Doctoral Dissertation Research: Predictors of Children's Lying to Conceal Parental Transgression

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It is vital for society to protect children from abuse. However, child abuse victims are emotionally attached to their parents, and thus these young victims will sometimes lie to conceal parental transgressions, even serious transgressions such as child abuse. Abused children may be afraid of losing their parent and entering foster care, and therefore lie to protect their parents, despite the falsehood increasing the chance of the children staying in an abusive home. It is important, therefore, to identify parenting variables and parent-child relationship factors that predict whether or not children will lie to conceal a parental transgression. This study will help guide theory regarding social predictors of children's lying behavior. T his new knowledge will be of use forensically given the likelihood that child victims who create this type of falsehood would remain in detrimental environments and not receive necessary protection. This research examines whether parenting style, child attachment, and parental attachment relate to children's lying to project their parents. A second goal of the research is to determine whether children's willingness to lie changes when the cost for lying varies. Parent-child dyads, with children ranging from 8- to 12- years of age, will be given well-validated measures of parenting and attachment to complete, and then take part in a semi-scripted transgression scenario. The children will be questioned regarding the transgressions, either with an implied high cost or an implied low cost, and responses will be coded for lying behavior. Regression models will determine whether the social variables and the cost manipulation predict children?s lying.