The Role of Shame and Guilt in the Intergenerational Transmission of Abusiveness

Abstract

Shame-proneness has been found to be related to anger arousal and a tendency to externalize attributions for one’s own behavior, both common features of men who assault their wives. The present study examined a potential origin of a shame-prone style by analysing reports of shaming experiences by ones’ parents as reported by a population of assaultive males. Significant relationships were found for recollections of shaming actions by parents on adult anger, abusiveness (as reported by the men’s wives), and a constellation of personality variables related to abusiveness in prior research. These associations maintained even after corrections were made for response sets such as social desirability. These shaming actions were largely comprised of recollections of parental punishment that were public, random, or global. The role of shame experiences in disturbances of self-identity and rage is discussed.

Mapping Shame and Its Functions in Relationships

“…Lewis, 1971; M. Lewis, 1992;Scheff, 1995;Tangney, Wagner, Fletcher, & Gramzow, 1992;Tangney, Wagner, Hill-Barlow, Marschall, & Gramzow, 1996). Shame-rage need not, but may in certain individuals, reflect self-protective mechanisms meant to avoid attributing shortcomings to stable self-characteristics (e.g., Dutton, Van Ginkel, & Starzomski, 1995;H. B. Lewis, 1971;Scheff, 1995).…”

The Intergenerational Transmission of Intimate Partner Violence: Differentiating Correlates in a Random Community Sample

“…In spite of this, much remains with regard to advancing an understanding of the factors that increase the risk of victimization since many studies employ clinical samples (Corvo and Carpenter 2000;Dutton et al 1995), university populations (Alexander et al 1991;Black et al 2010;Carr and Vandeuse 2002;Wei and Brackley 2010), high school student samples (O'Keefe 1998;Simons et al 1998), or investigate the prevalence and predictors among the male perpetrator/female victim dyad of IPV possibilities (Dutton et al 1995;Whitfield et al 2003). Additionally, some research has focused only on physical perpetration and victimization (Caetano et al 2000Corvo and Carpenter 2000;Jankowski et al 1999;Kalmuss 1984;LanghinrichsenRohling et al 2004;MacEwen 1994;O'Keefe 1998;Rosen et al 2001), despite the documented risk that psychological forms of abuse may have on cognitive and behavioral functions and the consequences that psychological abuse has on an intimate relationship (LaViolette and Barnett 2000).…”

Abuses and Distortions in Emotional Processes as Risk Factors for Parricide

“…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).…”