The association between child maltreatment and adult poverty – A systematic review of longitudinal research

Abstract

Child maltreatment is a global problem affecting millions of children and is associated with an array of cumulative negative outcomes later in life, including unemployment and financial difficulties. Although establishing child maltreatment as a causal mechanism for adult economic outcomes is fraught with difficulty, understanding the relationship between the two is essential to reducing such inequality. This paper presents findings from a systematic review of longitudinal research examining experiences of child maltreatment and economic outcomes in adulthood. A systematic search of seven databases found twelve eligible retrospective and prospective cohort studies. From the available evidence, there was a relatively clear relationship between 'child maltreatment' and poorer economic outcomes such as reduced income, unemployment, lower level of job skill and fewer assets, over and above the influence of family of origin socio-economic status. Despite an extremely limited evidence base, neglect had a consistent relationship with a number of long-term economic outcomes, while physical abuse has a more consistent relationship with income and employment. Studies examining sexual abuse found less of an association with income and employment, although they did find a relationship other outcomes such as sickness absence, assets, welfare receipt and financial insecurity. Nonetheless, all twelve studies showed some association between at least one maltreatment type and at least one economic measure. The task for future research is to clarify the relationship between specific maltreatment types and specific economic outcomes, taking account of how this may be influenced by gender and life course stage.

Child maltreatment (neglect and abuse) in the 1958 birth cohort: an overview of associations with developmental trajectories and long-term outcomes

“…Childhood maltreatment types such as neglect and psychological, physical, or sexual abuse, are associated with many poor outcomes in adult life, as shown in an extensive literature including several reviews (Baumeister, Akhtar, Ciufolini, Pariante, & Mondelli, 2016;Bunting et al, 2018;Danese & Tan, 2014;Gilbert et al, 2009;Jakubowski, Cundiff, & Matthews, 2018;Norman et al, 2012;Su, D'Arcy, Yuan, & Meng, 2019). Typically these reviews focus on a single outcome, such as obesity (Danese & Tan, 2014) or a group of markers for a particular outcome, for example inflammation (Baumeister et al, 2016;Jakubowski et al, 2018) or cardiometabolic disease (Baumeister et al, 2016;Jakubowski et al, 2018).…”

“…However, cumulative scores assume that all types have comparable effects and common processes (and possible remedies) to outcome, rather than specific processes hypothesised as accompanying different types of child maltreatment, such as deprivation and trauma (Sheridan & McLaughlin, 2014). Given the scarcity of available evidence on the specificity of associations between different types of child maltreatment and long-term outcomes, further investigation is warranted (Baumeister et al, 2016;Bunting et al, 2018;Jakubowski et al, 2018).…”

Special Report: The Biology of Inequalities in Health: The Lifepath Consortium

“…There is now overwhelming evidence that exposures in childhood influence adult health outcomes (102,103) and the mechanisms and pathways through which this influence works are becoming established (104). A related literature has been accumulating on the specific ACEs that are important and their likely consequences for later socioeconomic status (105,106), health behaviors, and health outcomes (107,108). The scientific literature has been steadily building up a detailed understanding of the determinants of adult disease and health inequalities and the manner in which these are structured across the lifecourse.…”

“…Global estimates of the health care costs attributable to child maltreatment are not yet available, but Fang et al (119) have estimated that in the East Asia and Pacific Region they amount to 2% of gross domestic product annually. If we were to add in the economic costs of educational failure, unemployment, work absence, and reduced earnings which have also been shown to be associated with adverse childhood experiences (105), it is likely that the full cost will be considerably higher. Our findings suggest that, even if we set aside for one moment the toll of adverse childhood experiences in terms of human suffering, the economic consequences alone mean that governments should be directing more resources at prevention and alleviation.…”

A Multi-method Assessment of Risk and Protective Factors in Family Violence: Comparing Italian and Migrant Families

“…Child abuse and maltreatment are serious developmental adversities in the short and long term for children and adolescents. International reviews highlight the enormous developmental, social, and economic costs of child abuse and maltreatment (Autorità Garante per l'Infanzia e l'Adolescenza, CISMAI, & Terre des Hommes, 2015; Bunting et al, 2018;CISMAI, Terres des Hommes, & Bocconi, 2014;Di Blasio, 2000Di Blasio, Camisasca, & Procaccia, 2007;Fry et al, 2018;Gallo, Munhoz, de Mola, & Murray, 2018;Kimber, Adham, Gill, McTavish, & MacMillan, 2018). Research has led to improvements in knowledge about intervention strategies to buffer negative consequences of child maltreatment and abuse (cf.…”