Mental representations of attachment and caregiving in women sexually abused during childhood: Links to the intergenerational transmission of trauma?
Item
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Title
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Mental representations of attachment and caregiving in women sexually abused during childhood: Links to the intergenerational transmission of trauma?
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Identifier
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AAI9959177
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identifier
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9959177
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Creator
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Fisher, Natalie K.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Arietta Slade
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Date
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2000
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Clinical | Women's Studies | Psychology, Social
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Abstract
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Recent empirical studies indicate that children of survivors of childhood sexual abuse are at greater risk of being sexually abused than are children whose mothers have never been abused. Using attachment theory as a foundation, this study explored the relationships between mental representations of attachment and caregiving among women sexually abused during childhood to better understand individual differences in the intergenerational transmission of trauma. The study also looked at how the resolution of trauma and use of dissociative defenses can impact those representations so as to influence variables believed to be related to a child's risk of second-generation sexual abuse.;This was an exploratory, qualitative study that examined whether attachment theory could offer any new perspectives on the intergenerational transmission of trauma between women sexually abused during childhood and their children. Ten women who were sexually abused during childhood by a significant caregiver responded to the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and Experiences of Caregiving Interview (CI) in order to examine mental representations of attachment and caregiving. The Traumatic Antecedents Interview (TAI) and Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) were also administered to look at overall exposure to trauma and current use of dissociative processes.;Several findings from this study were noteworthy and indicate the need for further investigation. First, mental representations of attachment in this study were related to age at onset of the sexual abuse. Women in this sample who were Unresolved with respect to trauma were more likely to have been sexually abused beginning around age 3, while those who displayed organized mental representations of attachment were more likely to be older when the abuse began. Second, a relation was noted between overall exposure to trauma and mental representation of caregiving; however, a lack of correspondence was found between mental representations of past attachments and representations of current caregiving relationships. This suggests that, when in an ongoing relationship, trauma and its associated affects can be evoked and may influence parenting. Use of attachment theory in the interpretation of the findings from this study showed the relevance of using this theoretical framework to help understand individual differences in the intergenerational transmission of trauma.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
