Possible antecedents and developmental implications of shame in young girls

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of parenting style and child emotionality on the development of proneness to shame in young girls, and the mediating effect of shame on the development of adjustment problems. Eighty-eight girls were assessed twice, at 3 and 5 years of age, along with their mothers and fathers. Shame was assessed by observations (reactions to failure and criticism); parenting style and child emotions (fearfulness, sadness, anger) were measured using parent reports; and adjustment problems were assessed by parent and teacher reports. Girls were more likely to show shame at age 5 when both their mothers and fathers had been relatively authoritarian at age 3; their emotional dispositions did not have any direct longitudinal effects on shame. Authoritarian parenting predicted subsequent internalizing problems as assessed by teachers, but there was no evidence for a mediational effect of shame. Copyright #

Young Children's Adjustment as a Function of Maltreatment, Shame, and Anger

“…In contrast, maltreated boys tended to exhibit less shame and pride than nonmaltreated boys, suggesting an important gender difference. Moreover, Mills (2003) found that preschool-age girls were more likely to exhibit shame when their parents used an authoritarian parenting style, which has been related to harsh physical punishment (Frias-Armenta & McCloskey, 1998). Examining older children, harsh parenting at age 9 was found to predict parental rejection at 15 (Stuewig & McCloskey, 2005).…”

Abuses and Distortions in Emotional Processes as Risk Factors for Parricide

“…Among minors, a central role is played by shame, humiliation and anger, together with specific representations of the self (Lewis 1971;Tangney and Dearing 2003). Maltreated children, especially those abused, characteristically experience shame (Loader 1998); moreover, they have parents with a negative or an authoritarian parental style (Alessandri and Lewis 1993;Alessandri and Lewis 1996;Belsky and Domitrovich 1997;Lewis 1992;Margari et al 2013;Mills 2003;Stuewig and McCloskey 2005).…”

“…These beliefs about the self elicit shame (Lewis 1992) and lead these children, who continue over time to be maltreated, to develop emotional processes different from those of not maltreated ones and which can be different whether the victim is a boy or a girl (Alessandri and Lewis 1996). Indeed, Mills (2003) highlighted that preschool girls are more likely to experience shame when they experience an authoritarian parental style, associated with physical punishments (Frias-Armenta and McCloskey 1998). With respect to older minor, severe parenting at age nine is predictive of parental rejection at 15 years old, which is associated with an increased propensity to experience shame at the same age (Stuewig and McCloskey 2005).…”

“…The increased propensity to experience shame following repeated experiences of maltreatment, is associated with a set of emotional and behavioral consequences: both minors and adults have been reported to be more incline to display anger and sadness, together with internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems (Andrews et al 2000;Bryceland and Strayer 1999;Dutton, van Ginkel, and Starzomski 1995;Ferguson et al 2000;Harper and Arias 2004;Mills 2003;Stuewig and McCloskey 2005;Tangney 1991;Tangney et al 1991;Tangney, Wagner, and Gramzow 1992;Tangney et al 1996).…”

Childhood Depression As Emerging Public Health Problem: A Systematic Review

“…Heterogeneous groups of maltreated children, which have included neglected as well as physically and sexually abused children, exhibit elevated levels of shame [83,[89][90][91]. Similarly, children whose parents are negative and rejecting or who use an authoritarian style of parenting are at increased risk of exhibiting shame [83,89,[92][93][94].…”