{"id":117022,"date":"2015-08-28T08:59:57","date_gmt":"2015-08-28T12:59:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=117022"},"modified":"2015-09-04T13:27:28","modified_gmt":"2015-09-04T17:27:28","slug":"confidence-in-parenting-could-help-break-cycle-of-abuse-117022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/confidence-in-parenting-could-help-break-cycle-of-abuse-117022\/","title":{"rendered":"Confidence in parenting could help break cycle of abuse"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u2019 self-confidence\u2014not just teach parenting skills, the researchers said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that maltreated children can have really low self-esteem,\u201d said Louisa Michl, a doctoral student in the department of psychology<\/a> at the University of Rochester. \u201cAnd 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\u2014yelling, hitting, and other kinds of negative parenting behaviors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The study, conducted at the University of Rochester\u2019s Mt. Hope Family Center<\/a> and published online today in Child Maltreatment<\/a><\/em>, found that mothers who experienced more types of abuse as children\u2014sexual abuse, physical or emotional abuse, and physical or emotional neglect\u2014have higher levels of self-criticism, and therefore greater doubt in their ability to be effective parents.<\/p>\n

This study included mothers who were clinically depressed, as well as those who were not. \u201cOur research shows that\u00a0self-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,\u201d said Michl, the lead researcher\u00a0of the study.<\/p>\n

Prior research has\u00a0found that a mother\u2019s confidence is closely linked to her motivation to use positive child-rearing strategies. \u201cWhen a mom has confidence in her ability to use positive strategies when under stress\u2014like when her child throws a tantrum in a grocery store\u2014then she is more likely to parent effectively,\u201d Michl explained.<\/p>\n

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\u2014which can be challenging for anyone\u2014can become overwhelming,” she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo many parenting interventions are didactic. They\u2019re teaching parenting skills: \u2018if your baby cries, do this\u2019; \u2018this is how you feed your baby\u2019; \u2018this is how you burp your baby,\u2019\u201d said Michl.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s all well and good\u2014moms can\u00a0learn those skills. But what happens when they are in a stressful situation? What do they do? If they don\u2019t have the attitude\u2014the belief that they can do this, that they can be a good mom and enact all those things they learned\u2014then they may fall back on how they themselves were treated as children.\u201d<\/p>\n

There is a positive side. Previous\u00a0research 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

“My hope is that community services that offer intervention support will focus on moms’ mental health\u2014how 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\u2014provide her the facts, but also help her to believe in herself.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

About the University of Rochester
\nThe University of Rochester (www.rochester.edu) is one of the nation\u2019s 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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