1 Induced Abortion and Child-Directed Aggression Among Mothers of Maltreated Children Priscilla K. Coleman Ph.D. Human Development and Family Studies, Bowling Green State University Vincent M. Rue Ph.D. Institute for Pregnancy Loss Catherine T. Coyle Ph.D. Edgewood College Charles D. Maxey B.S. Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University Citation: P.K. Coleman, V.M. Rue, C.T. Coyle & C.D. Maxey: Induced Abortion and Child- Directed Aggression Among Mothers of Maltreated Children. The Internet Journal of Pediatrics and Neonatology. 2007 Volume 6 Number 2 Abstract Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between maternal history of induced abortion and subsequent frequency of child-directed aggressive behavior in a sample of mothers of children who have been abused or neglected. The mothers were either the perpetrators of the maltreatment or they allowed someone else to mistreat their children. Methods: The participants were 237 mothers who were residents of Baltimore and were receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) at the time interviews were conducted in the 1980s. Women with and without a history of abortion were compared relative to child-directed physical aggression after controlling for the experience of a non- voluntary perinatal loss as well as socio-demographic, family of origin, and partner aggression variables associated with the choice to abort. Results: Abortion history was associated with more frequently maternal slapping, hitting, kicking or biting, beating, and use of physical punishment in general. Conclusion: In addition to contributing to the literature on factors related to the frequency of engaging in physically aggressive behaviors, this study adds to our knowledge of variables associated with the choice to abort. Background Child maltreatment is one of the most troubling social problems of contemporary times, with an estimated 896,000 substantiated cases of abuse and/or neglect in the United States in 2002 [1]. In the same year, 1,400 children died as a direct result of abuse or neglect [1]. A great deal of research attention has focused on the etiology of child maltreatment in an effort to understand causal mechanisms and to improve intervention and prevention efforts. After decades of intense study, the consensus among scholars of child maltreatment is that the causes are multifaceted, with risk factors interacting in complex and frequently distinct ways from case to case [2]. As complex as this area of investigation is and as difficult as it may be to predict child maltreatment in the individual situation, the available literature has provided strong support for several risk factors. The more robust predictors of child abuse and neglect include poverty, parental childhood history of maltreatment, social isolation, poor parenting