Adolescent risk factors for child maltreatment

Abstract

We investigate adolescent risk factors, measured at both early and late adolescence, for involvement in child maltreatment during adulthood. Comprehensive assessments of risk factors for maltreatment that use representative samples with longitudinal data are scarce and can inform multilevel prevention. We use data from the Rochester Youth Development Study, a longitudinal study begun in 1988 with a sample of 1,000 seventh and eighth graders. Participants have been interviewed 14 times and, at the last assessment (age 31), 80% were retained. Risk factors represent 10 developmental domains: area characteristics, family background/structure, parent stressors, exposure to family violence, parent-child relationships, education, peer relationships, adolescent stressors, antisocial behaviors, and precocious transitions to adulthood. Maltreatment is measured by substantiated reports from Child Protective Services records. Many individual risk factors (20 at early adolescence and 14 at later adolescence) are significantly, albeit moderately, predictive of maltreatment. Several developmental domains stand out, including family background/structure, education, antisocial behaviors, and precocious transitions. In addition, there is a pronounced impact of cumulative risk on the likelihood of maltreatment. For example, only 3% of the youth with no risk domains in their background at early adolescence were involved in later maltreatment, but for those with risk in 9 developmental domains the rate was 45%. Prevention programs targeting youth at high risk for engaging in maltreatment should begin during early adolescence when risk factors are already at play. These programs need to be comprehensive, capable of addressing the multiple and interwoven nature of risk that is associated with maltreatment.

Height deficit in early adulthood following substantiated childhood maltreatment: A birth cohort study

“…Additionally, the prospective evaluation of cannabis use disorders across late childhood period enables us to investigate the chronicdevelopmental impact of childhood maltreatment (Noll et al, 2003;Senn et al, 2008). This is important because the risk of childhood maltreatment in later stages of childhood development (Thornberry et al, 2014) and subsequent substance use is substantial (Thornberry et al, 2010). (Kim et al, 2016) including cigarette smoking (Smith et al, 2007) may also lead to childhood maltreatment (Smith et al, 2007), increase behavioral disorganization, disruption, instability (Widom and HillerSturmhofel, 2001), poor impulse control and less academic achievement (Huizink and Mulder, 2006).…”

“…For example, childhood maltreatment is commonly perpetrated by disadvantaged parents such as teenage mothers (Thornberry et al, 2014) who disproportionately experience prenatal and postnatal substance use disorders (Smith et al, 2007). In addition, gender (Baiden et al, 2014), poverty (Reinarman, 2011;Slack et al, 2004;Thornberry et al, 2014), poor educational achievement (Slack et al, 2004), and being single/never married (Degenhardt et al, 2008;Messman-Moore et al, 2000) may also be associated with exposure to childhood maltreatment (Baiden et al, 2014;Fluke et al, 2003;Slack et al, 2004;Smith et al, 2007;Thornberry et al, 2014) as well as cannabis use disorders (Choquet et al, 2008;Degenhardt et al, 2008;Horwood et al, 2010;Reinarman, 2011;Wallace et al, 2003). However, few studies have controlled for these potential confounding factors and/or covariates.…”

Two-Part Predictors in Regression Models

“…We illustrate our proposed approach in cross-sectional and longitudinal settings using a real dataset from companion longitudinal studies (Thornberry, 2009; Thornberry, Freeman-Gallant, et al, 2003; Thornberry, Krohn, et al 2003; Thornberry et al, 2014). The original study, the Rochester Youth Development Study (RYDS), began in 1988, and the intergenerational extension, the Rochester Intergenerational Study (RIGS), began in 1999.…”

Vulnérabilité des familles dirigées par une mère adolescente ou jeune adulte faisant l'objet d'une enquête menée par un service de protection de l'enfance au Canada

“…À l'aide des données tirées d'une étude longitudinale menée sur un échantillon de 1 000 adolescents américains suivis depuis 1988, Thornberry et collab. 19 ont constaté que les mauvais traitements (y compris le fait d'être témoin d'actes graves de violence familiale) infligés au cours de la croissance étaient un facteur de risque lié au signalement corroboré de mauvais traitements envers un enfant avant l'âge TABLEAU 3 Caractéristiques du pourvoyeur secondaire de soins de l'enfant dans les familles recensées a dans lesquelles le principal pourvoyeur de soins de l'enfant est la mère biologique Par conséquent, chez les jeunes mères et les pourvoyeurs secondaires de soins de l'enfant répertoriés dans cet échantillon, des anté-cédents personnels de mauvais traitements durant l'enfance pourraient être associés à la fois à la parentalité précoce et à l'implication des services de protection de l'enfance. Un programme d'intervention précoce auprès des jeunes mères du type de celles de cet échantillon pourrait être plus efficace, plus rentable et moins stigmatisant que les interventions des services de protection de l'enfance qui, par définition, ne surviennent que si une personne inquiète a signalé le cas aux services de protection de l'enfance.…”