Child maltreatment is an age-old, common problem with a variety of short-term and long-term consequences. Child maltreatment can even have an impact on future generations, resulting in the...Show moreChild maltreatment is an age-old, common problem with a variety of short-term and long-term consequences. Child maltreatment can even have an impact on future generations, resulting in the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment. Despite the gravity of the consequences there remains few to no effective interventions to disrupt the vicious cycle of child maltreatment. To develop effective interventions, it is crucial to conduct research on specific factors that may contribute to the intergenerational transmission. Therefore, this study aims to explore the mediating role of emotion recognition in the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment. This investigation takes into account the differences between abuse and neglect and considers the influence of gender. A total of 237 participants (96 men, 141 women) from 63 families were assessed for their experiences of perpetrating and experiencing abuse and neglect through self-report measures. Moreover, they performed an emotion recognition task, which involved the gradual presentation of photos displaying various emotional expressions, ranging from neutral to intense. Findings from this investigation confirm the intergenerational transmission of both abuse and neglect, with abuse exhibiting a stronger transmission compared to neglect. Unexpectedly, emotion recognition did not serve as a mediating factor in the relationship between experienced and perpetrated child abuse and neglect. However, emotion recognition did reveal a significant association with perpetrated neglect. Additionally, the control variable of gender was found to be linked to perpetrated neglect. These outcomes underscore the significance of distinguishing between abuse and neglect, as well as considering gender differences in the context of intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment. Future research focusing on a exploration of all aspects of emotion processing may provide greater insight into the underlying mechanisms of the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment.Show less
