Genetic Vulnerability to Experiencing Child Maltreatment

Abstract

Although biological factors may influence the risk of experiencing negative life events, the role of genes in the vulnerability to child victimization remains poorly understood. In a large population-based Finnish sample (N = 13,024), we retrospectively measured multiple experiences of child victimization and, in a subsample of twins (n = 9,562), we estimated the extent to which genetic and environmental factors influenced these experiences. In particular, we investigated whether genetic and environmental influences varied depending on the type of child victimization, the genetic relatedness with the perpetrator, and the sex of the victim. Our quantitative genetic analyses supported the presence of both genetic and environmental influences on the occurrence and co-occurrence of child abuse and neglect. We also identified one common etiological pathway underlying multiple child victimizations, and after accounting for this common etiology, we singled out risk factors specific to sexual abuse. Environmental factors shared and nonshared between twins raised together influenced the risk of victimization by genetically related and unrelated perpetrators, respectively. Furthermore, we estimated sex differences in the etiology of emotional and sexual victimization, including larger unshared environmental influences for men and sex-limited genetic effects for women. These findings can inform child protection as they contribute to explaining why certain individuals are at increased risk of experiencing one or more types of child maltreatment.

Further Evaluating the Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Antisocial Behavior, and Violent Victimization: A Sibling-Comparison Analysis

“…The familial model suggests that ACEs do not exert a direct environmentally mediated effect on antisocial behavior and victimization, but rather are explained by unmeasured familial factors that correlate with both ACEs and adverse behavioral outcomes. This model is largely based on an extensive line of quantitative behavioral genetic research showing that differential exposure to early-life events, such as ACEs, are partly heritable (Pezzoli, Antfolk, Hatoum, & Santtila, 2018) and that a substantial amount of the covariance between parenting, household conditions, and child behavior are accounted by common genetic influences (Cleveland, Wiebe, Van Den Oord, & Rowe, 2000; Jaffee & Price, 2007; Neiderhiser, Reiss, Hetherington, & Plomin, 1999), creating a phenomenon known as gene–environment correlation (Scarr & McCartney, 1983). This may not come as much of a surprise given that parents create household environments and relationships with their children based on their emotional and behavioral propensities, which they also pass down to their children via biological/genetic transmission and reinforce through socialization.…”

The Cycle of Violence: Abused and Neglected Girls to Adult Female Offenders

“…Second, it is important to recognize that potential differences in outcomes may occur as a result of different types of maltreatment (Pezzoli et al, 2019;Widom et al, 2012). Relatedly, a common criticism raised by maltreatment scholars is the "neglect of neglect," despite being the most prevalent type of child maltreatment (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2019).…”

Child Maltreatment and Substance Use: A Behavior Genetic Analysis

“…Depending on the expression of these genes, children will not only be at risk of experiencing maltreatment, but also at risk of developing substance use behaviors (Jami et al, 2021). The evidence indeed shows that child maltreatment and substance use are both partly heritable (Jaffee et al, 2004;Jami et al, 2021;Pezzoli et al, 2019;Pittner et al, 2019). Additive genetic factors are shown to influence emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect (Pezzoli et al, 2019;Pittner et al, 2019).…”

“…The evidence indeed shows that child maltreatment and substance use are both partly heritable (Jaffee et al, 2004;Jami et al, 2021;Pezzoli et al, 2019;Pittner et al, 2019). Additive genetic factors are shown to influence emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect (Pezzoli et al, 2019;Pittner et al, 2019). Moreover, children that experience one type of victimization are at a heightened risk for experiencing another form due to common genetic mechanisms (Pezzoli et al, 2019).…”