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Young Children's Adjustment as a Function of Maltreatment, Shame, and Anger
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Young Children's Adjustment as a Function of Maltreatment, Shame, and Anger

David Bennett, Margaret Wolan Sullivan and Michael Lewis
Child maltreatment, v 10(4), pp 311-323
01 Nov 2005
PMID: 16204734
url
https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559505278619View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Maybe Open Access (Publisher Bronze) Open

Abstract

Adjustment Child abuse & neglect Child psychology Children & youth Emotions
Maltreated children are at increased risk for behavior problems. This study examines a model in which shame mediates the potential relation between maltreatment and anger, and anger mediates the potential relation between shame and behavior problems. Participants were 177 children (ages 3 to 7 years) and their mothers, 90 of whom had histories of perpetrating neglect and/or physical abuse. Physical abuse, but not neglect, was related to increased shame during an evaluative task; shame was related to increased anger; and anger to teacher ratings of total behavior problems and externalizing problems. Age moderated the relation between physical abuse and adjustment, as abuse was related to more total problems only among the younger children. Anger was a significant mediator of shame and both behavior problems and externalizing problems. Shame, anger, age, and type of maltreatment appear to be important factors in explaining variance in behavioral adjustment following a history of maltreatment. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being
#5 Gender Equality

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Web of Science research areas
Family Studies
Social Work
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