title: Parsing the effects violence exposure in early childhood: modeling developmental pathways.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively examine pathways from early childhood violence exposure and trauma-related symptoms to school-age emotional health.
  
  
  METHODS
  A longitudinal, birth cohort (N = 437) was assessed with parent reports of lifetime violence exposure and trauma-related symptoms at 3 years of age and later, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and social competence at school age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early family and neighborhood violence correlated significantly with early trauma-related symptoms and also significantly predicted school-age internalizing and externalizing symptoms and poorer competence, independent of sociodemographic risk and past-year violence exposure. Longitudinal pathways were significantly mediated by arousal and avoidance symptoms at 3 years of age, which increased risk for clinically significant emotional problems and lower competence at school age (adjusted odds ratios = 3.1-6.1, p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trauma-related symptoms may mediate developmental pathways from early violence exposure to later emotional health. Interventions that prevent or reduce early trauma-related symptoms may ameliorate the long-term deleterious impact of violence exposure.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030, USA. mbriggsgowan@uchc.edu
authors: Margaret J
authors: MJ
authors: Briggs-Gowan
authors: Alice S
authors: AS
authors: Carter
authors: Julian D
authors: JD
authors: Ford
mesh_terms: D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*