Wednesday's Child: Research into Women's Experience of Neglect and Abuse in Childhood and Adult Depression

by Bifulco; Antonia

• ISBN13: 9780415165273
• ISBN10: 041516527X
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 1998-03-10
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The extent of severe childhood abuse is little known. Drawing on twenty years of systematic research and interviews,Wednesday's Childexamines the reasons why as much as 25% of women have been victims of child abuse, and how this abuse reverberates into their adult lives, doubling their chances of clinical depression. The words of many ordinary women are documented here, vividly demonstrating how as survivors of child abuse, their adult relationships and self-esteem have suffered. The authors, who discuss abuse in terms of marital breakdown, poverty and parental psychiatric disorder also show us what we can learn from the experiences of these survivors, assessing factors which will reduce the later impact of childhood abuse on both the children of today and the parents of tomorrow.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Acknowledgements	xiii
Introduction: history-taking	1	(16)
Part I Neglect	17	(48)
Neglect: never truly available	19	(15)
Role-reversal: the meanest work of the house	34	(15)
Antipathy: ceaseless reprimand	49	(16)
Part II Abuse	65	(54)
Physical abuse: beyond reasonable chastisement	67	(17)
Sexual abuse: shared secrecy and guilt	84	(18)
Psychological abuse: hostage to fortune	102	(17)
Part III Contexts and outcomes	119	(71)
Multiple adversities: stressful family contexts	121	(16)
Adult vulnerability: legacy of childhood	137	(16)
Resilience: escape from risk	153	(21)
Conclusion: the century of the child	174	(16)
Appendix I Description of samples	190	(8)
Appendix II Instruments used	198	(5)
Index	203