NCJ Number
216584
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal Volume: 30 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2006 Pages: 1093-1103
Date Published
October 2006
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether physical punishment in childhood alone was associated with adult psychopathology compared to no physical abuse and physical/sexual abuse.
Abstract
The findings show that the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in adulthood progressively increased as the severity of childhood physical punishment and/or abuse increased. Childhood physical punishment only compared to no physical punishment or abuse was found to increase the odds of having major depression, alcohol abuse/dependence, and externalizing problems in adulthood after adjusting for all variables in the model; however, the odds for such adult psychopathology were lower for those who had experienced only physical punishment compared to those who had experienced physical/sexual abuse. Consistent with past research, the findings indicated that individuals who were physically punished compared to those who were not physically punished or abused were more likely to have had low parental warmth. The study sample was selected from the National Comorbidity Survey (n=5,877), a landmark mental health study of the U.S. general population conducted in the early 1990s. This survey assessed individuals ages 15-54. The sample was divided into three childhood adversity groups: those who did not experience physical punishment or child abuse, those who only experienced physical punishment, and those who were physically and/or sexually abused in childhood with or without experiencing physical punishment. Physical punishment was measured by the minor physical assault or physical punishment item from the Conflict Tactic Scales. Other variables measured were parental bonding, psychiatric disorders, and sociodemographic variables. 3 tables and 40 references