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Hostile attributional tendencies in maltreated children
1Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92120-4913, USA.
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
|May 31, 2003
Summary
Physically abused boys show heightened hostile attributional tendencies towards parents, teachers, and peers. Maternal attributions mediate the link between abuse and peer hostility, impacting elementary school children.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Social Psychology
Background:
- Child maltreatment is a significant public health issue.
- Hostile attributional biases are linked to aggression and social difficulties in children.
- Understanding these biases in maltreated children is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine hostile attributional tendencies in maltreated elementary school children.
- To investigate the relationship between maltreatment frequency/severity and these tendencies.
- To explore the mediating role of maternal attributions in the link between abuse and peer attributions.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 44 maltreated and 56 non-maltreated children participated.
- Children completed a 20-item measure of attributional processes.
- Focus on physical abuse and attributions towards parents, teachers, and peers.
Main Results:
- Physically abused boys exhibited more hostile attributions across various figures compared to non-maltreated children.
- A positive correlation was found between physical abuse frequency and hostile attributional tendencies in males.
- Maternal attributions significantly mediated the relationship between physical abuse and hostile peer attributions.
Conclusions:
- Physical abuse is linked to hostile attributional tendencies in young elementary school children.
- These biases may contribute to social-cognitive difficulties in maltreated youth.
- Interventions targeting attributional biases could be beneficial for abused children.