Alan Craddock’s recent study of a sample of Australian couples taking PREPARE (Origins: Family Experience of Premarital Couples, Hillfort Resources, 2004) found that women’s experience of parental abuse in the family of origin is often associated with subsequent premarital relationship difficulties in adulthood. 

Further statistical exploration of the data suggested the possibility that this effect is mediated in part by low self-confidence. Analyses indicated that, independent of idealistic distortion, female experience of parental abuse was associated with couple dissatisfaction, and that low self-confidence was a mediator of this effect. This effect was not evident in the male data, perhaps largely due to very strong influence of idealistic distortion in the male data. 

This overall outcome suggests that there might be a chain reaction occurring: Experience of parental abuse impacts upon the growth of personal self-confidence, which then impairs future relationship satisfaction. 

This finding has important implications for premarital counselling and premarital education. Couples experiencing relationship difficulties may have experienced parental abuse, particularly the female partner. This experience is worth identifying and exploring through PREPARE, particularly through discussion of the partners’ perceptions of family of origin and its likely effect upon their own relationship. 

Since, for some individuals, self-confidence may be mediating the effect of parental abuse, it is clear that any relationship enhancement and communication skills training would benefit from complementary individual work that aims to improve levels of personal self-confidence for partners that have been victims of abuse and hence are inhibited and uncertain in their communication with their partner. 

Past Hints  Last Month :  Some Challenges for Administrators 

News Update:  

The December 2004 issue of the Newsletter, the Prepare Diary, is available on this web site: To read, click on:  December 2004 Diary 

Skills development training seminars are listed at: Skills Development Opportunities 

The cost of processing has not been increased and remains at $38.50 (including GST).