The intersection of intimate partner violence and childhood sexual abuse in mother-child dyads

Background: Child sexual abuse (CSA) and intimate partner violence (IPV) have been associated with negative consequences for adult victims and their children including a risk of revictimization and intergenerational continuity. Objectives: The aim of this study was to document correlates of intergenerational cumulative trauma profiles in mother-child dyads. Participants and setting: A sample of 997 sexually abused children (mean age = 7.61 years; 79.1% girls) and their mothers was recruited. Methods: Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to identify classes of cumulative trauma among dyads. Classes were compared on validated measures of psychological functioning for both members of the dyads. Results: Four distinct classes emerged: CSA Only (43.3%), Intergenerational CSA with Psychological IPV (14.2%), Physical and Psychological IPV with Low Child Exposure (24.0%) and Intergenerational Polyvictimization (18.5%). Comparisons generally revealed lower distress in CSA Only dyads, and higher levels of psychological difficulties in the two most victimized groups. However, the doseresponse pattern was not as clear as expected, as the two most victimized groups did not differ in terms of psychological functioning. Conclusions: This study shows that higher levels of intergenerational cumulative trauma are associated with increased psychological symptoms in mothers and more dissociation in their sexually abused children. Interventions should be adapted to the specific needs of families to prevent lasting intergenerational difficulties in trauma exposed individuals.