Innovations in Child Maltreatment Research: Leveraging Institutional Partnerships to Investigate Intergenerational Transmission Pathways

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

The abstracts in this submission come from researchers based at NICHD-funded centers specializing in innovative child maltreatment research. The symposium focuses on examining the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment and how maltreatment experiences may disrupt the caregiving system through the use of innovative methods such as observational coding, narrative coding, and administrative records data. Moreover, we highlight future directions in the field of child maltreatment research.

The first abstract presents a study investigating associations between maternal child maltreatment histories and administrative records of child maltreatment perpetration in a diverse sample obtained from a large, urban, university hospital. Preliminary data show that mothers who reported being maltreated were more likely to have child maltreatment outcome allegations.

The second abstract outlines the measure development process for a narrative measure of maternal childhood maltreatment trauma resolution and examines this construct as a potential buffering mechanism against trauma-related disruptions to the caregiving system. Results indicate the resolution measure has strong reliability and validity, as well as a protective-enhancing effect on maternal sensitive parenting.

Given prior research indicating that parenting and emotion regulation may serve as key mediating pathways in the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment, the third abstract presents preliminary results characterizing how moment-to-moment caregiver validating and invalidating behaviors may influence child affect among a sample of families investigated for child maltreatment.

The fourth abstract complements the other empirically-focused abstracts by highlighting how the infrastructure of and synergy between P50 Child Abuse Prevention Capstone Centers can support future research and prevention of child maltreatment.

Sub Unit

• Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Chairs

• Hannah Grace Swerbenski, University of Rochester

• Erinn B Duprey, University of Rochester

Individual Presentations

• Integrating Administrative Data and Retrospective Report to Examine Intergenerational Continuity and Discontinuity of Child Maltreatment - Presenting Author: Mini Tandon, Washington university school of medicine; Melissa Jonson-Reid, Washington University in St. Louis

• Resolution of Childhood Maltreatment Trauma: Development of a Novel Narrative Coding Scheme and Intergenerational Implications - Presenting Author: Hannah Grace Swerbenski, University of Rochester; Melissa L Sturge-Apple, University of Rochester; Grace Messina, University of Maryland - College Park; Sheree L Toth, University of Rochester; Fred A Rogosch, University of Rochester; Dante Cicchetti, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities; Erinn B Duprey, University of Rochester

• Caregiver Child Communication Following Child Maltreatment: A Dynamic Systems Approach - Presenting Author: Anneke E. Olson, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Sy-Miin Chow, The Pennsylvania State University; Sunhye Bai, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Jennie G. Noll, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Eric Claus, Pennsylvania State University; Zachary Fisher; Christine Heim, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin; Hannah M. C. Schreier, Pennsylvania State University; Idan Shalev; Chad Shenk, Pennsylvania State University, University Park

• Synergies among NICHD P50 Capstone Centers of Excellence for Child Maltreatment Research and Training - Presenting Author: Jennie G. Noll, Pennsylvania State University, University Park; Sheree L Toth, University of Rochester; Melissa Jonson-Reid, Washington University in St. Louis