Maladaptive Childrearing

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that generations of parents continue to perpetuate negative child rearing techniques because it is what they themselves know. The author presents the work of Alice Miller who feels that children who survive an abusive childhood have a natural 'gift' to adapt even to unspeakable cruelty by becoming numb. Presenting the author's own situation, the paper concludes that that when someone was not a happy, healthy child herself, it requires a concerted effort on the part of the adult to become healthy and happy and to make amends with that childhood in order to go on to raise happy, healthy children.

From the Paper:

"I accept that I, nor anyone, can or should expect our parents to change. The burden of change lies within my generation because we have the faculties and resources to overcome the past, in the form of our own intelligence and self-awareness, literature, both instructional and auto-biographical (self-realization aided by the realizations of others), and good therapists. I believe that acknowledging and working to understand the cycle you have been victim of (and may in fact have been perpetuating) is an important start to breaking it."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Soens, Bart & Elliot, Andrew. (2005.) The Integenerational Transmission of Perfectionism: Parents' Psychological Control as an Intervening Variable. Journal of Family Psychology, 19, 358-366.
• Lisak, David & Bestzterczey, Sara. (2007.) The Cycle of Violence: The Life Histories of 43 Death Row Inmates. Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 8, 118-128.
• Miller, Alice. (1997) The Drama of the Gifted Child. (3rd revised edition.) New York: Basic Books.
• Miller, Alice & Hannum, Hildegarde & Hannum, Hunter. (1990) For Your Own Good: Hidden Cruelty in Child Rearing and the Roots of Violence. (3rd edition.) U.S.A.: Noonday Press.
• Clarkson, Kelly. Because of You. Lyrics retrieved on November 22, 2007 from http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/k/kelly_clarkson/because_of_you.html

More papers on Maladaptive Childrearing:

• Research Paper # 106846 : "Behavioral Management for Early Childhood - Pre-K"
• Essay # 33487 : "Working Women, Inside and Outside the Home"
• Analytical Essay # 150367 : "Psychosocial Rehabilitation of Children"

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