In their own words: the experience of mothering as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse

Development and Psychopathology
Margaret O'Dougherty WrightKatherine Oberle

Abstract

This article reviews past research on the parenting characteristics of childhood sexual abuse survivors and presents the results of a qualitative study exploring the women's perspectives on mothering as a survivor. Grounded theory was used in the collection and analysis of the data. Data sources included the narrative responses of 79 women (mean age = 38.2 years) and in-depth interviews of a purposive sample of 15 women (mean age = 39 years). They had an average of 2.2 children, ranging in age from 5 months to young adulthood. The theoretical model identified through analysis of data using the constant comparison method was entitled "The Hard Work of Mothering as a Survivor." Processes emerged that described the ways participants managed the work of mothering in light of memories of the abuse and attempts to heal from this earlier trauma. The conditions for committing to the work included becoming aware of and accepting the reality of the abuse and how it affected one's life, and taking on the hard work of developing a mothering self. This included expanding awareness, developing and evaluating a personal model of mothering, navigating typical and abuse salient parenting challenges, mothering through the pain of recovery, and b...Continue Reading

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Citations

Aug 25, 2015·Journal of Child Sexual Abuse·Courtenay E CavanaughDavid Spiegel
Sep 27, 2014·Journal of Child Sexual Abuse·Lucy Jane AllbaughLarissa Atkins Seltmann
Apr 4, 2017·Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing : JOGNN·Lauren M JanssonArlene M Butz
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Sep 5, 2017·Health & Social Care in the Community·Dominiek CoatesDeborah Howe
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Jul 11, 2021·Advances in Pediatrics·Rupal C GuptaM Denise Dowd

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