Associations between experiences of childhood maltreatment and perceived acceptability of child maltreatment: A cross-cultural and exploratory study

Dany Laure Wadji; Misari Oe; Polly Cheng; Eleonora Bartoli; Chantal Martin-Soelch; Monique C Pfaltz; Rachel Langevin

doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106270

Associations between experiences of childhood maltreatment and perceived acceptability of child maltreatment: A cross-cultural and exploratory study

Child Abuse Negl. 2023 Sep:143:106270. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106270. Epub 2023 Jun 8.

Authors

Dany Laure Wadji¹, Misari Oe², Polly Cheng³, Eleonora Bartoli⁴, Chantal Martin-Soelch⁵, Monique C Pfaltz⁶, Rachel Langevin⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland; Sainte-Justine University Hospital Center, Montreal, Canada.
² Department of Neuropsychiatry, School of Medicine, Kurume University, Kurume, Japan.
³ Department of Psychology and Sport Sciences of the Goethe University of Frankfurt, Germany.
⁴ Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Canada.
⁵ Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
⁶ Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Psychology and Social Work, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden.
⁷ Department of Psychology and Sport Sciences of the Goethe University of Frankfurt, Germany. Electronic address: rachel.langevin@mcgill.ca.

PMID: 37301113
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106270

Abstract

Background: Acceptable parental behaviors and practices toward a child vary across countries and may impact the risk of exposure to maltreatment. Conversely, prior experiences of maltreatment as a child may influence the acceptability of child maltreatment (CM) behaviors.

Objective: This exploratory study examined the association between CM experiences and perceived acceptability of CM using data from four countries representing different cultures, living standards, and gross national income.

Participants and setting: We recruited a convenience sample of 478 adults from Cameroon (n = 111), Canada (n = 137), Japan (n = 108), and Germany (n = 122) through online postings on social media.

Methods: We administered questionnaires and conducted a three-stage hierarchical multiple regression with perceived acceptability of CM subscales as the dependent variable.

Results: In all countries, higher scores of childhood neglect were associated with greater perceived acceptability of neglect in one's community (p < .001). Equally, our results showed that higher scores of childhood neglect or sexual abuse were associated with greater perceived acceptability of sexual abuse (p < .044). However, we did not find a significant relationship between other forms of CM (i.e., physical abuse, emotional maltreatment, exposure to domestic violence), and their perceived acceptability.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that experiences of some CM types, namely neglect and sexual abuse, may be associated with the perception that these are more acceptable within one's community. Perceived acceptability of CM might be a driver that can either prevent or perpetuate CM. Therefore, intervention and prevention programs could incorporate a deeper cross-cultural understanding and assessment of these social norms in order to foster meaningful behavioral changes.

Keywords: Child abuse; Child maltreatment; Cultural practices; Parenting behaviors; Social norms.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Child
Child Abuse* / psychology
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Emotions
Humans
Physical Abuse
Surveys and Questionnaires