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The study examined the relation between maternal representations of attachment relationships from childhood and current parent–child interactions with their own preschool aged children. Thirty‐six mother–child dyads were recruited from a community sample. The Adult Attachment Interview was converted into a questionnaire (AAIQ) and used to classify mothers as either “secure” or “insecure.” The mother–child dyads then engaged in a 20‐min, videotaped play interaction task. The quality of maternal representations of attachment relationships was related to the degree of dyadic synchrony, as well as maternal affect and style of relating. Secure mothers and their children engaged in a more fluid, synchronous process of give‐and‐take than insecure mothers and their children. In addition, secure mothers expressed more warmth and affection, and their style of relating was less intrusive and more encouraging of child autonomy than insecure mothers. Children of secure mothers sought closer contact and were more compliant than children of insecure mothers. These interaction patterns were uniquely related to maternal representations of attachment, independent of maternal age, education and SES. There were no differences in these patterns of relating between mothers who had experienced loving relationships in childhood (continuous secure) and mothers who had come to terms with unloving and painful childhood relationships (earned secure). Therefore, rather than the quality of childhood histories, it was the manner in which these early experiences were mentally organized and integrated in adulthood that was significantly related to current parent–child interaction patterns. Finally, these differences in parent–child interaction patterns that were apparent on the observational measure were in contrast to information obtained from a maternal self‐report measure. © 1997 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health

Psychological maltreatment between siblings is one of the most common yet often underrecognized forms of child abuse. Whether it occurs in conjunction with other maltreatment or in isolation, sibling psychological abuse can have harmful effects on family members. Such impaired interactions are often indicative of larger problems within the family system. This article brings attention to an important family dynamic through the use of a case example, and offers suggestions for assessment and intervention approaches.

The effectiveness of a community-based parent education and support program in ameliorating risk factors associated with physical child abuse was tested. Data were collected on 34 families at three points in time with a combination of questionnaires, interviews, and telephone contacts. Parental depression and stress were significantly reduced, but social support and child misbehaviors were not. The authors offer suggestions for tailoring programs, including strategies to treat depression and stress, the addition of social-skills training to facilitate involvement in healthy support networks, and the development of a cohesive child program. Parent–child programs that are part of a comprehensive service-delivery system may have the best chance for meeting the needs of violent families.