Maternal Emotion Regulation Difficulties and Benevolent Childhood Experiences as Moderators of the Intergenerational Transmission of Maltreatment

Child maltreatment is a pervasive experience that creates a cascade of negative effects including numerous psychological and physical health difficulties throughout the lifespan. Further, mothers’ own adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) serve as a risk factor for child maltreatment, sometimes leading to an intergenerational transmission of maltreatment. Maternal emotion regulation (ER) and maternal benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) are promising variables that may interact with this cycle of maltreatment. The current study examined the impact of maternal ER and BCEs on the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment in a sample of 98 mothers and their 6- to 8-year-old children. Specifically, we hypothesized that (1) maternal ACEs would be positively associated with risk for child maltreatment; (2) maternal emotion regulation (ER) difficulties would exacerbate the association between maternal ACEs and risk for perpetrating maltreatment, such that mothers with higher difficulties in ER would have an increased risk for perpetrating maltreatment; and (3) maternal benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) would buffer this association, such that more BCEs would be associated with decreased risk for perpetrating child maltreatment. Results found that maternal ACEs were significantly associated with current psychological aggression towards their child, and that maternal ER significantly interacted with this association such that mothers with higher emotion dysregulation had a stronger association between ACEs and current psychological aggression. Understanding how additional variables may affect the relationship between maternal ACEs and risk for perpetrating maltreatment may help inform interventions targeting preventing child maltreatment.