1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«One of the major hypotheses linking parental antecedents of maltreatment and offspring development is that adults who experienced CM [childhood maltreatment] have more difficulty with their parenting behaviors and the quality of their interactions with their child. The purpose of this study was to synthesize research amassed to date that have examined the strength of this association when offspring were under the age of 6.» (p. 16)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
Les chercheurs ont sondé les bases de données PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE et Francis. «In total, 32 articles describing 27 samples and presenting 41 different effect sizes were retained for analyses. These studies involved 17,932 participants, with sample sizes varying from 35 to 8,292 participants.» (p. 13)

Type de traitement des données :
Réflexion critique
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«Results reveal a weak but significant association [between] CM and parenting behavior, suggesting partial support for the proposed hypothesis. Thus, exposure to maltreatment may be considered as a potential risk factor for parenting behavior. However, moderator analyses revealed that the strength of the CM to parenting behavior hypothesis is also influenced by sample and study characteristics. It is critical to note that CM is one factor, among many, that predicts parenting behaviors and that our understanding of the role of CM depends on our ability to place it within a more global perspective of the developmental ecology. Other variables are involved that may directly or indirectly be linked to CM [ex: early motherhood].» (p. 16) The results also show that although «CM significantly affects all three types of parenting outcomes [punitive behaviors, hostility, coerciveness and intrusiveness, or physical or psychological aggression], effect sizes are greater when parenting measures are relationship based or focus on more negative, potentially abusive behaviors. […] The CM–parenting behavior association was also moderated by child gender, with effect sizes being greater in samples with a higher proportion of males. [Finally, the] association between CM and parenting was also moderated by publication year in that the effect size for the CM– parenting association has decreased over time. It is possible that methodological rigor in terms of CM assessment has improved over time.» (p. 17)