Childhood Betrayal Trauma and Self-Blame Appraisals Among Survivors of Intimate Partner Abuse

Abstract

Child abuse perpetrated by a close other, such as a parent, is linked to a wide range of detrimental effects, including an increased risk of self-blame. The current study evaluated whether experiences of childhood betrayal trauma were linked to self-blame following victimization in adulthood. A diverse sample of women (n = 230) from an urban city were recruited based on having experienced an incident of intimate partner abuse (IPA) reported to the local police. Women reported on their trauma histories and levels of self-blame for the target IPA incident. Results showed that a history of childhood betrayal trauma exposure predicted the degree of self-blame for the IPA incident. Women who experienced severe IPA during the target incident also indicated higher levels of self-blame. Findings from this study suggest that it may be important to target self-blame appraisals in interventions with adults exposed to abuse in childhood.

Keywords:

• betrayal trauma theory
• self-blame
• intimate partner abuse

Acknowledgments

This project was funded by Award No. 2007-WG-BX-0002 awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this report are the authors' and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of Justice.

The authors thank their study partners, including Joanne Belknap, Susan Buckingham, Jennifer Labus, and Angela Gover; the Denver District Attorney's Office; the City Attorney's Office; the Denver Police Department Victim Assistance Unit; the Denver Domestic Violence Coordinating Council; SafeHouse Denver; Project Safeguard; AMEND; and the Triage Steering Committee. They also thank the Traumatic Stress Studies Group. Finally, they thank the women who participated in this study.