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Description

One life task for many adults, especially women, is the task of parenting. Many factors can be associated with becoming a parent, but one of the most foundational is the desire to have children.

Rholes et al (1997) concluded that regardless of attachment style, a lower desire for children was associated with more negative perceptions of parenting abilities.

Harel and Finzi-Dottan (2018) found that a history of childhood maltreatment was associated with viewing parenting as potentially threatening.

Bailey et al (2012) found that;

  • emotional abuse, neglect, and witnessing family violence were associated with hostility towards future children
  • a mother’s experience of physical or sexual abuse was associated with a self-perceived lack of parental competence and lower emotional availability

Given that a common human response to anything potentially unpleasant is avoidance, the desire to have children becomes diminished for children of abuse. The present study evaluates the relationship between a history of childhood maltreatment and the desire to have children in females.

Department

Psychology

Publication Date

Spring 4-2023

Sponsorship/Conference/Institution

Western Psychological Association

City

Riverside, CA

Keywords

Childhood Maltreatment, Child Abuse, Parenting Desires, Trauma, Women

Disciplines

Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and a Woman’s Desire to Have Children


Included in

Psychology Commons

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