Narrative representations of caregivers and emotion dysregulation as predictors of maltreated children's rejection by peers

Examination of protective factors that promote prosocial skill development among children exposed to intimate partner violence

This retrospective cohort study examined prosocial skills development in child welfare-involved children, how intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure explained heterogeneity in children's trajectories of prosocial skill development, and the degree to which protective factors across children's ecologies promoted prosocial skill development. Data were from 1,678 children from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being I, collected between 1999 and 2007. Cohort-sequential growth mixture models were estimated to identify patterns of prosocial skill development between the ages of 3 to 10 years. Four diverse pathways were identified, including two groups that started high (high subtle-decreasing; high decreasing-to-increasing) and two groups that started low (low stable; low increasing-to-decreasing). Children with prior history of child welfare involvement, preschool-age IPV exposure, school-age IPV exposure, or family income below the federal poverty level had higher odds of being in the high decreasing-to-increasing group compared with the high subtle-decreasing group. Children with a mother with greater than high school education or higher maternal responsiveness had higher odds of being in the low increasing-to-decreasing group compared with the low stable group. The importance of maternal responsiveness in fostering prosocial skill development underlines the need for further assessment and intervention. Recommendations for clinical assessment and parenting programs are provided.

Resilience as a moderator of the relationship between stress and different symptom dimensions of depression in adolescents with a history of childhood maltreatment: A multi-wave longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Although childhood maltreatment is a key risk factor for the development of psychopathology including depression in later life, not all children who have been maltreated subsequently become depressed.

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to examine the potentially moderating influence of resilience on the relationship between daily stress and different symptom dimensions of depression in adolescents with a history of childhood maltreatment.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

A sample of students (n = 999) aged 12-16 years from middle schools with a history of childhood maltreatment participated in this study.

METHODS

A multi-wave longitudinal study was conducted over 12 months. At baseline, adolescent participants completed standardized self-report measures of resilience, depression, and daily stress. The measures of depression and stress were re-administered every three months for the subsequent 12 months. Multi-level modeling was undertaken to analyze the data.

RESULTS

In adolescents with a history of childhood maltreatment, lower resilience scores were associated with greater increases in depressed affect, absence of positive affect and somatic symptom, but not the interpersonal concerns symptom dimensions of depression following daily stress. Resilience is therefore as one explanation for the discrepant findings regarding the relationship between stress and different symptom dimensions of depression, especially with regard to the stress-related depressive dimensions.

CONCLUSION

Resilience appears to moderate the relationship between daily stress and depression and protect against developing depression in children who have been maltreated. Findings provide potential explanation for the effectiveness of resilience-related therapy in treating depressive symptoms.

Experiences of children waiting to be adopted: a qualitative study

This qualitative study explores the emotional and social experiences of 10 children, aged 6-11, residing in foster care before adoption for almost three years. Through semi-structured interviews, the study underlined the needs and expectations of these children, highlighting the necessity for a deeper reflection on the role of foster homes as nurturing and educational communities. The study emphasizes the significance of foster homes in meeting children's autonomy and affection needs, both crucial for overall development. The study reveals that fostering independence and self-determination is essential for children's growth, while emotional support and expressions of love create a warm and caring environment where children feel secure and cherished.

Identifying Trajectories of Maltreatment Revictimization and Juvenile Justice Outcome: A Latent Class Analysis of Subtype, Timing, and Chronicity

Continued exposure to abuse or neglect is a strong predictor for immediate and long-term negative developmental outcomes including developmental delays, disabilities, poor school performance, criminal behavior, and mental health issues. The purpose of this study was to identify distinct subgroups of children with repeat victimization based on maltreatment timing, subtype, and chronicity and to examine how the unique subgroups are related to youth's juvenile justice outcome. Using data from Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect, this study included 286 children (47% males, 41% blacks) with more than one report for substantiated maltreatment from birth to age 17. Latent class analysis was employed to identify heterogeneity in the patterns of maltreatment revictimization. Four latent classes emerged: (a) Prevailing Early Neglect (52.6%); (b) Co-occurring Maltreatments in Preschool Age (20.1%); (c) Incremental Neglect with Sexual Abuse in School Age (18.7%); and (d) Co-occurring Maltreatments in School Age (8.6%). Black children were overrepresented in Incremental Neglect with Sexual Abuse in School Age compared to white and other racial groups of children. Ordinal logistic regression analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in the juvenile justice outcome across four subgroups of children with revictimization. Our person-centered investigations of maltreatment subtype, timing, and chronicity highlight the need for precise assessment and prevention strategies based on a more nuanced understanding of various patterns of childhood maltreatment revictimization.

Poor written pragmatic skills are associated with internalising symptoms in childhood: evidence from a UK birth cohort study

Introduction

This study examined the relation between pragmatic language and internalising (depressive and anxiety) symptoms in 11-year-olds, using data from the 1958 British birth cohort study.

Methods

The cohort children were asked at age 11 to write an essay on their life as they imagined it would be at age 25. We analysed 200 of these essays for relevance, organisation and context-dependent references.

Results

We found associations between these aspects of pragmatic language and children's internalising symptom scores across parent and teacher ratings, even after adjustment for cognitive ability, socioeconomic position and structural language. Most notably, children writing more coherent essays had fewer teacher-rated internalising symptoms, after adjustment for confounders. Additionally, children who provided more relevant and varied information about their imagined future home-lives had fewer parent-rated internalising symptoms, after adjustment for confounders.

Discussion

The unique associations between pragmatic language skills and internalising symptoms observed are notable but preliminary, highlighting both the need for further research and potential applications for risk-assessment tools.

Childhood attachment security mediates the effect of childhood maltreatment chronicity on emotion regulation patterns in emerging adulthood

This study uses a 2-wave, longitudinal design to evaluate mother-child attachment security (child-reported) and emotion regulation capacities (wave 1, age 10-12) as mediators linking childhood maltreatment chronicity and emotion regulation (ER) patterns in emerging adulthood (wave 2; N = 399; 48.1% male; 77.2% Black/African-American, 11.3% White, 7.8% Hispanic, 3.8% other race). Children from families eligible for public assistance with and without maltreatment exposure participated in a summer research camp (wave 1) and were recontacted in emerging adulthood (wave 2). SEM results showed that greater maltreatment chronicity predicted lower childhood attachment security, which in turn predicted membership in ER profiles marked by emotion dysregulation and limited access to ER strategies. Greater attachment security predicted membership in adaptive ER profiles in emerging adulthood. Results suggest that insecure attachment is one process by which childhood maltreatment disrupts adaptive ER across development, whereas greater attachment security in childhood can promote multiple forms of adaptive emotion regulation.

Primary early childhood educators' perspectives of trauma-informed knowledge, confidence, and training

There is a growing body of research documenting the impact of traumatic stress on child development, which has resulted in a call to action for trauma-informed practices as a priority, yet implementation within schools and training for educators is lacking (American Academy of Physicians, https://www.aap.org/en-us/Documents/ttb_aces_consequences.pdf, 2014). Understanding teachers' perceptions regarding current levels of knowledge, self-efficacy, and trauma-informed training can help guide future professional development experiences for both pre-service and practising teachers. This study investigated the knowledge, self-efficacy, and training of trauma-informed practices as self-reported by primary educators, serving in grades kindergarten through third-grade, within two regions of Tennessee and Virginia. The Primary Early Childhood Educators Trauma-Informed Care Survey for Knowledge, Confidence, and Relationship Building (PECE-TICKCR) scale was adapted from the TIC-DS scale (Goodwin-Glick in Impact of trauma-informed care professional development of school personnel perceptions of knowledge, disposition, and behaviours towards traumatised students, Graduate College of Bowling Green State University, 2017), validated, and created for the purpose of this study. The sample consisted of 218 primary educators who completed an online survey regarding personal knowledge, self-efficacy, and training experiences of trauma-informed practices. Correlations revealed a statistical significance between the Knowledge of Trauma factor and the Confidence in Providing Trauma-Informed Strategies factor. There was also a statistical significance between the Knowledge of Trauma factor and the Confidence in Creating Supportive relationships factor and between the Confidence in Providing Trauma-Informed Strategies factor and the Confidence in Creating Supportive Relationships factor. The findings indicated that teachers need more knowledge regarding community resources for families and students but feel confident in providing supportive relationships. Teachers also are interested in more training events related to strategies to use when working with students exposed to trauma. Implications for teacher preparation programs and professional development training for practising teachers is discussed.

Childhood maltreatment, emotion regulation strategies and depressive symptoms during spousal bereavement

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment increases the risk of depression, especially after experiencing a stressful life event, such as bereavement. Employing emotion regulation strategies can mitigate the impact childhood maltreatment has on depression later in life following the loss of a spouse.

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated how cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression moderated the impact of childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms following spousal bereavement.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

We examined 130 bereaved individuals 3 months after the death of a spouse, 4 months after the death of a spouse, and 6 months after the death of a spouse.

METHODS

We utilized a mixed model approach to test the interaction between childhood maltreatment and cognitive reappraisal and between childhood maltreatment and expressive suppression to predict depressive symptoms across 3 time points.

RESULTS

Cognitive reappraisal moderated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms (b = - 0.17,p = .003); expressive suppression did not (b = 0.06,p = .452). Participants who used less cognitive reappraisal had a positive relationship between childhood maltreatment and depressive symptoms (b = 3.27,p < .001);participants who used more cognitive reappraisal did not (b = 1.09,p = .065).

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood maltreatment interacted with cognitive reappraisal, but not expressive suppression, to predict depressive symptoms following spousal bereavement. This study reveals how emotion regulation strategies can be utilized as a tool to buffer the impact of childhood maltreatment on mental health following a stressor later in life, which can serve as a target for future interventions for individuals experiencing a stressful life event.

Sex differences of parental phubbing on online hostility among adolescents: A moderated mediation model

To explore the relationship between parental phubbing (PP) and adolescent online hostility and its' psychological mechanism, 689 Chinese adolescents were recruited to complete a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. We took cyber flaming (CF) as an overall category for hostile online communication to investigate the relationship between PP and CF and the mediating role of perspective-taking (PT) in this relationship and examined whether there is a sex difference in this process. After controlling the average daily online time, the results showed that PP predicted adolescent CF positively. The relationship between PP and CF was partially mediated by PT. The effect of PP on PT was moderated by sex, with the result being significant only for boys. Related findings and future directions were discussed.

Dog training alleviates PTSD symptomatology by emotional and attentional regulation

Background

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms include re-experiencing, avoidance, hyperarousal, and cognitive deficits, reflecting both emotional and cognitive dysregulation. In recent years, non-pharmacological approaches and specifically animal-assisted therapy have been shown to be beneficial for a variety of disorders such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and PTSD. However, little is mentioned in the literature about the reciprocal effects of the animal-human interaction.

Objective

To evaluate the effects of a one-year dog training programme on PTSD symptomatology in youngsters with PTSD and on dogs' behaviour.

Methods

Fifty-three adolescents, previously exposed to interpersonal trauma, were clinically diagnosed with PTSD and assigned to a dog-training programme group (n = 30) and a control group (n = 23) that engaged in other training programmes (e.g. cooking, hairstyling, etc.). Both groups were evaluated at baseline and following 12-months by The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 in Children and Adolescents (CAPS-CA-5) and Beck-Depression Inventory (BDI). Additionally, we physiologically measured both emotional and attention dysregulation.

Results

Post-12-months training, a significant alleviation of PTSD symptomatology accompanied by lower depression severity was observed in the dog-training group, compared with a insignificant recovery in the control group. Furthermore, improved emotional and attentional regulation was observed in the dog-training group. Measuring the dogs' behaviour revealed increased anxiety and decreased selective attention performance, which was inversely correlated with the beneficial effects observed in the dog-training programme group.

Conclusions

Our findings emphasize the role of emotional and attentional regulations on the dog-handler interface, as evidence-based support for the beneficial effects of the dog-training programme, as either a non-pharmacological intervention or as complementary to anti-depressants treatment of PTSD. Though pharmacological treatments increase the patients' well-being by treating certain PTSD symptoms, our suggested dog-training programme seems to influence the PTSD diagnostic status, thus may be implemented in civilians and veterans with PTSD.

Callous-Unemotional Features are Associated with Emotion Recognition Impairments in Young ODD Children with Low but not High Affective Arousal

Despite increasing support for the distinction between primary and secondary variants of callous-unemotional features in children with disruptive behavioural disorders, evidence about whether emotion recognition deficits are only characteristic of primary CU is inconclusive. We tested whether, in young children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD; N = 74), level of affective arousal moderated the association between CU and performance on behavioural measures of emotional abilities. The association between CU and emotion recognition abilities was dependent on the child's level of affective arousal with higher CU associated with poorer emotion recognition abilities for ODD children with lower affective arousal (r = - 0.49; p = .007) but not for those with higher levels (r = 0.03; p = .838). Our results replicate recent findings and give support to the notion that the primary CU variant is characterised emotionally by under arousal of affect, low affect dysregulation and impaired emotion recognition abilities.

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

BACKGROUND

Children are often hesitant to disclose transgressions, particularly when they feel implicated, and frequently remain reluctant until confronted with direct questions. Given the risks associated with direct questions, an important issue is how interviewers can encourage honesty through recall questions.

OBJECTIVE

The present study examined the use of three truth induction strategies for increasing the accuracy and productivity of children's reports about a transgression.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 285 4-to-9-year-old maltreated and nonmaltreated children.

METHODS

Each child took part in a play session with a stranger during which the child appeared to break some toys. A research assistant interviewed the child with narrative practice rapport building and recall questions. The study included manipulations of back-channel utterances (brief expressions used to communicate attention and interest), whether (and when) the child was asked to promise to tell the truth, and the use of a post-recall putative confession.

RESULTS

Back-channel utterances failed to increase disclosure (OR = 0.79 [95% CI: 0.48, 1.31]) but increased the productivity of children's reports about broken (p = 0.04, η_p = 0.02) and unbroken toys (p = 0.004, η_p = 0.03). A promise to tell the truth significantly increased children's disclosures, but only among nonmaltreated children (OR = 3.65 [95% CI: 1.23, 10.90]). The post-recall putative confession elicited new disclosures from about half of children who had failed to disclose.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight the difficulties of eliciting honest responses from children about suspected transgressions and the need for flexible questioning strategies.

Associations Between Emotional Competence and Prosocial Behaviors With Peers Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk for disrupted peer interactions. This study contributes to our understanding of how multiple foundational elements of emotional competence are related to children's prosocial behaviors with peers. Children with ASD demonstrated significantly lower non-stereotypical affective perspective taking, had lower ratings of emotion regulation, and showed differences from their typical peers in the use of discrete coping strategies during peer interactions. Children's emotion regulation and use of discrete coping strategies in the context of peers were associated with their prosocial behaviors one year later. The findings add to our understanding of how emotional development contributes to individual differences in the social-emotional behaviors of children with ASD. Implications for intervention are discussed.

The Relationship Between Maternal Domestic Violence and Infant and Toddlers' Emotional Regulation: Highlighting the Need for Preventive Services

In an effort to further understand the impact of domestic violence (DV) on infant and toddlers' development, this research utilized data from the second cohort of National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II) to examine the relationship between maternal DV and infant and toddlers' emotional regulation, and determine whether mothers' receipt of DV services mediated this relationship. The sample was limited to children aged 0 to 3 years and included (a) infants less than 1 year old (n = 603), (b) infants 1 to less than 2 years old (n = 310), and (c) toddlers 2 to 3 years old (n = 268). Infant/toddlers' emotional regulation was measured using mothers' response on the How My Infant/Toddler/Child Usually Acts questionnaire. In addition, data were collected to assess whether (a) active DV was present during the time of the Child Protective Services (CPS) investigation and (b) mothers received DV services during the past year. Study research questions were examined using a series of multiple regression analyses. Mediation was tested based on Baron and Kenny's recommended model for establishing mediation. The mediational model was not found to be significant; however, a positive relationship existed between maternal DV and emotional regulation among infants aged less than 1 year old (β = 1.61, p = .039). There were no statistically significant relationships between DV and emotional regulation in the other age groups. These findings highlight the need to provide CPS-involved families victimized by DV with services that focus on preventing poor infant emotional regulation.

Adversity exposure and obesogenic food consumption in young children: The transgenerational role of emotion dysregulation

BACKGROUND

Childhood adversity is linked with unhealthy eating behaviours and obesity, but the mechanisms underlying this association are unclear, specifically the transgenerational behavioural precursors that develop in early childhood.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether adversity predicts change in obesogenic food consumption through child emotion dysregulation, and whether caregiver emotion dysregulation modifies this association.

METHODS

Participants included 190 low-income caregiver-child dyads (mean child age = 4.31 years [SD = 0.85]). Cumulative lifetime adversity exposure was assessed via study-created measure. The Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Scale and Emotion Regulation Checklist assessed caregiver and child emotion dysregulation, respectively. Children's obesogenic food consumption was assessed at two time points 6 months apart using a caregiver-report measure: the Children's Eating Habits Questionnaire. Moderated mediation models were tested using autoregressive structural equation modelling.

RESULTS

Cumulative lifetime adversity was associated with child emotion dysregulation only when caregiver emotion dysregulation was high. Child emotion dysregulation in turn was associated with greater obesogenic food consumption 6 months later.

CONCLUSIONS

Among young children with caregivers high in emotion dysregulation, cumulative lifetime adversity was linked to an increase in obesogenic food consumption through child emotion dysregulation.

Representations of attachment security, attachment avoidance, and gender in Ugandan children

Researchers returned to the home of Mary Ainsworth's original attachment study to explore the contributions of Ugandan children's representations of attachment interactions with their caregivers to their perceptions about gender. Researchers administered the Attachment Story-Completion Task (ASCT) and applied three attachment narrative coding systems and a gender stereotypes typology to the ASCT stories of 51 Ugandan children ages 5-7. Nine attachment narrative variables were applied to the children's responses to a series of five attachment story stems told using a family of dolls. The narratives emerging from the children's responses to these story stems were also coded independently for 14 masculine and 14 feminine gender stereotypes. Empathic relations among the dolls and narrative coherence were positively correlated with counterstereotypical gender representations only in girls. Attachment representations of a rejecting father were positively correlated with stereotypical gender representations only in boys. Representations of attachment avoidance were negatively correlated with counterstereotypical gender representations in both boys and girls. The findings suggested two different trajectories for the development of gender representation flexibility in boys and girls. This study contextualizes these findings against the backdrop of a country with rigid sex roles and a fast-growing child population.

Kindliche narrative Kohärenz als Prädiktor für spätere soziale Kompetenz und positive Peerbeziehungen

Zusammenfassung. Die Studie untersucht den prädiktiven Wert sozialer Kompetenz-Themen und narrativer Kohärenz, erfasst in einem Spielnarrativ-Verfahren, für soziale Kompetenz und Peerbeziehungen von Kindern, eingeschätzt durch die Eltern. Untersucht wurden 97 8- bis 14-Jährige mit/ohne psychische Störungen zu zwei Zeitpunkten ( t1/ t2). Das Spielnarrativ-Verfahren wurde zu t1 durchgeführt. Eltern schätzten soziale Kompetenzen und Peerbeziehungen zu t1 und t2 ein. Multivariate Analysen zeigten, dass höhere narrative Kohärenz in den Spielnarrativen (nicht aber soziale Kompetenz-Themen) quer- und längsschnittlich mit höheren sozialen Kompetenzen, positiveren Peerbeziehungen, weniger sozialen Problemen und sozialem Rückzug im Elternurteil zusammenhing. Höhere narrative Kohärenz sagte auch den Zuwachs positiver Peerbeziehungen und die Verminderung sozialen Rückzugs 1,5 Jahre später voraus. Die Befunde belegen die Bedeutung narrativer Kohärenz für die kindliche sozioemotionale Entwicklung.

The Vestiges of Childhood Interparental Conflict: Adolescent Sensitization to Recent Interparental Conflict

This study examined whether childhood interparental conflict moderated the mediational pathway involving adolescent exposure to interparental conflict, their negative emotional reactivity to family conflict, and their psychological problems in a sample of 235 children (M_age  = 6 years). Significant moderated-mediation findings indicated that the mediational path among Wave 4 interparental conflict during adolescence, change in youth negative reactivity (Waves 4-5), and their psychological problems (Waves 4-6) was significant for teens who experienced low, rather than high, levels of childhood interparental conflict (Waves 1-3). Supporting the stress sensitization model, analyses showed that adolescents exposed to high interparental conflict during childhood evidenced greater increases in negative reactivity than their peers when recent parental conflicts were mild.

Intergenerational maltreatment and child emotion dysregulation

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment has been related to adverse outcomes on social, cognitive, and biological development with sequelae present throughout the lifespan. As such, caregivers maltreated in childhood may face a different set of challenges and interpersonal stressors in rearing their children. Parental history of maltreatment has the potential to increase the risk of parental depression and exposure to maltreatment in the next generation, both of which can have a negative effect on children's development.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to investigate maternal depression and child experiences of maltreatment as mediators of the relationship between mothers' own maltreatment experiences and child emotion dysregulation in children aged 10-12.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

378 low-income mothers and their children were recruited to participate in a research summer camp from 2004-2007.

METHOD

Mothers self-reported on their experiences of maltreatment in childhood and current depressive symptoms. Current generation child maltreatment information was coded from Child Protective Services records. Child emotion dysregulation (rated by camp counselors) was the outcome measure in this study. Structural equation modeling was employed to test associations between maternal maltreatment and child emotion dysregulation.

RESULTS

Maternal history of maltreatment related to both child maltreatment (β = .24, SE = .052, p < .001) and greater maternal depressive symptoms (β = .28, SE = .049, p < .001). Only child maltreatment mediated the effect of mothers' maltreatment on child emotion dysregulation (95 %CI: .005-.023).

CONCLUSIONS

In this low-income sample, the rate of intergenerational maltreatment is high and represents a pathway of influence that increases risk for maladaptive socioemotional child development.

Exploring Attachment and Internal Representations in Looked-After Children

BACKGROUND

This article explores the Story Stem Assessment Profile (SSAP), a narrative-based measure, for the assessment of internal representations in children between the ages of 4 and 11 years old.

METHODS

The findings draw upon two samples of children comprising of a sample of looked-after children at Five Rivers Child Care (FR) (n = 42) and a community-based population (n = 42). The FR group identified were suggested to have a higher level of need, as defined by scores obtained from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Relationship Problems Questionnaire (RPQ).

RESULTS

Using the SSAP, the findings indicate the instrument's discriminant validity with strong differences being displayed between the two populations. Consistently children in the FR sample displayed more disorganized, avoidant and negative representations, whilst at the same time having significantly fewer representations characteristic of 'secure' attachment.

CONCLUSION

The SSAP is successful in differentiating between 'low' and 'high' cohorts of children aged 4-11 years. The study provides strong support for the measure as a way of capturing internal and attachment representations, with further research to explore possible changes in these representations at follow-up being promising and intriguing. Continued research efforts at FR will allow for improved clinical formulations, increased understanding and therefore positive outcomes relating to the children in their care.

Early experiences of insensitive caregiving and children's self-regulation: Vagal tone as a differential susceptibility factor

A considerable body of research has linked parenting to the development of children's self-regulation. However, few studies have considered different domains of self-regulation, the effects of early caregiving behaviors, and whether or not parenting influences children equally. Towards this, the present investigation tested how early maternal insensitivity was associated with difficulties in children's effortful control in early childhood and their regulation of negative emotions during the early school years. Further, we tested whether children's resting vagal tone may operate as a susceptibility factor, consistent with differential susceptibility models. The sample included 220 pairs of mothers and their children who were assessed at 18 months, 3.5 years and 5 years of age. Laboratory visits consisted of observational paradigms and survey assessments. Early maternal insensitivity at 18 months of age forecasted difficulties with effortful control at age 3.5. Moreover, effortful control at age 3.5 was associated with greater anger, but not sadness, regulation at age 5. Consistent with differential susceptibility, children's resting vagal tone at 18 months of age moderated the role of early caregiving on children's effortful control. The findings suggest that low resting vagal tone may operate as a differential susceptibility factor in process models testing associations between early caregiving environments and children's self-regulation.

Children's concealment of a minor transgression: The role of age, maltreatment, and executive functioning

This study examined the role of age, maltreatment status, and executive functioning on 752 4- to 9-year-old maltreated and nonmaltreated children's recall disclosure of a transgression in which the children appeared to have broken toys while playing with a stranger. Interviewers used narrative practice rapport building and then questioned children with free recall and cued recall questions. Younger and maltreated children were more likely to disclose during rapport building, whereas older and nonmaltreated children were more likely to disclose in response to recall questions. Working memory deficits appeared to mediate the relation between children's characteristics and disclosure during rapport but not during recall. The results demonstrate that how children are questioned affects the relations between deception and age, maltreatment, and executive functioning.

Identifying Liars Through Automatic Decoding of Children's Facial Expressions

This study explored whether children's (N = 158; 4- to 9 years old) nonverbal facial expressions can be used to identify when children are being deceptive. Using a computer vision program to automatically decode children's facial expressions according to the Facial Action Coding System, this study employed machine learning to determine whether facial expressions can be used to discriminate between children who concealed breaking a toy(liars) and those who did not break a toy(nonliars). Results found that, regardless of age or history of maltreatment, children's facial expressions could accurately (73%) be distinguished between liars and nonliars. Two emotions, surprise and fear, were more strongly expressed by liars than nonliars. These findings provide evidence to support the use of automatically coded facial expressions to detect children's deception.

Physical Activity as a Regulatory Variable between Adolescents' Motivational Processes and Satisfaction with Life

Framed within Self-Determination Theory, the objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between satisfaction and frustration of basic psychological needs, levels of motivation, physical activity, and satisfaction with life.

METHODS

A total of 487 students participated, comprising males (n = 262) and females (n = 225), aged between 14 and 16 years (M = 15.02; SD = 0.87), from different secondary schools.

RESULTS

A regression analysis was carried out (structural equation modeling) that revealed the existence of two theoretical lines, one positive and the other negative, where the satisfaction of basic psychological needs was positively related to autonomous motivation and physical activity, which predicted satisfaction with life. On the other hand, the frustration of basic psychological needs was positively related to controlled motivation, whereas controlled motivation (introjected regulation and extrinsic regulation) was inversely associated with physical activity and satisfaction with life.

CONCLUSION

The results show the importance of motivational processes in physical activity, and the effects of physical activity on satisfaction with life in adolescents who spend more time engaged in physical activity.

Deprivation and threat, emotion dysregulation, and psychopathology: Concurrent and longitudinal associations

Maltreatment increases risk for psychopathology in childhood and adulthood, thus identifying mechanisms that influence these associations is necessary for future prevention and intervention. Emotion dysregulation resulting from maltreatment is one potentially powerful mechanism explaining risk for psychopathology. This study tests a conceptual model that distinguishes deprivation and threat as distinct forms of exposure with different pathways to psychopathology. Here we operationalize threat as exposure to physical and/or sexual abuse and deprivation as exposure to neglect. We test the hypothesis that threat and deprivation differentially predict use of avoidant strategies and total regulation. Data were drawn from the Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN study; N = 866), which followed high-risk children from age 4 to 18. At age 6, children and their parents reported on adversity exposure. Case records documented exposure to abuse and neglect. At 18, adolescents reported on regulation strategies and psychopathology. Regression analyses indicated that greater exposure to threat, but not deprivation, predicted greater use of avoidant strategies in adolescence. Moreover, avoidance partially mediated the longitudinal association between exposure to threat in early childhood and symptoms of internalizing psychopathology in adolescence. Results suggest that abuse and neglect differentially predict regulation strategy use and that regulation strategy use predicts psychopathology.

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and Suicidal Behaviors in Girls: The Case for Targeted Prevention in Preadolescence

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) affects 15-20% of adolescents-disproportionately girls-and is a strong predictor of eventual suicide attempts and suicide. Many girls now initiate NSSI before age 10. These early-starters exhibit greater frequency of NSSI, use more diverse methods, and are hospitalized more often, yet there are no empirically supported prevention programs for preadolescents. Obstacles to prevention include ascertaining who is sufficiently vulnerable and specifying mechanistic intervention targets. Recent research indicates that (1) preadolescent girls with ADHD who are also maltreated are at alarming risk for NSSI and suicide attempts by adolescence, and (2) the conjoint effects of these vulnerabilities are sufficiently potent for targeted prevention. Research also indicates that existing interventions are effective in altering child- and family-level mechanisms of NSSI. These interventions alter neurobiological markers of vulnerability, which can be used as proximal efficacy signals of prevention response, without waiting for NSSI and suicide attempts to emerge.

Integrative emotion regulation: Process and development from a self-determination theory perspective

Grounded in self-determination theory's (SDT; Ryan &amp; Deci, 2017) organismic perspective, we present a process view of integrative emotion regulation. SDT describes three general types of emotion regulation: integrative emotion regulation, which focuses on emotions as carrying information that is brought to awareness; controlled emotion regulation, which is focused on diminishing emotions through avoidance, suppression, or enforced expression or reappraisal; and amotivated emotion regulation, in which emotions are uncontrolled or dysregulated. We review survey and experimental research contrasting these emotion regulation styles, providing evidence for the benefits of integrative emotion regulation for volitional functioning, personal well-being, and high-quality relationships, and for the costs of controlled emotion regulation and dysregulation. The development of emotion regulation styles is discussed, especially the role of autonomy-supportive parenting in fostering more integrative emotion regulation, and the role of controlling parenting in contributing to controlled or dysregulated emotion processing. Overall, integrative emotion regulation represents a beneficial style of processing emotions, which develops most effectively in a nonjudgmental and autonomy-supportive environment, an issue relevant to both development and psychotherapy.

Emotion regulation processes linking peer victimization to anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescence

Difficulties with emotion regulation can take many forms, including increased sensitivity to emotional cues and habitual use of maladaptive cognitive or behavioral regulation strategies. Despite extensive research on emotion regulation and youth adjustment, few studies integrate multiple measures of emotion regulation. The present study evaluated the underlying structure of emotion regulation processes in adolescence using both task- and survey-based measures and determined whether differences in these emotion regulation latent factors mediated the association between peer victimization and internalizing psychopathology. Adolescents aged 16-17 years (n = 287; 55% female; 42% White) recruited in three urban centers in the United States completed baseline and follow-up assessments 4 months apart. Three models of emotion regulation were evaluated with confirmatory factor analysis. A three-factor model fit the data best, including cognitive regulation, behavioral regulation, and emotional reactivity latent factors. Task-based measures did not load onto these latent factors. Difficulties with behavioral regulation mediated the association between peer victimization and depression symptoms, whereas cognitive regulation difficulties mediated the association with anxiety symptoms. Findings point to potential targets for intervention efforts to reduce risk for internalizing problems in adolescents following experiences of peer victimization.

Trauma Exposure in Relation to the Content of Mother-Child Emotional Conversations and Quality of Interaction

Parent-child conversations contribute to understanding and regulating children's emotions. Similarities and differences in discussed topics, quality of interaction and coherence/elaboration in mother-child conversations about emotional experiences of the child were studied in dyads who had been exposed to interpersonal trauma (N = 213) and non-trauma-exposed dyads (N = 86). Results showed that in conversations about negative emotions, trauma-exposed children more often discussed trauma topics and focused less on relationship topics than non-trauma-exposed children. Trauma-exposed dyads found it more difficult to come up with a story. The most common topics chosen by dyads to discuss for each emotion were mostly similar between trauma-exposed dyads and non-trauma-exposed dyads. Dyads exposed to interpersonal traumatic events showed lower quality of interaction and less coherence/elaboration than dyads who had not experienced traumatic events. Discussion of traumatic topics was associated with lower quality of mother-child interaction and less coherent dialogues. In conclusion, the effect of the trauma is seen at several levels in mother-child interaction: topics, behavior and coherence. A focus on support in developing a secure relationship after trauma may be important for intervention.

The mechanism and boundary conditions of the relationship between customer incivility and service quality

This study addresses the causal linkage between customer incivility and service quality through the lens of self-determination theory, according to which need satisfaction as a potential mechanism mediates this relationship. Additionally, it examines the moderating role of surface acting in the relationship between customer incivility and need satisfaction. Dyadic questionnaires were collected from restaurant employees and their customers in Taiwan. A total of 190 employees and 645 customers participated in this study. Results found that need satisfaction mediates the negative relationship between customer incivility and service quality. Surface acting moderates the relationship between customer incivility and need satisfaction as well as the mediation effect of customer incivility on service quality through need satisfaction. Specifically, the indirect effect of need satisfaction on the relation between customer incivility and service quality creativity was more significantly negative at a high level of surface acting than the effect at a low level.

Family caregivers' perceptions of maltreatment of older adults with dementia: findings from the northwest of Spain

Dementia is a neurocognitive disorder that implies a risk factor of maltreatment by family caregivers. In this study, we analyzed both informal caregiver's perceptions of maltreatment and aspects of the caregiver and caregiving behavior that may be associated with maltreatment. We conducted five focus groups (FGs) in three Spanish cities: Segovia, Soria and León. The themes that were identified were related to two levels of maltreatment: (a) relational and (b) institutional. At the relational level, we observed the justification of maltreatment of Older Adults with Dementia (OAswD) by family caregivers during the occurrence of behavioral symptoms. At the institutional level, we noted that lack of support from the government was considered a type of maltreatment. These themes suggest that policy issues related to healthcare should be considered.

The Effects of Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs at School on Children's Prosocial Behavior and Antisocial Behavior: The Mediating Role of School Satisfaction

Grounded in Basic Psychological Need Theory, we examined the direct effects of the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs at school (i.e., satisfaction of autonomy needs at school, satisfaction of relatedness needs at school, and satisfaction of competence needs at school) on prosocial behavior and antisocial behavior as well as the mediation effects of school satisfaction on the relations between the satisfaction of three basic psychological needs at school and prosocial behavior as well as antisocial behavior. We employed a sample of 801 Chinese children (429 males; Mage = 9.47) in a three-wave longitudinal study, with each wave occurring 6 months apart. Direct and indirect effects were estimated by Structural Equation Modeling. Results indicated that: (1) Satisfaction of relatedness needs at school and competence needs at school, but not satisfaction of autonomy needs at school, displayed direct effects on prosocial behavior. Also, satisfaction of relatedness needs at school, but not satisfaction of autonomy needs at school or competence needs at school, displayed direct effects on antisocial behavior. (2) Both satisfaction of relatedness needs at school and competence needs at school displayed indirect effects on prosocial behavior and antisocial behavior via school satisfaction as a mediator. However, satisfaction of autonomy needs at school failed to have indirect effects on prosocial behavior or antisocial behavior via school satisfaction. These findings suggest differential predictors of children's prosocial and antisocial behavior, supporting the separability of the two constructs. The findings also suggest developmental differences in need satisfaction, with the satisfaction of autonomy needs playing a relatively less important role in school-age children. We also discussed limitations and practical applications of the study.

Poly-Victimization and Peer Harassment Involvement in a Technological World

This article explores the ways poly-victimized youth (those experiencing multiple different types of victimization over the course of 1 year) use technology to interact with peers. Particular attention is given to the peer harassment victimization and perpetration experiences of poly-victimized youth compared with less victimized and non-victimized youth-both overall and through technology. Data were collected as part of the Technology Harassment Victimization (THV) study; a national survey of 791 youth, ages 10 to 20 across the United States. Study results document the heightened risks that poly-victimized youth experience when interacting with peers. Low and high poly-victimized youth were both at significantly greater risk of being dual victims and perpetrators of peer harassment when compared with non-victimized youth even after taking into account other potentially explanatory factors. This was not found to be the case for less victimized youth. This was true for high poly-victims and technology-involved harassment risk as well. There were indications that poly-victimized youth were interacting with peers in more intense and risky ways in general using new technology. The increase in attention to poly-victimization in recent years has importantly identified the detrimental role that experiencing different forms of victimization have on youth. This study not only adds to that literature but suggests that there is an opportunity to interrupt additional victimization by understanding how poly-victimized youth interact with peers before and during adolescence. Although preliminary, the differences in technology use by poly-victimized youth versus others suggest that more information is needed to understand how they are relating to peers in both positive and risky ways in this environment.

Early risk pathways to physical versus relational peer aggression: The interplay of externalizing behavior and corporal punishment varies by child sex

Children who aggress against their peers may use physical or relational forms, yet little research has looked at early childhood risk factors and characteristics that uniquely predict high levels of relational versus physical aggression in preadolescence. Accordingly, the main aim of our study was to link early corporal punishment and externalizing behavior to children's physical and relational peer aggression during preadolescence and to examine how these pathways differed by sex. Participants were 193, 3-year-old boys (39%) and girls who were reassessed following the transition to kindergarten (5.5 years) and preadolescence (10.5 years). A series of autoregressive, cross-lagged path analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between child externalizing problems and corporal punishment at ages 3 and 5.5 years, and their association with physical and relational aggression at age 10.5. Multiple group analysis was used to determine whether pathways differed by sex. Three developmental pathways were identified: (i) direct associations between stable childhood externalizing problems and later physical aggression; (ii) a direct pathway from early corporal punishment to preadolescent relational and physical peer aggression; and (iii) an indirect pathway from early corporal punishment to later physical aggression via continuing externalizing problems in middle childhood. Child sex moderated the nature of these pathways, as well as the direction of association between risk and outcome variables. These data advance our understanding of the etiology of distinct forms of peer aggression and highlight the potential for more efficacious prevention and intervention efforts in the early childhood years.

Children's disclosures of sexual abuse in a population-based sample

Most previous studies on disclosing child sexual abuse (CSA) have either been retrospective or focused on children who already have disclosed. The present study aimed to explore the overall CSA disclosure rate and factors associated with disclosing to adults in a large population-based sample. A representative sample of 11,364 sixth and ninth graders participated in the Finnish Child Victim Survey concerning experiences of violence, including CSA. CSA was defined as having sexual experiences with a person at least five years older at the time of the experience. Within this sample, the CSA prevalence was 2.4%. Children reporting CSA experiences also answered questions regarding disclosure, the disclosure recipient, and potential reasons for not disclosing. The results indicate that most of the children (80%) had disclosed to someone, usually a friend (48%). However, only 26% had disclosed to adults, and even fewer had reported their experiences to authorities (12%). The most common reason for non-disclosing was that the experience was not considered serious enough for reporting (41%), and half of the children having CSA experiences did not self-label their experiences as sexual abuse. Relatively few children reported lacking the courage to disclose (14%). Logistic regression analyses showed that the perpetrator's age, the age of the victim at the time of abuse, and having no experiences of emotional abuse by the mother were associated with disclosing to an adult. The results contribute to understanding the factors underlying children's disclosure patterns in a population-based sample and highlight the need for age-appropriate safety education for children and adolescents.

The effects of promising to tell the truth, the putative confession, and recall and recognition questions on maltreated and non-maltreated children's disclosure of a minor transgression

This study examined the utility of two interview instructions designed to overcome children's reluctance to disclose transgressions: eliciting a promise from children to tell the truth and the putative confession (telling children that a suspect "told me everything that happened and wants you to tell the truth"). The key questions were whether the instructions increased disclosure in response to recall questions and in response to recognition questions that were less or more explicit about transgressions and whether instructions were differentially effective with age. A total sample of 217 4- to 9-year-old maltreated and comparable non-maltreated children and a stranger played with a set of toys. For half of the children within each group, two of the toys appeared to break while they were playing. The stranger admonished secrecy. Shortly thereafter, children were questioned about what happened in one of three interview conditions. Some children were asked to promise to tell the truth. Others were given the putative confession, and still others received no interview instructions. When coupled with recall questions, the promise was effective at increasing disclosures only among older children, whereas the putative confession was effective regardless of age. Across interview instruction conditions, recognition questions that did not suggest wrongdoing elicited few additional transgression disclosures, whereas recognition questions that explicitly mentioned wrongdoing elicited some true reports but also some false alarms. No differences in disclosure emerged between maltreated and non-maltreated children. Results highlight the potential benefits and limitations of different interviewing approaches when questioning reluctant children.

Neurobiological Development in the Context of Childhood Trauma

Neurobiological systems may be particularly susceptible to deleterious impact of childhood trauma, and the impact of childhood trauma on development and subsequent functional outcomes across the lifespan has been well-documented. The current review addresses the neurobiological impact of exposure to interpersonal trauma in childhood in the context of executive function, emotion regulation, and dissociation/interoceptive awareness. Subsequent risk for PTSD and depression is also discussed. The pathway of risk from childhood trauma to these cognitive, emotional, and psychiatric outcomes is addressed in terms of potential structural and functional alterations within the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala resulting from chronic or repeated activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and its interaction with and influence on genetic and epigenetic processes during sensitive periods of development. Implications for practice are discussed.

Betrayal Trauma in Youth and Negative Communication During a Stressful Task

Attachment-based theories and related research illustrate that emotion regulation develops in the context of a secure relationship between a child and caregiver. When a secure bond is broken, such as in the context of betrayal trauma, children fail to develop necessary emotion regulation skills which can lead to an array of relational problems. The current study examined the relations between betrayal trauma history, type of communication during a stressful interpersonal laboratory task, and emotion regulation difficulties in a sample of trauma-exposed adolescents. Results showed that adolescents with a betrayal trauma history reported more emotion regulation difficulties and exhibited more aggressive and fewer positive communication behaviors when engaged in a stressful interpersonal task with their mothers than did adolescents exposed only to nonbetrayal trauma. Emotion regulation difficulties mediated the relation between betrayal trauma history and negative communication. The clinical and developmental implications from these findings are discussed.

The Student-Teacher Relationship Quality of Abused Children

Considering the association between children's quality of relationships with teachers and their academic adjustment, information pertaining to how abused children are functioning in their relationships with teachers could be useful in promoting their academic success- yet there has been limited research in this area. The purpose of this study was to use cluster analyses to explore within-group differences in relational schemas and quality of student-teacher relationships for 70 abused children. Two clusters of abused children emerged, and as hypothesized, there were significant differences in student-teacher relationships for the two clusters. The cluster with more positive relational schemas had less conflict and less dependency reported by their teachers compared to the cluster with negative relational schemas. However, there were no differences between the clusters in terms of closeness with teachers. Implications for practice in schools is discussed.

Adolescents' Socio-Motivational Relationships With Teachers, Amygdala Response to Teacher's Negative Facial Expressions, and Test Anxiety

The amygdala is essential for processing emotions, including the processing of aversive faces. The aim of this multimethodological study was to relate the amygdala reactivity of students (N = 88) toward teachers' fearful and angry faces, to students' relationship with their teachers. Furthermore, students' neural responses during the perception of teachers' faces were tested as predictors of test anxiety (controlling for neuroticism as a potential trait anxiety effect). Multiple regression analysis revealed that students reporting high-quality teacher-student relationships showed stronger amygdala activity toward fearful faces, which was related to worry. Furthermore, students with high levels of neuroticism tended to perceive their teachers as motivators and showed higher amygdala activity toward angry faces, which was related to the measures of emotionality.

The Effects of Secret Instructions and Yes/no Questions on Maltreated and Non-maltreated Children's Reports of a Minor Transgression

This study examined the effects of secret instructions (distinguishing between good/bad secrets and encouraging disclosure of bad secrets) and yes/no questions (DID: "Did the toy break?" versus DYR: "Do you remember if the toy broke?") on 262 maltreated and non-maltreated children's (age range 4-9 years) reports of a minor transgression. Over two-thirds of children failed to disclose the transgression in response to free recall (invitations and cued invitations). The secret instruction increased disclosures early in free recall, but was not superior to no instruction when combined with cued invitations. Yes/no questions specifically asking about the transgression elicited disclosures from almost half of the children who had not previously disclosed, and false alarms were rare. DYR questions led to ambiguous responding among a substantial percentage of children, particularly younger children. The findings highlight the difficulties of eliciting transgression disclosures without direct questions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Exposure to Childhood Abuse and Later Substance Use: Indirect Effects of Emotion Dysregulation and Exposure to Trauma

Little is known about how emotion dysregulation (ED) and trauma exposure differentially affect the relationship between abuse in childhood and adult substance use. We examined associations between child abuse, trauma exposure, ED, and current substance use in an already existing dataset. Participants (N = 2,014 adults, 90% African American) had been recruited from an urban hospital for a parent study. Analyses showed that drug and alcohol use was significantly positively correlated with child abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual), later trauma exposure, and ED (all ps < .001). Linear regression showed that exposure to abuse when older than a child was significantly associated with drug and alcohol use independent of child abuse and demographic variables (R² Δ = .08, p < .001; R² Δ = .04, p < .001). ED was significantly associated with drug and alcohol use independently of child abuse, nonabuse trauma, and demographic variables (R² Δ = .02, p < .001; R² Δ = .04, p < .001). Multiple mediation analyses showed that ED and later trauma exposure accounted for variance in the association between emotional abuse and substance use (p < .001). A better understanding of vulnerabilities to additional traumatization and emotion-regulation deficits in individuals who have been exposed to child abuse and in addition have comorbid substance use problems may inform treatments that lead to improved outcomes.

Delay in disclosure of non-parental child sexual abuse in the context of emotional and physical maltreatment: A pilot study

The present pilot study sought to identify predictors of delays in child sexual abuse (CSA) disclosure, specifically whether emotional and physical abuse by a parental figure contributes to predicting delays over and above other important victim factors. Alleged CSA victims (N=79), whose parental figures were not the purported sexual abuse perpetrators, were interviewed and their case files reviewed, across two waves of a longitudinal study. Regression analyses indicated that experiencing both emotional and physical abuse by a parental figure was uniquely predictive of longer delays in disclosure of CSA perpetrated by someone other than a parental figure. Victim-CSA perpetrator relationship type and sexual abuse duration also significantly predicted CSA disclosure delay, whereas victim age at the time of the police report, victim gender, and victims' feelings of complicity were not significant unique predictors. Child abuse victims' expectations of lack of parental support may underlie these findings. Parent-child relationships are likely crucial to timely disclosure of CSA, even when a parent is not the CSA perpetrator.

The Impact of Early Experience on the Creative Process: Findings from a New Story Completion Task

This study presents evidence of convergent validity for the Narrative Completion Test (NCT), a new story completion task for adults. A sample of 263 college students completed the NCT and a battery of self-report instruments measuring current mood, quality of life satisfaction, psychiatric history, family demographics, life events, and early memories. NCT story completions were coded for clinical features (Depression, Anxiety, Malevolence, Impulsivity, and Abandonment) and adaptive features (Happiness, Affiliation, and Empathy). NCT scores on malevolence and depression correlated positively with self-report depression, low satisfaction with self, and low quality of life satisfaction. NCT Happiness scores correlated negatively with self-report depression. The NCT clinical scores were also sensitive to negative early life events and negative early memories of maternal caregivers, findings demonstrating the impact of early experience on the creative process.

Childhood Physical and Emotional Abuse by a Parent: Transference Effects in Adult Interpersonal Relations

Extending research on transference and the relational self (Andersen & Chen, 2002), female undergraduates with or without a history of physical and emotional abuse by a loved parent participated in an experiment manipulating parental resemblance and threat-relevant interpersonal context in a new person. Transference elicited differences not evident in the control condition between abused and nonabused participants’ responses, with greater rejection expectancy, mistrust, dislike, and emotional indifference reported by abused participants. Immediate implicit affect was more positive in transference than in the control condition regardless of abuse history. Yet, abused participants in transference also reported increased dysphoria that was markedly attenuated when interpersonal threat was primed, and no such pattern occurred among nonabused participants. Evidence that interpersonally guarded and affectively complex responses are triggered in transference among previously abused individuals suggests that this social-cognitive process may underlie long-term interpersonal difficulties associated with parental abuse.

Parents Dealing with the Expression of Sadness by their Children

Abstract Objectives: Identifying sadness inductors on children according to parents' perception; checking strategies of emotion regulation used by parents before children's sadness; comparing the ways mothers and fathers deal with children's sadness. Participants: 26 heterosexual couples (Average age = 37 years old), at least two children from six up to twelve years old, one boy and one girl. Delineation: collective case study. Instruments: General data questionnaire; Econômica Brasil qualification criteria; The questions were: "What usually upsets your child?"; "Tell me a situation which made your son sad."; "What did you do in this situation?"; stimulus-story. Outcome: fathers tend to punish sons and daughters when they are sad and replace something lost; mothers minimize it, i. e., reduce the importance of child's reaction, or the problem that caused it. Reaction centered in the problem was the most used by father and mother before children's sadness.

A Relação entre as Representações acerca das Figuras Parentais e as Competências Sociais em Crianças Maltratadas e não Maltratadas

RESUMO Assumindo a centralidade das representações acerca das figuras parentais na trajetória desenvolvimental, este estudo teve como objetivo analisar a relação destas representações com as competências sociais de crianças maltratadas e não maltratadas. Participaram, nesta investigação, 62 crianças em idade escolar (22 maltratadas e 40 não maltratadas). As representações acerca das figuras parentais foram avaliadas com a Entrevista de Avaliação das Representações acerca das Figuras Parentais e as competências sociais com a adaptação portuguesa da Social Skills Rating System - Form for Teachers. Nas crianças maltratadas, não se verifica a associação entre as representações das figuras parentais e as competências sociais, observada em amostras normativas. Os resultados sugerem que os dois grupos atribuem significados distintos aos comportamentos parentais.