EXPERIENCING THE DEATH OF A FORMERLY ABUSIVE PARENT A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Antioch University Seattle Seattle, WA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree Doctor of Psychology By Heather Spence May 2016 EXPERIENCING THE DEATH OF A FORMERLY ABUSIVE PARENT This dissertation, by Heather Spence, has been approved by the Committee Members signed below who recommend that it be accepted by the faculty of the Antioch University Seattle at Seattle, WA in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY Dissertation Committee: ________________________ William Heusler, Psy.D. Chairperson ________________________ Mary Wieneke, Ph.D. ________________________ Laura S. Brown, Ph.D. ________________________ Date ii © Copyright by Heather Spence, 2016 All Rights Reserve iii 1 ABSTRACT EXPERIENCING THE DEATH OF A FORMERLY ABUSIVE PARENT HEATHER SPENCE Antioch University Seattle Seattle, WA It is well documented that approximately 25–33% of children experience abuse, many of those at the hands of a primary caretaker. Within the literature on child maltreatment, there exists a paucity of research about the long-term effects of early maltreatment on adult attachments with the previous abuser, including the experiences of adults who experience the death of their previous caretakers. Additionally, most of the research on grief and bereavement assumes positive affect for the deceased by survivors. This dissertation is an in-depth examination of five adults, aged 50–70 years old, who experienced the recent death of a parent or stepparent who had sexually or physically abused them during their childhood. Individual interviews were conducted and analyzed, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Six primary themes were identified, and include: Effects of Abuse, Survival, Healing Process, Adult Relationship with Abuser, Responses to Death, and Next Steps. Each participant described their story through a developmental perspective, sharing how they had changed from the abuse as well as their coping and healing processes. Responses to death included differences from the existing grief and bereavement literature, including emotional reactions, changes in attachment styles, as well as further healing from the abuse. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA, http://aura.antioch.edu/ and Ohio Link ETD Center, https://etd.ohiolink.edu/etd Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my participants, who bravely shared their stories with me so that their experiences could serve to increase understanding and support for others. I found your narratives to be powerful and touching, and I will be forever changed by your presence in my life. iv Acknowledgements It is with sincere gratitude that I would like to thank my committee: Drs. Heusler, Wieneke, and Brown. Dr. Brown: without finding your book, Your Turn for Care, with the serendipitous encouragement for an interested person to pursue this topic further, this dissertation would not exist. Dr. Wieneke: thank you for your warm support and structure for helping me to make progress forward, especially when it became most difficult. Dr. Heusler: special thanks to you for your encouragement to challenge myself, and to do so with a sense of humor and self-compassion. Thank you to the psychologists at the Cleveland State Counseling Center for listening to me bounce my ideas around and for your continued support to keep going. Thank you also to the many friends, colleagues, and family members who offered words of encouragement, discussed ideas, and helped me to celebrate the milestones along the way—you know who you are. My deepest gratitude, however, is reserved for my participants, who shared their stories so that others might benefit. It is my hope that I honored them by listening well and by giving those stories voice within these pages. v Table of Contents Page Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................................v List of Tables ................................................................................................................... viii I. Introduction .................................................................................................................1 II. Literature Review ........................................................................................................3 Ecological Theory of Child Maltreatment ...........................................................................5 Attachment Theory ............................................................................................................12 Memory Functioning and Abuse .......................................................................................17 Outcomes of Child Maltreatment .......................................................................................26 Resiliency After Child Maltreatment .................................................................................39 Bereavement and Grief ......................................................................................................45 Study Significance .............................................................................................................50 Research Questions ............................................................................................................51 III. Methods ......................................................................................................................53 Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ........................................................................53 Theoretical Foundations of IPA .........................................................................................54 IPA Methods Overview .....................................................................................................56 Participant Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria .....................................................................57 Participant Recruitment and Selection ...............................................................................60 Ethical Considerations .......................................................................................................62 Interviews ...........................................................................................................................64 Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................67 vi IV. Results ........................................................................................................................74 Participant Descriptions .....................................................................................................74 Primary Findings ................................................................................................................77 V. Discussion ..................................................................................................................84 Effects of Abuse .................................................................................................................89 Survival ............................................................................................................................110 Healing Process ................................................................................................................119 Adult Relationship With Abuser ......................................................................................135 Responses to Death ..........................................................................................................148 Next Steps ........................................................................................................................164 VI. Conclusions ..............................................................................................................182 Limitations .......................................................................................................................185 Validity and Reliability ....................................................................................................188 Suggestions for Future Research .....................................................................................192 References ........................................................................................................................194 Appendix A: Recruitment Flyer .......................................................................................203 Appendix B: Online Prescreening Survey Content .........................................................205 Appendix C: Prescreening Phone Interview Schedule ....................................................209 Appendix D: Referral List for Participants ......................................................................212 Appendix E: Informed Consent Form ..............................................................................214 Appendix F: Interview Schedule .....................................................................................218 vii List of Tables 1. Example Data Analysis .................................................................................................70 2. Super-Ordinate and Subordinate Themes .....................................................................78