Child Maltreatment and Perceptions Related to Parenthood and Children's Development Among Non-Parents

Parents with a history of maltreatment are at risk for parenting challenges, although the inconsistent findings in the literature suggest that other variables are needed to better understand this relationship. It is critical to identify risk factors for parenting difficulties even prior to parenthood. Pre-parenthood beliefs and expectations remain stable, are tied to later parenting behaviors, and thus may reveal a potential point of prevention for later parenting difficulties. However, to date, childhood maltreatment has not been investigated in regard to parenting expectations and beliefs among non-parents. The aim of the current study was to determine whether forms of cumulative maltreatment was related to more negative expectations of parenthood (i.e. infant, partner, self, social) and children's development among 477 non-parents (M = 26.49SD = 8.34; 70% female; 63.3% White). Levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and exposure to other traumatic events were also examined. Cumulative maltreatment was not associated with perceptions of parenthood nor with negative and unrealistic expectations about child development. Yet, greater levels of PTSS were tied to more negative parenting expectations in several domains (B = -.07 - -.14), which suggests that trauma symptoms, rather than maltreatment experiences, may be more detrimental to parenting expectations. Interestingly, greater exposure to other traumatic events were associated with more positive parenting expectations (B = .11-.13). These findings may speak to the resilience of maltreatment survivors, and trauma survivors in general, who are not suffering from PTSS with regard to expectations about parenthood.