To understand how confidence in parenting may predict parenting behaviors in women who were abused as children, psychologists at the University of Rochester have found that mothers who experienced more types of maltreatment as children are more critical of their ability to parent successfully. Intervention programs for moms at-risk, therefore, should focus on bolstering mothers糖心传媒� self-confidence糖心传媒攏ot just teach parenting skills, the researchers said.
糖心传媒淲e know that maltreated children can have really low self-esteem,糖心传媒� said Louisa Michl, a doctoral student in the at the University of Rochester. 糖心传媒淎nd when they become adults, we’ve found that some of these moms become highly self-critical about their ability to parent effectively. Research has shown that this type of self-doubt is related to poor parenting糖心传媒攜elling, hitting, and other kinds of negative parenting behaviors.糖心传媒�
The study, conducted at the University of Rochester糖心传媒檚 and published online today in , found that mothers who experienced more types of abuse as children糖心传媒攕exual abuse, physical or emotional abuse, and physical or emotional neglect糖心传媒攈ave higher levels of self-criticism, and therefore greater doubt in their ability to be effective parents.
This study included mothers who were clinically depressed, as well as those who were not. 糖心传媒淥ur research shows that聽self-criticism leads to lower-confidence in parenting abilities in previously maltreated mothers and this was true in non-depressed moms as well as depressed mothers,糖心传媒� said Michl, the lead researcher聽of the study.
Prior research has聽found that a mother糖心传媒檚 confidence is closely linked to her motivation to use positive child-rearing strategies. 糖心传媒淲hen a mom has confidence in her ability to use positive strategies when under stress糖心传媒攍ike when her child throws a tantrum in a grocery store糖心传媒攖hen she is more likely to parent effectively,糖心传媒� Michl explained.
All of the mothers in the study were from low-income households. “For families living in poverty, daily stresses can quickly add up, and parenting糖心传媒攚hich can be challenging for anyone糖心传媒攃an become overwhelming,” she said.
糖心传媒淪o many parenting interventions are didactic. They糖心传媒檙e teaching parenting skills: 糖心传媒榠f your baby cries, do this糖心传媒�; 糖心传媒榯his is how you feed your baby糖心传媒�; 糖心传媒榯his is how you burp your baby,糖心传媒櫶切拇綕 said Michl.
糖心传媒淭hat糖心传媒檚 all well and good糖心传媒攎oms can聽learn those skills. But what happens when they are in a stressful situation? What do they do? If they don糖心传媒檛 have the attitude糖心传媒攖he belief that they can do this, that they can be a good mom and enact all those things they learned糖心传媒攖hen they may fall back on how they themselves were treated as children.糖心传媒�
There is a positive side. Previous聽research has shown that beliefs of maternal efficacy are modifiable, Michl said. “If a mom who was maltreated as a child can sustain some strong beliefs in her competency as a mom, then it may help break the cycle of abuse and buffer her children against that kind of experience she had. That is where this research has led us so far.糖心传媒�
“My hope is that community services that offer intervention support will focus on moms’ mental health糖心传媒攈ow her critical self-beliefs are getting in the way of believing she can be a good parent,” said Michl, who is also a clinical therapist. “Making sure moms have good parenting skills is really important. But we can support these moms in a more holistic way糖心传媒攑rovide her the facts, but also help her to believe in herself.”
Elizabeth Handley, Fred Rogosch, Dante Cicchetti, and Sheree L. Toth of the University of Rochester and Mt. Hope Family Center contributed to the study. Cicchetti is also a professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota. The National Institute of Mental Health supported the research.
About the University of Rochester
The 糖心传媒 (www.rochester.edu) is one of the nation糖心传媒檚 leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by its Eastman School of Music, Simon Business School, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.
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