Trauma, Aggression and Object Relations in a Child and Adolescent Inpatient Sample

Abstract

This study explored whether children with a trauma history who externalize their anger have more negative representations and experiences of others than their non-aggressive counterparts. All of the data utilized were based on chart reviews of 63 traumatized child and adolescent inpatients from an urban children's hospital. Two groups of children (overtly aggressive and non-overtly aggressive) were compared on their object representations. Results demonstrated that overtly aggressive, traumatized children had significantly more negative perceptions and experiences of others than non-aggressive participants. These findings suggest that traumatized boys and girls who have a history of externalized aggression might be at risk for experiencing serious interpersonal difficulties.

Children’s intrapsychic processes and aggressive-defiance behaviors as a function of sex.

“…In this vein, for males, self-reported aggression need not be avoided at all costs and is likely internalized with less pathology. For females, on the other hand, society often demands a certain quality of interpersonal socialization, and insofar as females exhibit higher levels of externalization, they may also exhibit lower levels on measures of intrapsychic object relations (Szymanski & Springer, 2014).…”