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Maternal History Of Neglect, Mind-Mindedness, And The Cycle Of Neglect, Karin N. Belser

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Although links between history of maltreatment, attachment security, and maltreatment perpetration have been established, support for the intergenerational cycle of maltreatment remains weak due to definitional and methodological issues. In addition, less severe forms of child neglect that do not result in Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement have not been extensively studied. In order to expand our understanding of the cycle of neglect, the present study examined a model linking maternal mind-mindedness, maternal history of neglect, subthreshold neglect and child outcomes (physical, socioemotional, and intellectual).

Methods. The study participants were 96 mother-child dyads assessed at child ages of 4, 8, …