Impact of Multiple Types of Child Maltreatment on Subsequent Risk Behaviors Among Women During the Transition From Adolescence to Young Adulthood

• NCJ Number: 231034
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 39 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2010 Pages: 528-540
• Author(s): Hyeouk Chris Hahm; Yoona Lee; Al Ozonoff; Michael J. Van Wert
• Date Published: May 2010
• Length: 13 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1K01 MH086366-01A1; P01-HD31921
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health; National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Special Issue: The Place of Self-Harm in Adolescent Development, Part III, for related articles see NCJ-231027-33 and 231035-36.

Annotation

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.

Abstract

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. Tables, figure, and references (Published Abstract)