The Relationship between Childhood Maltreatment Histories and Close Friendship Conflict for Women in Prison

This study investigated the range and depth of childhood maltreatment experiences (maternal, paternal and sexual) among a group of incarcerated women, and the impact of these maltreatment experiences on women's close friendship conflict within the prison setting. Subjects included 121 female inmates at a maximum-security prison in Central Virginia who all screened positive for a Cluster B personality disorder. Participants for the present study were selected from a larger pool of women participating in a dual-stage, prison-wide investigation of the prevalence of personality disorders and emotional and behavioral adjustment to the prison environment. Measures used to assess childhood maltreatment history included: the Psychological Maltreatment Scale (Briere & Runtz, 1988a); the Physical Maltreatment Scale (Dass, 1995) and the Sexual Maltreatment Scale (Dass, 1995). Close friendship conflict was measured with four subscales of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-2) (Straus, Hamby, McCoy & Sugarman, 1996), including: Physical Assault, Psychological Aggression, Physical Injury, and Negotiation. Additional qualitative information about women's childhood maltreatment and close friendship was also gathered.
Descriptive results revealed that a majority of women in the sample had experienced frequent and severe maltreatment experiences (maternal, paternal and/or sexual) during childhood. Scores on all three maltreatment scales were significantly higher than has been found in community samples utilizing similar measures (Briere & Runtz, 1988a). Results also indicated high levels of close friendship conflict among women across the various subscales of the CTS-2 (Straus et al., 1996). Generally speaking, childhood maltreatment was not found to be associated with close friendship conflict, although regression analyses revealed that women with a history of maltreatment, particularly sexual maltreatment, reported higher levels of self-initiated conflict resolution in their closest friendship. Overall, this study has important clinical utility for mental health providers in the prison setting, as it provides much-needed empirical information about the nature of incarcerated women's childhood maltreatment histories and the ways in which aggression and conflict-resolution are expressed in their close friendships.

"Department of Clinical and School Psychology."