The role of child maltreatment in early deviations in cognitive and affective processing abilities and later peer relationship problems

Abstract

Despite considerable research demonstrating the adverse consequences of child maltreatment, including a heightened risk for adaptational failures and psychopathology, longitudinal evaluations of processes contributing to negative outcomes have been limited. Problems in peer relations constitute a critical developmental risk for future maladaptation among maltreated children, transferring relationship disturbance from the family to new interpersonal contexts. The linkages of a history of child maltreatment to early deviations in cognitive/affective processes, which subsequently lead to difficulties in peer relations were examined. Specifically, in a sample of 46 maltreated and 43 nonmaltreated low-income children, laboratory assessments of affect understanding and cognitive control functioning were conducted, followed by later peer and teacher assessments of peer relations in the school setting. Maltreated children were shown to evidence early deviations in their understanding of negative affect as well as immaturity in their cognitive controls. Maltreated children also were shown to have lower social effectiveness and higher levels of undercontrolled and aggressive behavior in the school setting. Physically abused children were found to be more rejected by their peers. Cognitive control functioning partially mediated the effect of maltreatment on later social effectiveness. Negative affect understanding mediated both the relation of maltreatment on later dysregulated behavior in the peer setting and the effect of physical abuse on later rejection by peers. The results are discussed in terms of their support for organizational/transactional theory and the implications they have for prevention and intervention.

Child maltreatment, attention networks, and potential precursors to borderline personality disorder

“…Numerous dysfunctional sequelae have been found in maltreated children across multiple domains of functioning, including affect dysregulation, relationship disturbances with parents and peers, anomalies in self-system processes, negative representations of self, parents, and peers, deviations in cognitive and affective processing, and maladaptive personality organizations (Bolger, Patterson, & Kupersmidt, 1998;Cicchetti & Valentino, in press;Rogosch & Cicchetti, 2004;Rogosch, Cicchetti, & Aber, 1995;Shields & Cicchetti, 1997). Furthermore, maltreatment increases the risks for suicidal ideation and suicidal behavior, as well as the development of psychopathology Evans, Hawton, & Rodham, 2005;Manly et al, 2001;Thompson et al, 2005).…”

Developmental trajectories of externalizing and internalizing behaviors: Factors underlying resilience in physically abused children

“…Commonly used indicators of competence have included self-esteem (Lynch & Cicchetti, 1998), social skills (Trickett, 1997), cognitive ability (Rogosch, Cicchetti, & Aber, 1995), and a lack of depressive symptoms (Johnson et al, 2002). In the present study, we chose to look at low levels of children's externalizing and internalizing behaviors as indicators of children's competent functioning.…”

Emotion regulation and understanding: implications for child psychopathology and therapy

“…For example, abused and maltreated children exhibit deficits in the recognition of face expressions of emotion (e.g., Camras, Grow, & Ribordy, 1983;Camras & Rappaport, 1993;Camras et al, 1990;Camras et al, 1988). Maltreated children, children at risk for disruptive behavior disorders, and ''hardto-manage'' preschoolers demonstrated poorly developed understandings of the causes of emotion, for example, by providing fewer appropriate examples of triggers or cues for emotion (e.g., Camras, Sachs-Alter, & Ribordy, 1996;Cook, Greenberg, & Kusche, 1994;Greenberg et al, 1995;Rogosch, Cicchetti, & Aber, 1995;Shipman & Zeman, 1999). In one study of maltreated children, not only was the emotion understanding of the maltreated children lower than nonmaltreated youth but also the mothers of maltreated children were less likely to discuss emotional topics in a mother-child interactions task (Shipman & Zeman, 1999), recalling the important scaffolding role of parents in emotional development.…”