This study examined associations between reported histories of childhood abuse and later reports of obligation towards their family of origin from a family life cycle perspective. Data from this study included a subsample of 725 single and married, English‐speaking adult participants (57.1% female, M age = 49.8 years) from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS II): Biomarker Project. Findings suggest that childhood abuse impacts later family obligation in many ways, and that different categories of abuse (e.g. emotional, neglect, physical and sexual) and severity levels (e.g. none, less severe, more severe) differ in their impacts on adults’ reports of obligation to their families. Implications for future research and clinical practice are suggested. Practitioner points Clinicians should be aware that different categories of childhood abuse may have unique effects on clients' feelings of obligation towards their families later in life The intersection between severity of childhood abuse and category of childhood abuse is important to explore in therapy due to nuanced effects on feelings of family obligation later in life 中年时期的童年虐待和家庭责任：MIDUS II全国调查的发现 该研究从家庭生活周期的理论角度, 考察了自我报告的童年虐待经历和之后对于原生家庭责任履行情况报告之间的联系。研究所使用的样本为“美国中年生活发展全国调查（MIDUS II）：生物学标志项目”的一个子样本, 包括725名单身或已婚的、以英语为主要语言的参与者（57.1%为女性, 平均年龄49.8岁）。研究结果表明, 童年受虐待的经历会在很多方面影响今后家庭责任的履行, 而且不同种类的虐待（如情感虐待、忽视、身体和性虐待）以及虐待的不同程度（如没有, 不太严重, 十分严重）对于成人家庭责任的报告都有不同影响。本文讨论了该研究结果对未来研究和临床实践的意义。 对实务工作者的启示 临床医师应该意识到不同类型的童年虐待对于来访者在中年之后的家庭责任感有着不同的影响。 童年虐待的严重程度和类型的交互影响是治疗中要探索的重要对象, 因为其对于中年以后家庭责任感的影响存在细微差别。 关键词：童年虐待；家庭生活周期；家庭责任；中年