The effect of the childhood psychological trauma of parents on their adjustment, family life, and child-rearing attitudes

This research was conducted between the months of January and February in 2022 as a descriptive correlational and cross-sectional study in order to determine the childhood psychological traumas of parents on their adjustment, communication skills, family life, and child-rearing attitudes. The research area consisted of married parents with children who met the criteria of the study living in the Cevizli neighborhood of Maltepe district of Istanbul. The sample was determined as 384 (384,16) parents, whose number of members in the population was unknown, obtained with the sample calculation formula. The research was completed with a total of 407 parents, 211 of whom are female and 196 of whom are male. Data were collected with the Personal Information Form, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Communication Skills Scale, Revised Couple Adjustment Scale, Family Life, and Child-rearing Attitudes Scale. The collected data were evaluated using the SPSS 22.0 statistical program. In the data analysis, descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, minimum-maximum) and comparative statistical methods (t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA)), as well as correlation and regression, analyses, were used. The relationships between the dimensions determining the scale levels of the parents were examined through correlation and regression analyses. Kurtosis and Skewness values were examined to determine whether the research variables showed a normal distribution. Parametric methods were used in the analysis of the data. Cohen (d) and Eta squared (η2) coefficients were used to calculate the effect size. According to the findings, it was found that childhood traumas affect communication skills, marital adjustment, family life, and child-rearing attitudes, as well as the communication skills affected marital adjustment, family life, and child-rearing attitudes. Moreover, it was found that marital adjustment affected family life and the rearing child. It was seen that there was a significant relationship between the scales and that it created a significant difference according to demographic characteristics (p<0,05). In conclusion, the childhood traumas of parents affect communication skills, marital adjustment, family life, and child-rearing attitudes. Keywords: Childhood Traumas, Communication Skills, Marital Adjustment, Parental Attitudes, Child Rearing License