Childhood maltreatment and malevolence: quantitative research findings

This article examines the quantitative research literature that focuses on the object relations sequelae of childhood maltreatment. A review of 12 studies indicates strong support for a relationship between childhood maltreatment and a malevolent object world. This relationship holds despite variations in methodology across studies, including differences in sampling and measurement techniques. This paper defines the construct of malevolence, and proposes that malevolent representations are a central feature of the experience of childhood maltreatment. Implications for diagnosis and treatment are considered, and directions for future research are outlined.