Infidelity in a couple relationship regarding traumatic experiences in the family of origin

Abstract

Experiences of trauma in early childhood have short-term and long-term effects on the child’s development and also substantially affect the capacity for maintaining interpersonal relationships. The purpose of this research was to explore the connection between childhood trauma and infidelity in relationships among adults. In the survey there participated 270 adults, who were or are in couple relationship. We found a stati­stically significant correlation between the experience of trauma i.e. abuse in the family of origin and infidelity in couple relationship. The experience of physical and psycho­logical neglect in the family of origin was more common among unfaithful participants than among those participants, who were not unfaithful. The participants, whose par­tners were unfaithful, were more likely to have experienced physical neglect in their im­mediate families, than the participants, who did not have any experience with infidelity.