Parenting After Child Maltreatment

A Study of Maternal Parenting Strategies and the Parent-child Relationship

Bibliographic Data

ID15683046
AuthorsMarit Burkeland-Lie (0009-0003-1455-328X, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, corresponding author), Jens Christoffer Skogen (0000-0003-0722-5440, Norwegian Institute of Public Health), B Sivertsen (Norwegian Institute of Public Health), Kaia Kjørstad (0009-0008-4125-5903, Norwegian Institute of Public Health), Anders Dovran (0000-0002-8575-7488, University of Agder), Gertrud Sofie Hafstad (0000-0003-1162-6861, Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies), Mari Hysing (0000-0001-5303-8879, University of Bergen)
Year2026
Volume19
Issue2
Pages421-433
Publication date2026-03-16
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Child & Adolescent Trauma (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1936-1521 • E-ISSN: 1936-153X
PublisherSpringer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1007/s40653-026-00850-1
OpenAlexW7136978828
LanguageEN
References cited18

Parenting practices and the parent-child relationship play a crucial role in child development. Families affected by child maltreatment may experience poor parent-child relationships and negative parenting practices. Research on parenting where both mothers and children have experienced maltreatment is limited. This study aims to investigate the parent-child relationship and parenting strategies among mothers (N = 228) of children (5–11 years) with maltreatment experiences, and whether there are differences in parenting behaviors between mothers with and without personal maltreatment histories. The Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) was used to assess parenting strategies, while the Child-Parent Relationship Scale (CPRS) was utilized to investigate the parent-child relationship. Mean scores and standard deviations were calculated for the entire sample and the two groups of mothers. To compare the groups, we used two-sample t-tests and generated plots to illustrate response distributions. Fisher’s exact test was also used to compare response patterns. We found no significant differences between the groups in the APQ subscales (positive parenting and inconsistent discipline) or the closeness subscale of the CPRS. Both groups reported using positive parenting strategies and having close relationships with their children. However, mothers with maltreatment experiences reported significantly higher conflict (CPRS) scores than those without such experiences (p = 0.009). Clinicians can build on the strengths observed in this study to enhance the parent-child relationship and parenting practices. The elevated conflict levels reported by mothers with maltreatment experiences highlight a critical area for interventions aimed at supporting healthier family dynamics and reducing conflict

Closeness · Conflict tactics scale · Injury prevention · Poison control · Positive parenting · Psychological intervention · Suicide prevention · Test (biology · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Human Factors and Ergonomics

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access