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Research evidence indicates that a childhood
history of maltreatment affects parental behaviors in adult-
hood. The aim of the study was to investigate the predictors
for parental behaviors among individuals who reported a
history of maltreatment. The current study investigated
whether attachment styles, emotional regulation and cog-
nitive appraisals of parenting predicted parental behaviors
(positive vs. negative). The study also investigated the
differential effects of abuse experiences in childhood
(physical, sexual, emotional, and neglect) on parental
behaviors. The participants were 213 high-risk Jewish and
Arab parents of children aged six and under. Participants
completed five self-report questionnaires assessing parental
behaviors, childhood experiences of abuse and neglect,
attachment styles, emotional regulation, and cognitive
appraisal of parenthood. The regression analyses revealed
that personal attributes such as ethnicity, childhood
experience of emotional abuse/neglect, emotional regula-
tion, and appraisal of parenting, predict negative parental
behavior. Anxious attachment and childhood emotional
abuse and neglect moderated the impact of parenthood
appraisal on parenting behaviors. Although physical and
sexual abuse had the highest impact on insecure attachment,
emotional abuse/neglect had higher predictive power for