Citation

Bêty C, Lavoie F, Nadeau D. Can. J. Commun. Ment. Health 2013; 32(2): 67-88.

Vernacular Title

Les mauvais traitements psychologiques subis par les adolescents et adolescentes ... des mots qui frappent!

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Wifrid Laurier University Press)

DOI

10.7870/cjcmh-2013-020

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This qualitative study investigated perceptions of Psychological Maltreatment (PM) with 19 adolescent victims referred to a child welfare agency. The research objectives were: (a) to explore youths' causal attributions of PM, their perceived control of the PM situation, and their perceptions of the abuser; and (b) to document whether these perceptions differ as a function of the nature of the relationship between the youth and his or her abuser. Thirty-six critical incidents were investigated through semi-structured interviews with 19 participants. Interview transcripts were subjected to content analysis. Results highlight the subjective suffering of PM victims in this population and the difference in perceptions of this kind of violence according to whether intrafamilial or extrafamilial PM is involved.

KEYWORDS: Psychological Maltreatment, perceptions, adolescents, child welfare agency