Parents who were abused as children are at increased risk for perpetuating maladaptive parenting practices, yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This study prospectively examined maternal distress (a latent variable consisting of depressive symptoms and daily stress) and family violence as potential mediators in the intergenerational transmission of abusive (i.e., psychologically aggressive and physically assaultive) parenting. Participants included (N = 768) mother-child dyads identified as being at-risk for family violence and maltreatment prior to children's age four. More maternal childhood abuse was associated with more distress and increased risk for family violence exposure in adulthood. However, only maternal distress mediated the association between mothers' history of abuse and their use of abusive parenting strategies. This study provides critical information about ecological mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of abusive parenting and suggests the importance of targeting depression and stress management among mothers with abuse histories to curtail the cycle of violence.

中文翻译：

---

虐待养育的代际传递：未来孕产妇窘迫和家庭暴力的作用。

童年时受过虐待的父母长期存在适应不良的养育方式的风险增加，但这种关系背后的机制仍不清楚。本研究前瞻性地检验了产妇痛苦（一个由抑郁症状和日常压力组成的潜在变量）和家庭暴力作为虐待（即心理攻击性和身体攻击性）养育方式的代际传递的潜在中介因素。参与者包括 (N = 768) 被确定为在儿童 4 岁之前面临家庭暴力和虐待风险的母子二人组。更多的母亲童年虐待与更多的痛苦和成年后遭受家庭暴力的风险增加有关。然而，只有母亲的痛苦介导了母亲之间的关联。虐待史和他们使用虐待性养育策略。这项研究提供了关于虐待养育代际传递背后的生态机制的关键信息，并提出了针对有虐待史的母亲的抑郁和压力管理以减少暴力循环的重要性。