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Dissertation_Final_Jasmin Carmona.pdf (1.5 MB)

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The Role of Maternal Trauma in Reciprocity of Reasoning, Verbal Aggression, and Physical Violence between Mothers Who Use Substances and Their Children

Carmona, Jasmin R
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu148033708246916

Abstract Details

2016, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Human Development and Family Science.
Understanding the complexity surrounding trauma, substance use, and conflict resolution in mother-child interactions is imperative to addressing the wide range of needs and challenges among high risk families. Yet, there is little research that focuses on the interrelationship between trauma, substance use, and conflict resolution within a systemic context. No study to date has examined trauma and conflict resolution tactics among children and mothers with a substance use disorder engaged in a family-systems intervention. Thus, the current study addressed this gap in the literature by examining three research objectives. First, women were grouped based on the type and frequency of their trauma experience (childhood abuse, intimate partner violence, and street victimization), and predictors of these groups were investigated. Second, stability and reciprocity in conflict resolution tactics (reasoning skills, verbal aggression, and physical violence) were examined among mothers and children. Third, conflict resolution tactics were compared between a family-systems intervention and an attention control. Findings suggested the categorization of three trauma classes, with depressive symptoms and runaway episodes predicting the classes. Although reasoning skills and verbal aggression did not significantly differ between the three classes, using the full sample, children’s reasoning skills and verbal aggression at 12 months was predicted by their initial levels of these tactics (e.g., stability) and mothers’ verbal aggression at 12 months predicted their initial levels of this tactic (e.g., stability). Children’s use of reasoning skills and verbal aggression tended to predict their mothers’ use of these tactics. Evidence of reciprocity was not found and the model that examined physical violence used to resolve conflicts could not be estimated. Treatment effects in conflict resolution tactics were not found, but using the full sample, findings suggested reductions in verbal aggression among mothers and children regardless of treatment condition. Overall, findings of the current study suggest that trauma experiences range in type and frequency among women, with trauma likely occurring in both childhood and adulthood. Therefore, it may be advantageous for substance use treatment programs to include components that address women’s trauma experiences in order to provide more comprehensive care. A better understanding of the factors that interrupt stability in verbal aggression among children and mothers is needed, and providers should include children in their mothers’ treatment plan given that children’s use of conflict resolution tactics may predict their mothers’ use of tactics. Similarly, research is needed on the active elements of family-systems interventions that reduce verbal aggression used to resolve conflicts. Understanding the conflict resolution process is a crucial step towards successfully intervening in high levels of family conflict, especially among vulnerable children and mothers experiencing a substance use disorder and trauma.
Natasha Slesnick (Advisor)
Suzanne Bartle-Haring (Committee Member)
Keeley Pratt (Committee Member)
Samantha King (Committee Member)
177 p.
Individual and Family Studies
Maternal Trauma in Reciprocity of Reasoning, Maternal Trauma in Reciprocity of Verbal Aggression, Maternal Trauma in Reciprocity of Physical Violence, Mothers Who Use Substances, Children of Mothers Using Substances

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Carmona, J. R. (2016). The Role of Maternal Trauma in Reciprocity of Reasoning, Verbal Aggression, and Physical Violence between Mothers Who Use Substances and Their Children [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu148033708246916

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Carmona, Jasmin. The Role of Maternal Trauma in Reciprocity of Reasoning, Verbal Aggression, and Physical Violence between Mothers Who Use Substances and Their Children. 2016. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu148033708246916.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Carmona, Jasmin. "The Role of Maternal Trauma in Reciprocity of Reasoning, Verbal Aggression, and Physical Violence between Mothers Who Use Substances and Their Children." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu148033708246916

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu148033708246916
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.