk for hu man immunodeficiency virus disease, 1 for children with failure to thrive, and a third providing pediatric primary care. The southern sample was deriv ed from a cohort of children at risk for adverse health or developmental ou tcomes, plus a systematic sampling of controls, recruited from area hospita ls. At age 4, a random sample of children from the original cohort who had been maltreated along with a matched comparison group of non-maltreated chi ldren were selected. Results. In general, mothers victimized during both childhood and adulthood had poorer outcomes than mothers victimized during either childhood/adoles cence or adulthood who in turn had worse outcomes than mothers with no hist ory of victimization. This manifested as more maternal depressive symptoms, harsher parenting, and more externalizing and internalizing behavior probl ems in their children. There were no significant differences in maternal fu nctioning or child outcomes between those abused in childhood and those abu sed in adulthood. These findings were similar for type of victimization. Mo thers' depression and harsh parenting were directly associated with their c hildren's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Conclusions. Maternal victimization appears to be a highly prevalent proble m in high-risk samples and is associated with harmful implications for ment al health and parenting, as well as for the offspring. Pediatricians need t o consider past and current victimization of mothers. Routine screening for these problems, followed by appropriate evaluation and intervention may re duce maternal depression, improve parenting, and reduce the incidence of be havior problems in children.