Understanding Feelings and Coping with Emotional Situations: A Comparison of Maltreated and Nonmaltreated Preschoolers

Abstract

The effects of maltreatment on childen’s emotion knowledge (e.g., recognition of facial cues for happy, sad, mad, scared, and surprised expressions), parent‐ and teacher‐rated social and expressive behavior (e.g., aspects of emotion regulation such as emotional intensity, regulation of emotionally‐driven behavior, and classroom social competence with peers such as conflict management), and hypothetical social problem‐solving skills were examined in a sample of 45 preschool‐aged, predominantly African‐American preschoolers. Comparisons between maltreated, high‐risk, and low‐risk groups revealed no reliable differences in emotion knowledge, but several significant differences in hypothetical social problem‐solving skills and in parent‐ and teacher‐rated social and expressive behavior. Specifically, maltreated children were rated high on negative emotionality and emotional support‐seeking at school, and they were rated low on support‐seeking at home, instrumental action at home, problem‐focused social problem‐solving strategies, and conflict management. In general, teachers rated maltreated children as the least competent, low‐risk children as intermediate, and high‐risk children as the most competent.