Traumatic Victimization in Childhood and Persistent Problems with Oppositional-Defiance

Abstract

A number of studies suggest similarities between the psychosocial impairment caused by traumatic victimization and the “cascade” (Patterson, 1993) of problems experienced by youths with severe and persistent problems with oppositional-defiance. Evidence indicating that traumatic victimization may be a factor in disruptive behavior disorders is reviewed. A preliminary conceptual model is proposed as a basis for clinical and research hypothesis testing concerning the potential relationship between traumatic victimization and problematic oppositional-defiance. The model postulates a chronological sequence from (a) victimization in childhood, to (b) escalating dysregulation of emotion and social information processing (“survival coping”), to (c) severe and persistent problems with oppositional-defiance and overt or covert aggression which are compounded by post-traumatic symptoms (“victim coping”). Implications for diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and research are discussed.