Hannah Doctor

Date of Award

January 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Alan King

Abstract

Childhood abuse is a widely studied construct that has been shown to be related to higher levels of maladjustment and physical discipline and abuse perpetration in adulthood. Religion has been studied in relation to traumatic experiences and shown to be a factor that may help mitigate subsequent maladjustment. The idea religion may have been used to justify abusive acts has not been as widely studied but may complicate the picture of religion being a protective or resiliency factor. The present study sought to explore the relationships between religion, childhood abuse, maladjustment, and parenting behaviors. It was hypothesized that religion being used to justify abuse would further amplify the negative effects abuse causes as religiosity may become another hurtle for victims to overcome. It was also hypothesized that individuals who identified their experiences as abuse would be less likely to perpetrate those same acts. Evidence was found to support the hypothesis that religion amplified maladjustment and physical discipline practices. Individuals who identified as abused were less likely to use physical discipline and were less stressed and anxious. The recognition of abuse did not lead to a change in aggression or depression. Findings from this study provide further support for the theory that religious justifications for abuse impact the relationships between abuse and maladjustment. This study shows the importance of religion justified abuse as a construct and the need for further research into the topic to understand how to treat individuals who have had these experiences.

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