Maternal Aggression in Defense of Children with Disabilities

Event Center A & B

Having a child with a disability requires a high level of investment. For this reason, mothers tend to be overprotective and perceive them as being vulnerable. The present study investigated defensive aggression in mothers on behalf of their children with disabilities. It was hypothesized that mothers would engage in more defensive verbal aggression on behalf of children with disabilities compared to mothers of children who do not have a disability. Participants consisted of 100 adult mothers who answered questions about their child’s disability diagnoses, health, and vulnerability. Participants read scenarios that involved their child being threatened in some way and answered questions about how likely they would be to respond aggressively. We conducted statistical analyses to determine if disability diagnosis, health, or perceived vulnerability predicted level of defensive aggression in mothers. Results of this study provide us with a better understanding of maternal aggression in specific contexts.