Date Approved

7-3-2024

Embargo Period

7-3-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Department

Clinical Psychology

College

College of Science & Mathematics

Advisor

Meredith Jones, Ph.D.

Committee Member 1

DJ Angelone, Ph.D.

Committee Member 2

Rebecca Babcock Fenerci, Ph.D.

Committee Member 3

Michael DeAngelo, Psy.D.

Committee Member 4

Dustin Fife, Ph.D.

Committee Member 5

Kelly Gilrain, Ph.D.

Keywords

betrayal blindness; betrayal trauma; dating violence; young mothers

Subject(s)

Family violence

Disciplines

Clinical Psychology | Psychology | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

Young mothers experience greater rates of dating violence (DV) victimization and perpetration compared to their non-parenting, female peers as well as older mothers (Joly & Connolly, 2016). Child maltreatment is a salient predictor of DV victimization and perpetration (Li et al., 2019; Murphy et al., 2020). According to Betrayal Trauma Theory (BTT), child maltreatment perpetrated by a close loved one, such as a parent or primary caregiver, is defined as a high betrayal trauma (Freyd, 1996). Young mothers who experienced a high betrayal trauma may endorse betrayal blindness as a way to cope with abuse from their caregiver (Freyd & Birrell, 2013), however, may not detect betrayals later on in their romantic relationships. We hypothesized betrayal blindness would mediate the relationship between high betrayal trauma and DV victimization and perpetration among a sample of young mothers (N = 67). Contrary to study hypotheses, betrayal blindness was not observed; instead, evidence revealed young mothers were aware of the betrayal they experienced during their childhood. A direct effect was present between high betrayal trauma and DV perpetration, but not victimization. There was evidence for an indirect effect of betrayal awareness on the relationship between high betrayal trauma and DV perpetration and victimization. Taken together, these data may inform evidence-based, trauma treatment for young mothers who experience violence in their romantic relationships.

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