The Impact of Childhood Abuse on the Development of Early Maladaptive Schemas and the Expression of Violence in Adolescents
This study aims to analyze maladaptive schemas through the Young Schema Questionnaire—Short Form 3 among 895 high school students, with an average age of 18.15 years, in relation to the potentially traumatic experience of being the victim of violence inflicted by family members through hitting and b...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/7/854 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849246537008283648 |
|---|---|
| author | Cornelia Rada Alexandra-Elena Neagu Valentina Marinescu Anda-Anca Rodideal Robert-Andrei Lunga |
| author_facet | Cornelia Rada Alexandra-Elena Neagu Valentina Marinescu Anda-Anca Rodideal Robert-Andrei Lunga |
| author_sort | Cornelia Rada |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study aims to analyze maladaptive schemas through the Young Schema Questionnaire—Short Form 3 among 895 high school students, with an average age of 18.15 years, in relation to the potentially traumatic experience of being the victim of violence inflicted by family members through hitting and beating and in connection with violent behavior (in and outside school). Almost half of the students reported that, in their families, there were prolonged problems in the couple relationship of their parents/caregivers, and almost 40% of these students were involved from time to time in at least one form of violence in or outside school, with the highest share of this violence resulting from physical aggression by hitting and pushing and verbal or emotional abuse. A factor analysis was performed using a unifactorial model and a mediation model, and it indicated that the presence of trauma increases the total violence score. A higher violence score was recorded in students who were subjected to family violence (t(890) = −6.267, <i>p</i> < 0.001). The schemas that proved to be the most relevant for the violence factor were those of Punitiveness (PU: 0.89) and Mistrust/Abuse (MA: 0.77), followed by the schemas of Emotional Inhibition (EI: 0.68), Unrelenting Standards/Hypercriticalness (US: 0.63), and Entitlement/Grandiosity (ET: 0.58). The mediation that the Punitiveness schema achieves between victimization in the family and subsequent aggressive behavior is based on the internalization of the punitive parental figure and the victim’s development of the belief that violence is the only answer when others do not meet their expectations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1131313846464b2daa7043bdfa23d94b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-1131313846464b2daa7043bdfa23d94b2025-08-20T03:58:27ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-06-0115785410.3390/bs15070854The Impact of Childhood Abuse on the Development of Early Maladaptive Schemas and the Expression of Violence in AdolescentsCornelia Rada0Alexandra-Elena Neagu1Valentina Marinescu2Anda-Anca Rodideal3Robert-Andrei Lunga4Biomedical Department, “Francisc I. Rainer” Institute of Anthropology, Romanian Academy, Romanian Academy House, 13 September Avenue, No. 13, 5th District, 050711 Bucharest, RomaniaBiomedical Department, “Francisc I. Rainer” Institute of Anthropology, Romanian Academy, Romanian Academy House, 13 September Avenue, No. 13, 5th District, 050711 Bucharest, RomaniaFaculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest, Schitu Măgureanu Boulevard No. 9, 1st District, 010181 Bucharest, RomaniaMunicipal Centre of Resources and Educational Assistance Bucharest, Heliade Între Vii Street No. 36, 2nd District, 023384 Bucharest, RomaniaDepartment of Psychology, “Constantin Rădulescu-Motru” Institute of Philosophy and Psychology–Romanian Academy, School of Advanced Studies of the Romanian Academy, 5th District, 050711 Bucharest, RomaniaThis study aims to analyze maladaptive schemas through the Young Schema Questionnaire—Short Form 3 among 895 high school students, with an average age of 18.15 years, in relation to the potentially traumatic experience of being the victim of violence inflicted by family members through hitting and beating and in connection with violent behavior (in and outside school). Almost half of the students reported that, in their families, there were prolonged problems in the couple relationship of their parents/caregivers, and almost 40% of these students were involved from time to time in at least one form of violence in or outside school, with the highest share of this violence resulting from physical aggression by hitting and pushing and verbal or emotional abuse. A factor analysis was performed using a unifactorial model and a mediation model, and it indicated that the presence of trauma increases the total violence score. A higher violence score was recorded in students who were subjected to family violence (t(890) = −6.267, <i>p</i> < 0.001). The schemas that proved to be the most relevant for the violence factor were those of Punitiveness (PU: 0.89) and Mistrust/Abuse (MA: 0.77), followed by the schemas of Emotional Inhibition (EI: 0.68), Unrelenting Standards/Hypercriticalness (US: 0.63), and Entitlement/Grandiosity (ET: 0.58). The mediation that the Punitiveness schema achieves between victimization in the family and subsequent aggressive behavior is based on the internalization of the punitive parental figure and the victim’s development of the belief that violence is the only answer when others do not meet their expectations.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/7/854maladaptive schemasviolencePunitivenessMistrust/Abuseadolescents |
| spellingShingle | Cornelia Rada Alexandra-Elena Neagu Valentina Marinescu Anda-Anca Rodideal Robert-Andrei Lunga The Impact of Childhood Abuse on the Development of Early Maladaptive Schemas and the Expression of Violence in Adolescents Behavioral Sciences maladaptive schemas violence Punitiveness Mistrust/Abuse adolescents |
| title | The Impact of Childhood Abuse on the Development of Early Maladaptive Schemas and the Expression of Violence in Adolescents |
| title_full | The Impact of Childhood Abuse on the Development of Early Maladaptive Schemas and the Expression of Violence in Adolescents |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of Childhood Abuse on the Development of Early Maladaptive Schemas and the Expression of Violence in Adolescents |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of Childhood Abuse on the Development of Early Maladaptive Schemas and the Expression of Violence in Adolescents |
| title_short | The Impact of Childhood Abuse on the Development of Early Maladaptive Schemas and the Expression of Violence in Adolescents |
| title_sort | impact of childhood abuse on the development of early maladaptive schemas and the expression of violence in adolescents |
| topic | maladaptive schemas violence Punitiveness Mistrust/Abuse adolescents |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/7/854 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT corneliarada theimpactofchildhoodabuseonthedevelopmentofearlymaladaptiveschemasandtheexpressionofviolenceinadolescents AT alexandraelenaneagu theimpactofchildhoodabuseonthedevelopmentofearlymaladaptiveschemasandtheexpressionofviolenceinadolescents AT valentinamarinescu theimpactofchildhoodabuseonthedevelopmentofearlymaladaptiveschemasandtheexpressionofviolenceinadolescents AT andaancarodideal theimpactofchildhoodabuseonthedevelopmentofearlymaladaptiveschemasandtheexpressionofviolenceinadolescents AT robertandreilunga theimpactofchildhoodabuseonthedevelopmentofearlymaladaptiveschemasandtheexpressionofviolenceinadolescents AT corneliarada impactofchildhoodabuseonthedevelopmentofearlymaladaptiveschemasandtheexpressionofviolenceinadolescents AT alexandraelenaneagu impactofchildhoodabuseonthedevelopmentofearlymaladaptiveschemasandtheexpressionofviolenceinadolescents AT valentinamarinescu impactofchildhoodabuseonthedevelopmentofearlymaladaptiveschemasandtheexpressionofviolenceinadolescents AT andaancarodideal impactofchildhoodabuseonthedevelopmentofearlymaladaptiveschemasandtheexpressionofviolenceinadolescents AT robertandreilunga impactofchildhoodabuseonthedevelopmentofearlymaladaptiveschemasandtheexpressionofviolenceinadolescents |