Child maltreatment history and interpersonal problems in adult couple relationships

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between interpersonal problems in adult couple relationships and childhood maltreatment in a sample of 1,728 university students who completed an online questionnaire. Victims of maltreatment reported higher levels of couple interpersonal problems. Also, the experience of childhood maltreatment is more strongly associated with couple interpersonal difficulties for males than for females. For females, emotional neglect is more consistently related to couple interpersonal problems, including problems with being nonassertive, distant, and self-sacrificing. For males, physical abuse is significantly associated with the likelihood of being domineering, distant, and self-sacrificing. The issue of how the different forms of maltreatment might contribute differently to couple interpersonal problems for males and females is addressed and discussed. Copyright © Eileen L. Zurbriggen.