NCJ Number
228781
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 33 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2009 Pages: 666-678
Date Published
October 2009
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined the long-term socioeconomic effects of child maltreatment.
Abstract
The results of the study provide strong evidence that victims of child abuse and neglect are at significant risk for problems across several socioeconomic domains, with increased rates of unemployment, poverty, and Medicaid usage indicating the long-term personal impact of early victimization. The results also suggest substantial costs to society through lost productivity and tax revenue and increased social spending. With an increased interest in understanding how early experiences of abuse and neglect affect victims' long-term developmental well-being, and research finding early victimization to be associated with later deficits in mental health, few have examined the long-term socioeconomic effects of child maltreatment. This study utilized a large, nationally representative sample to examine the relationship between maltreatment and later socioeconomic well-being, namely income, employment status, and health insurance coverage. It was hypothesized that maltreatment would be negatively related to each of the three domains of adult socioeconomic well-being examined. Tables and references