Self-esteem and early background of abusive mothers

Thirty-six mothers whose children had been abused were interviewed and compared with 36 mothers matched for social class and ethnic background. The abuse group mothers had lower self-esteem than the comparison mothers as judged by their desire that their children should not grow up to be like themselves or their partners. They were also less likely to discuss their problems with other people. They were less likely than the comparison mothers to have been brought up by their own parents. They had significantly more negative feelings than the comparison mothers towards their fathers when they were children and these negative feelings persisted into adult life. It is important that emphasis on treatment programs for these mothers should be placed on building up self-esteem and skills in interpersonal relationships.