Assessment of Maternal Attributions of Infant's Hostile Intent and Its Use in Child Maltreatment Prevention/Intervention Efforts

Milner, Joel S.; Crouch, Julie L.

doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.1467

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…This study suggests that perinatal health-care professionals should run screening tests for IPV during pregnancy and assess mothers’ hostile attributions to children’s behaviors even if the mothers do not show signs of postnatal depression or mother-to-infant bonding failure. Perinatal care professionals should carefully and regularly monitor the abused mothers who report making hostile attributions to their children’s behaviors and intervene immediately to reduce their hostile attributions using cognitive and educational approaches to increase their awareness of their hostile attributions and help them change those perceptions (Milner & Crouch, 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intimate partner violence and maternal child abuse: The mediating effects of mothers’ postnatal depression, mother-to-infant bonding failure, and hostile attributions to children’s behaviors.

Kita¹,

Hayashi²,

Umeshita³

et al. 2020

Psychology of Violence

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Objectives: This study tested the mediating effects of mothers' postnatal depression, mother-to-infant bonding failure, and hostile attributions to children's behaviors at 1 month postnatal on the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy and maternal child abuse at 3 months postnatal. Method: Pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy who visited 1 of 2 antenatal clinics in Tokyo, Japan, were recruited, and asked to complete questionnaires during their pregnancy, and at 1 month and 3 months postnatal, from June 2016 to September 2017. IPV during pregnancy, postnatal depression, mother-to-infant bonding failure, hostile attributions to children's behaviors, and maternal child abuse were evaluated using the Violence Against Women Screen, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale, the Scale of Mother's Recognition on Child's Behaviors, and ad hoc questions, respectively. Results: The data from 442 participants were used for analyses. The main finding of this study was that hostile attributions to children's behaviors 1 month after birth have a mediating effect on the relationship between IPV during the pregnancy and maternal child abuse 3 months after birth (indirect effect ϭ .06, p ϭ .03). The effects of mother-to-infant bonding failure and postnatal depression were not significant. Conclusions: This study suggests that health interventions focused on assessing and reducing hostile attributions to children's behaviors could prevent maternal child abuse in the postnatal period among abused pregnant women.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intimate partner violence and maternal child abuse: The mediating effects of mothers’ postnatal depression, mother-to-infant bonding failure, and hostile attributions to children’s behaviors.

Kita¹,

Hayashi²,

Umeshita³

et al. 2020

Psychology of Violence

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show abstract

“…According to studies based on the SIP model (Milner, 2000), the hypothesis that negative parental attributions focusing on the child's responsibility can make parents feel angry and react in an irritable and hostile or retaliatory manner has been confirmed. These negative attributions are characterized by a belief that misbehavior is under the child's control and is characterized by hostile intent-"my child does this to spite me"which may lead parents to overreact and use harsh or abusive parenting practices (Beckerman et al, 2018;Crouch et al, 2017;Milner & Crouch, 2013). Indeed, a pioneering experimental study (Slep & O'Leary, 1998) showed that mothers whose child-responsible attributions were increased by manipulation showed more overreactive parenting behavior than mothers who were told that their child was not responsible.…”

Section: The Role Of Parental Negative Attributions In the Parenting ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

When Parents Wear Dark Glasses: An Experimental Study on Parental Negative Attributions and Parenting Behavior

et al. 2022

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This experimental study aimed to advance our understanding of parental negative attributions of children's misbehavior (parental interpretations of what causes children's misbehavior) and how they relate to other parental characteristics. Specifically, we examined: (1) How different measures of parental negative attributions relate to cognitive and affective parental characteristics (e.g., stress, temperament, parental self-efficacy); and (2) How reducing negative parental attributions affects parenting. In all steps, we differentiated between two types of negative parental attributions: parent-causal attributions (identifying one's parenting or parent characteristics as cause for the child's behavior) and child-responsible attributions (identifying the child as responsible for the behavior). Data were collected from 78 parents and their 3 to 5-year-old children (M = 51.67 months, SD = 8.56) in a lab experiment. Parents were randomly assigned to conditions aimed to reduce negative attributions (parent-causal, child-responsible) or a control condition. Results suggest that different parental characteristics tap into complementary aspects of negative parental attributions. Global parental negative attributions were associated with parent negative affect, laxness and positive discipline, and these associations were stronger for parent-causal than childresponsible attributions. Experimental manipulation of parental negative attributions seemed to reduce situation-specific attributions (both parent-causal and child-responsible), but not global attributions, parental self-efficacy or parenting behavior. Our findings suggest parental negative attributions of child's misbehavior may be a node in the complex parenting network of parental cognitions, affect, and behavior. Understanding the causal effects and malleability of negative parental attributions may advance parenting process theory and practice.

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“…40,41 For example, some parents attribute an infant’s crying, as anger or a sign of weakness (e.g. “Why are you so mad?”, “Don’t be a cry baby.”) Some parents interpret the need for frequent feedings as “greed” or “impatience”.…”

Section: Psychosocial Risk Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bringing Back the Social History

Pierce

Kaczor

Thompson

2014

Pediatric Clinics of North America

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The social environment of the child is a key determinant of the child’s current and future health. Factors in the child’s family environment, both protective and harmful, have profound impact on the child’s long-term health, brain development, and mortality. Adverse childhood experiences, and specifically, child maltreatment, are directly linked to increased risk for harm, poor outcomes, ill-health as adults, and even death during childhood or early adulthood. Therefore, it is important to obtain a detailed social history from the first medical visit with the dual goals of identifying strengths to reinforce and weaknesses to address. Screening is paramount in order to foster healthy parenting and help identify areas needing intervention. Occasionally, serious problems are uncovered indicating the child is at significant risk for maltreatment. By addressing these risks openly and directly before serious or permanent harm occurs, child maltreatment and its potentially life-altering consequences (for all) may be prevented. The social history may very well be the best all-around tool available for promoting the child’s future health and well-being. It is a key first step in identifying social needs of the child and family so that they may benefit from intervention. This article focuses on key social history elements known to increase a child’s risk of maltreatment and provides case examples.

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Assessment of Maternal Attributions of Infant's Hostile Intent and Its Use in Child Maltreatment Prevention/Intervention Efforts

Cited by 5 publications

References 21 publications

Intimate partner violence and maternal child abuse: The mediating effects of mothers’ postnatal depression, mother-to-infant bonding failure, and hostile attributions to children’s behaviors.

Intimate partner violence and maternal child abuse: The mediating effects of mothers’ postnatal depression, mother-to-infant bonding failure, and hostile attributions to children’s behaviors.

When Parents Wear Dark Glasses: An Experimental Study on Parental Negative Attributions and Parenting Behavior

Bringing Back the Social History

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