| A relationship between childhood history of abuse and adult child abuse potential has been demonstrated, but little is known of what factors may mediate this relationship. Recent work on adults' representational models of attachment relations seems to provide the missing link in continuity or discontinuity of intergenerational transmission of child abuse. Questionnaires assessing childhood history of abuse, child abuse potential, quality of current relationships with parents and others, and attributional complexity were administered to 329 undergraduates ranging in age from 18 to 59. Results indicated that childhood history of abuse was positively correlated with child abuse potential. Furthermore, undergraduates' attachment representations mediated between childhood history of abuse and adult child abuse potential, and attributional complexity moderated the influence of childhood history on the extent to which an individual is comfortable with closeness. Those adults who showed evidence of breaking an abuse cycle, i.e., had low scores on a measure of child abuse potential in spite of having received severe physical punishment in childhood, were more likely to be rated as secure on measures of current adult attachment status than those who did not break the cycle. Results indicating whether these subjects also demonstrated a greater capacity for self-examination as evidenced by higher levels of attributional complexity were inconclusive. |
