The impact of multiple types of child maltreatment on subsequent risk behaviors among women during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood.
The purpose of this study was to investigate how different types of child maltreatment, independently and collectively, impact a wide range of risk behaviors that fall into three domains: sexual risk behaviors, delinquency, and suicidality. Cumulative classification and Expanded Hierarchical Type (EHT) classification approaches were used to categorize various types of maltreatment. Data were derived from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Our sample consisted of White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian females ages 18 to 27 (n = 7,576). Experiencing different kinds of maltreatment during childhood led to an extensive range of risk behaviors within the three identified domains. Women experiencing sexual abuse plus other maltreatment types had the poorest outcomes in all three domains. These findings illustrate that it may no longer be appropriate to assume that all types of maltreatment are equivalent in their potential contribution to negative developmental sequelae.
Hahm
Hyeouk Chris
HC
School of Social Work, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA. hahm@bu.edu
Lee
Yoona
Y
Ozonoff
Al
A
Van Wert
Michael J
MJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000145:classification; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult