Childhood Maltreatment Experience Within a Patriarchal and Islamic Religious Context: Impacts on Dependent Self-Image of Salar Muslim Women.

This article examines the relationship between childhood maltreatment, patriarchal beliefs, religious motivations, and the development of a dependent self-image among Salar Muslim women, an ethnic minority group in China. Using a quantitative survey of 201 married Salar women, the study found that childhood maltreatment, intrinsic religious motivation, and patriarchal beliefs are each significantly associated with a dependent self-image, even when controlling for overlapping factors. The findings highlight how intersecting sociocultural and religious contexts, alongside early adverse experiences, contribute to women's diminished autonomy and reliance on others within this community. The study underscores the importance of culturally sensitive interventions that address both individual histories of maltreatment and broader structural influences on self-image development.