Psychological mistreatment by married children in Korea: using the contextual theory to explain mistreatment of aging parents and parents-in-law

ABSTRACT

Guided by the contextual theory of elder mistreatment, this study examined the psychological mistreatment (PM) of aging parents and parents-in-law by their married children and compared the risk factors of PM. We used nationally representative data on the adverse experiences of Korean adults in 2017 (n=2,974). Results showed similarities and differences in the PM of aging parents and parents-in-law. Common risk factors included children’s sex, greater victimization experiences, and co-residence. Daughters and daughters-in-law were more likely than their male counterparts to psychologically mistreat parents and parents-in-law. While parents’ PM was more frequent when children had a temporary work status and when parents were younger, PM of parents-in-law occurred more often when children had a full-time job, poor self-rated health, and a negative perception of family relations. These findings provide insights into policy intervention against PM, suggesting the need for complex prevention strategies for PM of aging parents and parents-in-law.

KEYWORDS:

• Psychological Mistreatment
• Contextual Theory
• In-Law Relationship
• Victimization Experiences
• Family Relations

Acknowledgements

Human subjects review. This study was approved by the IRB of the Korean Institute for Health and Social Affairs (IRB No. 2017-34).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the website: https://data.kihasa.re.kr/kihasa/kor/contents/ContentsList.html on request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Korean Institute for Health and Social Affairs.