The Effect of Childhood Maltreatment on Violent Behavior in Adulthood

Abstract

Childhood is the fastest and most critical developmental period for individuals to develop emotional and cognitive abilities. If children are abused, neglected, or raised in a family with traumatic experiences and dysfunctional dynamics during childhood, it is very likely to have an impact on their future development during adulthood. This review mainly discusses the contribution of childhood maltreatment to adult violent behavior. Previous studies on different aspects in the same direction were analyzed. It was found that with the trajectory, the negative impact of childhood maltreatment will not be reduced. Severity of maltreatment and later violent behavior, gender, experiences of different types of abuse, shame, personality disorder and some protective factors serve as mediators to varying degrees. Among them, psychopathy is a controversial intermediary factor. One study indicated that it could function as an intermediary factor, while another article only found it as a factor leading to violent behavior, and there was no evidence to prove the impact of maltreatment on it. This review can provide some guidance to the design of intervention programs for children in need.