Reflections of childhood traumas on communication, conflict and stress management skills

This study examines the impact of childhood trauma on communication, conflict, and stress management skills (CCCSM) in organizational settings. A descriptive, correlational, and causal-comparative model was used within the quantitative paradigm and data from 231 participants were analyzed. The Childhood Trauma Scale and the CCCSM Scale were used. The participants had traumas mostly in the dimensions of emotional neglect and least in the dimensions of sexual abuse. Women were more exposed to emotional and sexual abuse and emotional neglect than men. Men's CCCSM scores were higher than women's. Higher levels of childhood trauma were observed with decreasing educational attainment, low personal and family income, low parental and maternal education, divorce of self or parents, increasing number of siblings, and increasing age. The mean CCCSM was higher in those with no trauma compared to those with low, medium, and high trauma. Trauma was positively associated with stress management and negatively associated with conflict and communication management. In regression analyses, childhood emotional neglect explained 14.3% of the variance in communication management and 7.9% of the variance in conflict management, and emotional abuse explained 3.8% of the variance in stress management. These findings suggest that childhood trauma not only affects an individual's personal life, but also their professional life. The results and implications of the study are discussed. Keywords: Childhood trauma, stress management, communication management, conflict management, organizational psychology.