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A Responsible Parrhesia? A Review Of The Price Of Secrecy, Sara Tafakori

RadioDoc Review

The Price of Secrecy immerses the listener in stories of individual trauma, of child abuse and rape, yet also draws lessons from them of wider social significance. It includes moments of narrative catharsis, interspersed with repeated reminders that the stories are unfinished and open-ended—that the solutions lie out there, in social action, rather than in the stories themselves. The series also gestures towards structural critique, especially of ‘the legal constraints’ it identifies, yet it places greater importance on changing the wider culture through challenging the culture of secrecy and shame around victims’ stories of rape and abuse. This centrally means …

Attorneys’ Questions About Time In Criminal Cases Of Alleged Child Sexual Abuse, Mckenna N. Cameron

Student Theses

In cases of alleged child sexual abuse, information about the timing of events is often needed to establish a timeline, determine specific charges, or establish witness credibility (Lyon et al., 2017). However, past developmental laboratory research has demonstrated that children struggle to provide accurate and reliable testimony about time, and there is currently a lack of field research examining how attorneys actually question child witnesses about time in court (Friedman, 1991; Wandrey et al., 2012). The current study analyzed 73 trial transcripts from cases of alleged child maltreatment containing a child witness between the ages of 5 to 17 years …

The Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment And A Woman’S Desire To Have Children, Tayah Simpson

Psychology | Senior Theses

This study evaluated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and feelings about parenting among adult females. It was hypothesized that women with a history of maltreatment during their developmental years would have less desire to have children than females of similar age who were not maltreated. The Childhood Maltreatment History and Desire to Have Children Questionnaires were completed by 51 females aged 20 years and older. Results indicated a statistically significant lower desire to parent among females with histories of Low and Severe childhood maltreatment than for females without such history. Further comparisons revealed the same pattern of findings when women …

Adult Attitudes And Adverse Childhood Experiences: Implications For Child Maltreatment, Carla M. Santana

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the United States, approximately $124 billion is spent annually on mental health and medical diagnosis as a result of the negative effects of adverse childhood experiences. These experiences can result in both mental and physical illness as well as a pattern of instability across the lifespan, which may affect adult attitudes toward child maltreatment and perpetuate the cycle of abuse. The purpose of this quantitative regression study was to examine any association between a person’s adverse childhood experiences and attitudes of what defined child maltreatment. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was the framework. A total of 98 participants took part …

Couple-Based Therapeutic Interventions Aimed At Treating The Individual And Relational Impact Of Childhood Abuse, Megan A. Maguire

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood abuse can have a significant and lasting impact on an individual's mental health and relationships, including their ability to trust, communicate, and form healthy attachments. While the greater literature focuses on individual interventions to address childhood trauma, there is limited research on the potential positive impact of a couple-based therapeutic approach on outcomes of individual mental health and relationship distress. This dissertation sought to summarize empirically researched couples-based psychotherapies designed to address the effects of childhood abuse and review evidence regarding therapeutic outcomes. The dissertation implemented the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) to ensure a …

Social Information Processing Theory Indicators Of Child Abuse Risk: Cultural Comparison Of Mothers From Peru And The United States, Christina M. Rodriguez, Patricia Bárrig Jó, Enrique Gracia, Marisol Lila

Psychology Faculty Publications

Much of the research conducted on social information processing (SIP) factors predictive of child abuse risk has been conducted in North America, raising questions about how applicable such models may be in other cultures. Based on the premise that the parents’ child abuse risk is affected by both risk and protective factors, the current study considered how specific SIP socio-cognitive risk factors (acceptability of parent–child aggression as a discipline approach; empathic ability; frustration tolerance) as well as social support satisfaction as a resource related to child abuse risk by comparing a sample of mothers in Peru (n = 102) with …

How Cultural Believes Support And Perpetuate Relational Violence: A Delphi Study For Violence Prevention, Alisha D. Guthery

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This study solicited experts in relational violence across the United States using the Delphi methodology and grounded theory. This research was conducted in two phases and designed to answer two primary questions: (1) What cultural beliefs are involved in relational violence in the United States? And (2) How are the beliefs about relational violence maintained? The findings showed agreement from the experts on the societal beliefs that hold relational violence, the specific beliefs held by the abuser, and the impacts of these beliefs on the survivor. The experts offered ideas for intervention and prevention, which are important contributions to professional …

Children’S Ability To Understand And Respond To Wh- Questions About The Mechanics Of Abuse, Kaileigh P. Conti

Student Theses

One type of forensically-relevant information that can be difficult to obtain is that pertaining to the “mechanics of abuse.” More specifically, information that includes the descriptions of body positioning and clothing placement. Generally, the recommended strategy for questioning children in legal and forensic settings is to use broad invitations (e.g., “Tell me everything that happened”) and wh- questions (e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how). However, when it comes to the mechanics of abuse, there is some conflicting evidence. Some research suggests open-ended wh- questions are best in cases where the mechanics are hard to describe (e.g., intermediate clothing placement) …

Child Abuse Allegations In High Conflict Divorce, Clara Ko

Theses and Dissertations

While child abuse within the context of marital or parental dissolution has received some attention, there is an enduring perspective that child abuse within this context rarely occurs, and that most child abuse allegations are fabricated. Not only is there a dearth of existing literature on how often false child abuse allegations occur and the driving variables behind these allegations, little is known about the psychological effects of unfounded child abuse allegations on families. Furthermore, most of the existing literature on this topic was conducted over 30 years ago. Much has changed in recent years with respect to mental health …

Gender Differences In The Mediation Between Childhood Abuse/Neglect And Trauma, Marc Samuel Cutler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Childhood abuse/neglect is a consistent concern in the United States and is related to future physical and mental health concerns. Studies have shown that childhood abuse/neglect can result in negative trauma appraisal, difficulties in emotion regulation, and lower levels of self-compassion. However, less is known about how gender impacts the relationship between negative trauma appraisal, difficulties in emotion regulation, and self-compassion with trauma symptoms in those with a history of childhood abuse/neglect. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional correlational study was to measure the impact of gender on the mediating variables (negative trauma appraisal, difficulties in emotion regulation, and self-compassion) …

The Differential Influence Of Maltreatment Subtype And Age Of Exposure On Empathy, Kate L. Senich

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The capacity for empathy may be shaped by interpersonal interactions throughout development. Research shows that detrimental interactions, such as maltreatment, lead to aberrant levels of empathy. However, different subtypes of abuse and neglect as well as age of exposure complicate the relationship between maltreatment and empathy. The current study aims to elucidate the contributions of maltreatment subtypes and age of exposure in predicting state and trait empathy. Participants (N=94, M age=19.12 years, 45.7% male) self-reported their age of exposure to eight subscales of maltreatment from caregivers. Next, participants self-reported their trait empathy and completed a vignette measure aimed to assess …

Providing Trauma-Informed Care For Children In The Foster Care System, Hannah Genn

Senior Honors Theses

Foster parents need to be trained in trauma-informed approaches and how to identify previous traumas in order to understand how their foster children’s past experiences of abuse or neglect manifest as mental disorders, social challenges, or behavioral concerns. Warning signs for depression or post-traumatic stress disorder should be noted, and youth should be taught how to foster healthy relationships in order to prevent substance abuse, irresponsible sexual activity, or academic failing. Foster parents can provide additional support by creating reasonable expectations for their foster children, teaching effective coping skills, and connecting with available resources.

The Association Between Social Support And Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Survivors Of Betrayal Trauma: A Meta-Analysis, Vanessa Tirone, Daria Orlowska, Ashton M. Lofgreen, Rebecca K. Blais, Natalie R. Stevens, Brian Klassen, Philip Held, Alyson K. Zalta

University Libraries Faculty & Staff Publications

Background: Betrayal traumas have a particularly deleterious effect on mental health. Although social support is a robust predictor of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity, it is not clear what factors may impact this relationship among betrayal trauma survivors.

Objective: This study sought to describe the association between social support and PTSD symptom severity among survivors of betrayal trauma and examine whether methodological, sample, trauma, and social support characteristics moderated this association.

Method: A comprehensive search identified 29 studies that assessed the cross-sectional association between PTSD symptom severity and social support among 6,510 adult betrayal trauma survivors.

Results: The average …

Child Abuse And Revictimization: Improving Models Of Revictimization Risk, Julie M. Olomi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Child abuse (CA) puts women at risk for later victimization by a different perpetrator, referred to as revictimization (RV); however, how this risk is conveyed is not well understood. CA is associated with a diverse set of negative sequelae (e.g., posttraumatic symptomology, emotion regulation difficulties), many of which could plausibly affect risk for RV. To date, most empirical studies of RV have mainly compared groups of women with and without abuse and RV histories using variablecentered approaches. This approach has led to a focus on differences between abused and non-abused women on a few CA-related variables tested at a time. …

College Men's Sexual Aggression Perpetration: Understanding The Role Of Child Abuse, Romantic Rejection, And Self-Worth, Alexandra C. Sabal

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Sexual aggression is a pervasive issue on college campuses, and many risk factors have been studied in an attempt to understand and reduce perpetration. In the current study, I focus on men's history of child abuse, romantic rejection, and sources of self-worth as potential predictors of sexual aggression perpetration. As part of an ongoing online cross-sectional study (target N = 600), data were analyzed for 72 college men. Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations were used to characterize the current sample describe patterns of relationships between study variables. Results indicate that all forms of child abuse were significantly positively associated with …

Childhood Maltreatment And Lead Levels In Middle Adulthood: A Prospective Examination Of The Roles Of Individual Socio-Economic And Neighborhood Characteristics, Anthony Carpi, Valentina Nikulina, Xuechen Li, Cathy Spatz Widom

Publications and Research

Background Lead is a common environmental hazard because of its past use as an additive to gasoline and household paint. Some evidence suggests that children with histories of child abuse and neglect are at elevated risk for residence in communities and households with less desirable characteristics and high levels of exposure to environmental hazards and toxins.

Objectives To understand whether childhood maltreatment leads to higher levels of household dust lead and blood lead in adulthood and the extent to which characteristics of a person’s physical environment or individual level socio-economic status (SES) (based on unemployment, poverty, and receipt of public …

Adverse Childhood Experiences As Predictors Of Perceived Health: Assessing The Ace Pyramid Model Using Multiple-Mediation, Phillip Hughes, Tabitha L. Ostrout

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been shown to contribute to a litany of mental and physical health problems, including several chronic diseases and death, via a model known as the ACE pyramid. Many of the results of ACEs in the ACE pyramid are known contributors to poor perceived health, which has significant health implications. Despite these results, a possible link between ACEs and perceived health has not been examined to date. Based on the temporal order of the ACE pyramid, we believe any relationship between ACEs and perceived health will be mediated by other components of the model.

Methods: …

Women’S Health: The Impact Of Child Abuse On Healthcare Utilization, Brianna Mae Brandon

Theses and Dissertations

Research has consistently shown the negative consequences associated with child abuse. Specifically, those with a history of child abuse are more likely to suffer from psychological disorders and physiological diseases than those who do not have a history of abuse. Additionally, the literature has indicated that child physical abuse and child sexual abuse can lead to both healthcare under-utilization and over-utilization. However, limited research has explored mediating factors that influence the relationship between childhood abuse, physical health outcomes and healthcare utilization. Therefore, this study will evaluate the influence of revictimization and posttraumatic stress on the relationship between childhood abuse and …

72. Identifying Liars Through Automatic Decoding Of Children’S Facial Expressions., Kaila C. Bruer, Sarah Zanette, Xiaopan Ding, Thomas D. Lyon, Kang Lee

Thomas D. Lyon

70. Children’S Concealment Of A Minor Transgression: The Role Of Age, Maltreatment, And Executive Functioning., Shanna Williams, Kelly Mcwilliams, Thomas D. Lyon

Thomas D. Lyon

Adults' Interpretation Of Children's Relative Temporal Judgments, Meghan Manginelli

Student Theses

Abstract

This study examined how adults interpret children’s relative temporal judgments about significant events. Previous research with children has shown that children have a “prospective bias,” when making relative temporal judgments. The impact of this bias within the context of eyewitness testimony is currently unknown, as no prior research has examined how adults interpret relative temporal judgments (i.e., are they also forward thinking). The present study examined this question. Adult participants were provided with mock attorney-child interactions during which a child witness (either 8 or 17 years old) gave relative temporal judgments (i.e., near, before, after) to …

69. The Role Of Kinship And Siblings In Young Children’S Placement Preferences., Kelli Dickerson, Thomas D. Lyon, Jodi A. Quas

Thomas D. Lyon

68. Increasing Maltreated And Nonmaltreated Children’S Recall Disclosures Of A Minor Transgression: The Effects Of Back-Channel Utterances, A Promise To Tell The Truth And A Post-Recall Putative Confession., Kelly Mcwilliams, Stacia N. Stolzenberg, Shanna Williams, Thomas D. Lyon

Thomas D. Lyon

68. Increasing Maltreated And Nonmaltreated Children’S Recall Disclosures Of A Minor Transgression: The Effects Of Back-Channel Utterances, A Promise To Tell The Truth And A Post-Recall Putative Confession., Kelly Mcwilliams, Stacia N. Stolzenberg, Shanna Williams, Thomas D. Lyon

Thomas D. Lyon

Evolutionary Analysis In Law: An Introduction And Application To Child Abuse, Owen D. Jones

Owen Jones

For contemporary biologists, behavior - like physical form - evolves. Although evolutionary processes do not dictate behavior in any inflexible sense, they nonetheless contribute significantly to the prevalence of various behavioral predispositions that, in turn, tend to yield observable patterns of behavior within every known species.

This Article explores the implications for law of evolved behavioral predispositions in humans, urging both caution and optimism.

Part I of the Article provides A Primer in Law-Relevant Evolutionary Biology, assuming no prior knowledge in the subject. Part II coins the term evolutionary analysis in law and proposes a model for conducting it. That …

67. The Utility Of Direct Questions In Eliciting Subjective Content From Children Disclosing Sexual Abuse., Stacia N. Stolzenberg, Shanna Williams, Kelly Mcwilliams, Catherine Liang, Thomas D. Lyon

Thomas D. Lyon

66. Younger And Older Adults’ Lie-Detection And Credibility Judgments Of Children’S Coached Reports, Alison M. O'Connor, Thomas D. Lyon, Angela D. Evans

Thomas D. Lyon

The Effect Of Early Childhood Abuse On Educational Attainment, Onzie Luke

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to fill a gap in the literature regarding survivors of child abuse and their capacity to continue their educational pursuits beyond high school. Thus, this study explored the lived experience of self-identified abuse survivors who were enrolled in higher education. The theoretical bases for this study included Bandura'€™s social cognitive theory, Rotter'€™s theory of locus of control and Heider'€™s and Weiner'€™s theory of attribution. Open-ended interviews were conducted with 15 survivors of child abuse enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program at an online or brick and mortar university. The interviews were then …

Intergenerational Transmission Of Child Abuse: Predictors Of Child Abuse Potential Among Racially Diverse Women Residing In Domestic Violence Shelters, Raeann E. Anderson, Larissa-Jayne Edwards, Kristin E. Silver, Dawn M. Johnson

Psychology Faculty Publications

Parental risk for perpetrating child abuse is frequently associated with intergenerational patterns of abuse: being abused increases the risk for future abuse. Yet, the mechanisms of intergenerational abuse are unclear, and the risk factors for perpetrating child abuse are interrelated. Research suggests that history of childhood abuse, psychiatric distress, and exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) are all related risk factors for perpetrating child abuse. We investigated these three risk factors using the developmental psychopathology framework in a racially diverse sample of high-risk women: women residing in domestic violence shelters. 211 mothers residing in domestic violence shelters completed measures of …

The Effects Of Abuse For African Americans Using Critical Autobiographical Analysis, Shelby Carmichael

Psychology Summer Fellows

This analysis looks into the effects of sexual and physical abuse on the social outcomes and behavior of black children into adulthood. Incorporating current research findings on the effects of abuse on childhood development, an autobiographical analysis is conducted through the lens of critical theory to see the direct impact abuse has on an individual’s behavior and their social outcomes. Specifically this analysis will investigate the factors of socio-economic background, race, culture, community response to admitting abuse, access to therapeutic resources, externalized behavior, internalized behavior, and adulthood outcomes for African American abuse victims. This research contributes to the sparse literature …