Daughters’ Obligation to Care in the Context of Past Abuse

Abstract

Using theoretical sampling, we extended a previous grounded theory study of women's caring through interviews with 16 women currently giving care to parents who had abused them as children to more fully understand daughters’ obligation to care in the context of past abuse. Past relationship was characterized by emotional distance, “never being good enough,” degradation, control, and unpredictability. Obligation to care was grounded not only in duty to others but also in duty to self. Caregiving was seen as an opportunity for validation and reconciliation. These findings advance knowledge by illuminating how survivors of child maltreatment become caregivers for their abusers.