Date of Award

9-6-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Grayson Holmbeck

Abstract

Previous studies propose that interpersonal violence and loss, parenting, and attachment each individually contribute to child and family distress. The following studies aimed to further explore these effects across and within various generational groupings. The first study explored exposure to community violence at the parent level and at the child level in an attempt to understand how such stress impacts parents’ perceptions of family functioning in African-American and Latine families. Findings suggested that family functioning is weakened the most when both a parent and adolescent are exposed and when just a parent was exposed. The second study examined differences in the effects of community violence exposure on posttraumatic stress in African-American boys and girls, and their parents’ attachment as a moderator. Findings suggested that community violence exposure, when paired with both caregiver alienation behaviors and mother-only alienation behaviors, negatively influence posttraumatic stress for girls. Findings were not significant for boys. The third study examined the effects of traumatic childhood adversities on one’s parenting abilities and one’s children’s psychosocial outcomes in African-American and Latine families. Findings suggested that parent’s trauma in childhood predicted less exposure to community violence, more posttraumatic stress, and inappropriate empathy attitudes. Altogether, these studies findings continue to exemplify the influence of stress across generations, encourage researchers’ consideration of context when conceptualizing participants’, and emphasize the utility of clinicians’ skills’ to support important, and sometimes life-changing, healing, and growth in clients’ and their families.

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