Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Feb;34(2):127-137.
doi: 10.1007/s10896-018-0022-0. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Violence Victimization and Parenting Among Black South African Mothers

Nada M Goodrum  1 , Rosa Felix  1 , Shannon Self-Brown  2 , Natasha De Veauuse-Brown  2 , Lisa P Armistead  1
Affiliations

Violence Victimization and Parenting Among Black South African Mothers

Nada M Goodrum et al. J Fam Violence. 2019 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: Black South African women and girls face high rates of violence victimization, including physical, sexual, and emotional abuse in childhood and intimate partner violence (IPV) in adulthood. U.S.-based research suggests that violence victimization predicts parenting difficulties, but this relation has not been examined in a South African context.

Method: Among a sample of 99 Black South African female caregivers, we examined rates of child abuse, IPV, and cumulative trauma, and we explored the associations between caregivers' victimization history and current parenting quality (i.e., parent-child relationship quality & parental involvement with child). Caregivers completed self-report questionnaires using ACASI software.

Results: Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that caregivers reporting childhood physical or sexual abuse were less involved with their children. Caregivers with a history of emotional abuse reported significantly worse parent-child relationship quality. Cumulative trauma was associated with worse parental involvement and parent-child relationship quality.

Conclusions: Results reveal relatively high rates of interpersonal violence victimization among this convenience sample of Black South African women, as well as unique relations between forms of victimization and specific parenting practices. The findings highlight the importance of behavioral parent training interventions with a focus on specific assessment of parents' victimization experiences.

Keywords: South Africa; child maltreatment; intimate partner violence; parenting; violence victimization.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Anthony ER, Hipp TN, Darnell DA, Armistead L, Cook SL, & Skinner D (2014). Caregiver-youth communication about sex in South Africa: The role of maternal child sexual abuse history. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 23(6), 657–673. doi:10.1080/10538712.2014.932877 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Armistead L, Forehand R, Brody G, & Maguen S (2002). Parenting and child psychosocial adjustment in single parent African American families: Is community context important? Behavior Therapy, 33, 361–375. doi:10.1016/S0005-7894(02)80033-8 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Banyard V, Williams L, & Siegel J (2003). The impact of complex trauma and depression on parenting: an exploration of mediating risk and protective factors. Child Maltreatment, 8(4), 334–349. doi:10.1177/1077559503257106 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Barbarin OA, & Khomo N (1997). Indicators of economic status and social capital in South African townships: What do they reveal about the material and social conditions in families of poor children? Childhood, 4(2), 193–222. doi:10.1177/0907568297004002005 - DOI
    1. Barth J, Bermetz L, Heim E, Trelle S, & Tonia T (2013). The current prevalence of child sexual abuse worldwide: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Public Health, 58(3), 469–483. doi:10.1007/s00038-012-0426-1 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources