Psychological correlates of physical abuse in Hong Kong Chinese adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To understand the associations between adolescent family physical maltreatment and psychiatric morbidity or psychological problems.


METHODS
questionnaire survey on 489 secondary school students in Form 2 from 10 schools in Hong Kong. Questions regarding three forms of family physical maltreatment were measured: corporal punishment within the past 6 months, beaten without any reason within the past 6 months, or ever been beaten to injury.


RESULTS
Corporal punishment was not associated with the psychological variables after Bonferroni adjustment was made. Those who experienced the two other forms of physical maltreatment had significant and strong associations with positive Achenbach CBCL outcome (OR from 3.26 to 3.27), drug abuse problems (OR from 2.60 to 20.38), self-injurious behaviors (OR from 3.34 to 8.47) and poor perceived parental support. In addition, those who had ever been beaten to injury scored significantly lower in the "physical appearance" and "behavioral conduct" subscales of the Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents.


CONCLUSIONS
In Hong Kong, some forms of family physical maltreatment (beaten for no reason and beaten to injury) were associated with a number of psychiatric/psychological problems. Further studies should be carried out to clarify whether the relationships are causal in nature.
Lau
Joseph T F
JT
Center for Clinical Trials and Epidemiological Research, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong.
Chan
Kam Kuen
KK
Lam
Peggo K W
PK
Choi
Philemon Y W
PY
Lai
Kelly Y C
KY
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D011678:Punishment / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders; D014947:Wounds and Injuries