Responses of Physically Abused and Nonabused Children to Different Forms of Interadult Anger

Abstract

Responses to various forms of interadult anger were examined in 2 groups of 6-11-year-olds: 44 low-SES children with a history of physical abuse and exposure to interspousal aggression, and 44 low-SES children exposed to interspousal aggression but with no history of physical abuse or other child maltreatment. Children were presented with videotaped segments of adults in angry and friendly interactions. Angry segments varied on (a) the type of anger expression (nonverbal, verbal, verbal-physical), and (b) whether anger was resolved. In general, physically abused children reported greater fear than nonabused children in response to all forms of interadult anger. Moreover, abused children appeared particularly sensitive to whether anger between adults was resolved. Findings are discussed with regard to factors that may mediate relations between exposure to family violence and the development of psychopathology in children from highly aggressive home environments.

Childhood adversities and post-traumatic stress disorder: evidence for stress sensitisation in the World Mental Health Surveys

“…One potential mechanism involves heightened salience of threat cues and magnified emotional reactions to potential threats. Child maltreatment is associated with elevated emotional reactivity to negative stimuli, as measured using self-report, 41,42 ecological momentary assessments of daily responses to stressful life events, 43 and amygdala response to negative stimuli. 44-47 Similar patterns have been observed in children of parents with psychopathology.…”

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“…Heightened emotional reactivity following child trauma has been observed at both state and trait levels [18,19], and in magnified negative emotional reactions to daily stressors in adulthood [20]. Elevated amygdala response to numerous types of negative stimuli has been observed among trauma-exposed children [21–23], suggesting that negative emotional cues are particularly salient following child trauma.…”

Attribution Retraining for Therapeutic Change: Theory, Practice, and Future Directions

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