Zarling, A., Berta, M., & Van, B. (2023). The role of psychological flexibility in the relationship between ACEs and coercive family processes for Justice-Involved individuals. Journal of Family Trauma, Child Custody & Child Development, 20(4), 545-567.
High rates of adversity in the lives of justice-involved individuals
often co-occur with social and family dysfunction.
Psychological flexibility is a construct that describes an individual’s
ability to respond adaptively to emotions, thoughts, and
environmental demands. This study aimed to explore the role
of psychological flexibility in the relationship between adverse
childhood experiences and coercive family processes in a sample
of justice-involved individuals. The sample comprised 715
men and women who are currently on probation or parole.
Participants completed questionnaires assessing adverse childhood
experiences, psychological flexibility, coercive couple
interactions, and coercive parent-child interactions. Direct and
indirect effects were found, with ACEs affecting couple coercive
processes directly, and indirectly, through psychological flexibility.
In the subset of participants with children, lower levels of
psychological flexibility were also related to more coercive parent-
child interactions. The results provide further support for
correctional programs that target psychological flexibility
among justice-involved individuals.