The Effects of Mothers' Hostile Attributions on Child Maltreatment

Abstract

The purpose of this article was to investigate the relationship between a mother's cognitions about children's misbehavior (consisting of positive, negative, and hostile attributions) and child maltreatment. Participants were mothers (N = 207) of 3-4 year old children who attended a day nursery. Stress regarding childcare, self-esteem, attachment to their own parents, and demographic factors, were examined as factors that influenced maternal cognitions and child maltreatment. Path analysis revealed a significant causal relationship between child maltreatment and mothers' hostile attributions, and stress over child care and low self-esteem were also related to negative cognitions. In addition, direct relations were found between stress over childcare, attachment to their own parents, and child maltreatment. These results showed the importance of the mother's cognitions for childcare, and suggested an intervention method for high risk mothers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)