Why do prospective and retrospective measures of childhood maltreatment differ? Qualitative analyses in a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Research indicates that prospective and retrospective measures of maltreatment often identify different groups of individuals, yet the reasons for these discrepancies remain understudied. OBJECTIVE: This study explores potential sources of disagreement between prospective and retrospective measures of maltreatment, utilising qualitative data from interviewers' notes. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study includes 2232 children followed from ages 5-18. Prospective measures relied on caregiver interviews and researcher observations from ages 5-12, while retrospective measures involved self-reports via the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire at age 18. METHODS: We purposively sampled written interviewer notes from 36 participants who reported more types of maltreatment retrospectively than prospectively ('new reports' group) and 31 participants who reported fewer types retrospectively than prospectively ('omitted reports' group). We conducted a framework analysis of the notes, comparing between the two groups to explore explanations for measurement disagreement. RESULTS: Three categories of themes emerged related to measurement discrepancies: challenges with prospective measures, highlighting reasons given by the 'new reports' group for why maltreatment went undetected or was not adequately responded to prospectively; challenges with retrospective measures that highlight difficulties with openness and accuracy of self-reports; and differences in appraisals of violence or distressing childhood experiences between the two groups that might lead to new or omitted retrospective reports. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore potential mechanisms underlying the disagreement between prospective and retrospective measures, contributing to better understanding of these different constructs and more balanced interpretation of related findings.

The Influence of Childhood Emotional Abuse and Neglect on Love Addiction: The Indirect Effect of Vulnerable Narcissism Among Female and Male Emerging Adults.

Childhood maltreatment is a key precursor to vulnerable narcissism since it likely lead to a narcissistic injury that triggers defenses against rage and abandonment. In later life, this pattern may contribute to a maladaptive model of love relationships. The present study explored the association between different types of childhood maltreatment (i.e., emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; physical and emotional neglect) and love addiction via vulnerable narcissism in a community sample of 505 cisgender emerging adults (M = 24.90, SD = 2.67; 76.6% assigned female at birth (AFAB); 68.5% heterosexual) residing in Italy. Data collection relied on self-report questionnaires administered online through the Qualtrics platform, and study hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. The results showed that childhood emotional abuse and emotional neglect directly influenced love addiction, while physical and sexual abuse, as well as physical neglect, showed no significant effects. Greater childhood emotional abuse and neglect were associated with increased vulnerable narcissism, leading to higher levels of love addiction. Gender differences emerged, with the indirect effect of vulnerable narcissism on the relationship between emotional neglect and love addiction significant only for AFAB. The findings emphasize the risk of love addiction in emerging adults with a history of childhood emotional abuse and neglect, highlighting the importance of addressing childhood emotional maltreatment and vulnerable narcissistic personality traits in interventions to treat this condition.

Understanding the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and neglect and psychological distress in pregnant women: the role of prenatal attachment.

BACKGROUND: Childhood abuse and neglect pose important risk factors for the development of psychopathology during pregnancy. However, only a few studies have assessed the effects of a specific type of abuse during the perinatal period, namely, psychological maltreatment, which includes emotional abuse and neglect. These studies have found that women who have experienced psychological maltreatment exhibit higher levels of antenatal depressive symptoms and greater difficulties forming attachment with their babies than women who have not experienced this kind of adversity. The aim of this study was to examine how emotional abuse and neglect experiences may favor the occurrence of psychological distress in pregnant women, and whether prenatal attachment might explain this association. METHODS: Participants comprised 128 Italian pregnant women ranging in age from 21 to 46 years (Mage = 33.4; SD = 6.10). Women responded to the following self-report instruments: CECA.Q and CTQ-SF, for the assessment of psychological maltreatment experiences; MAAS, for the evaluation of prenatal attachment; and PAMA, for the assessment of perinatal psychological distress. RESULTS: Pearson correlations revealed a positive association between childhood neglect and perinatal psychological distress and a negative association between childhood neglect and prenatal attachment scores. No significant correlations were found for emotional abuse. Perinatal psychological distress was negatively associated with prenatal attachment. Mediation analyses showed significant associations between childhood neglect and the dimensions of perinatal affectivity and prenatal maternal attachment. Prenatal maternal attachment mediated the relationship between neglect and perinatal psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: The transition to motherhood is a sensitive period, particularly for women who have experienced abuse and neglect during childhood. These experiences may negatively impact a woman's disposition to emotionally and behaviorally engage in the formation of a bond with their unborn baby. These results may have important prevention and clinical implications and thus warrant further exploration.

The mediating roles of psychological resilience and psychological well-being of caregivers for the older adults.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the mediating effects of psychological resilience and psychological well-being for caregivers at nursing homes on the relationship between insomnia and elder maltreatment. As the world is aging quickly and the number of older individuals cared for by formal caregivers has been increasing, this study's results could help create intervention programs to minimize the occurrence of older people's maltreatment. Materials and Methods: A total of 431 care workers who met all criteria, from 21 care service centers for older adults in Fukuoka, Japan, completed the Conditions of Maltreatment Scale, Caregivers' Belief in Ideal Care, Insomnia Severity Index, WHO-5 Well-Being Index, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10. Results: A multivariate analysis of variance revealed that participants with no insomnia had greater resilience, higher psychological well-being, and greater belief in ideal care and to treated older clients less roughly compared to participants with insomnia. Psychological resilience and well-being were significant mediators in the relationship between insomnia, rough care, and beliefs in ideal care. Conclusion: As formal caregivers are in urgent demand, society should take care of them. The most effective and successful intervention for improving their physical and psychological well-being should be initiated at the individual and organizational levels.

Patterns of Poly-Victimization Among Early Adolescents: A Latent Class and Two-Wave Latent Transition Analysis.

Background: Poly-victimization involves more than just counting incidents; it varies in severity and type among adolescents and can change over time. Objective: The aim is to identify latent classes of poly-victimization among children in early adolescence, investigate transition probabilities between these latent categories, and examine the influencing factors. Methods: We used stratified cluster random sampling to select 2275 junior high students from five rural middle schools in Shantou and Jieyang, China, and surveyed them in two waves. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) and Latent Transition Analysis (LTA) identified latent classes of poly-victimization, and multi-factor logistic regression examined factors influencing the probability of students transitioning between these latent classes. Results: LCA identified three categories of poly-victimization: low poly-victimization, group, and high child maltreatment and peer and sibling victimization. The probabilities of remaining in the high child maltreatment and peer and sibling victimization group, transitioning to the transition group, or shifting to the low poly-victimization group were 37.00%, 29.20%, and 33.80%, respectively. Most transition group members remained in the same group, with a conversion probability of 77.10%, followed by transitioning to the low poly-victimization group with a probability of 15.80%. Physically healthy children, compared to those with disabilities or illnesses, were less likely to switch from the low poly-victimization group to the transition group (OR=0.034) or the high child maltreatment and peer and sibling victimization group (OR=0.14). Non-left-behind children, compared to left-behind children, have a higher probability of switching from the high child maltreatment and peer and sibling victimization group to the low poly-victimization group (OR=6.905). Conclusion: The high child maltreatment and peer and sibling victimization group had similar probabilities of transitioning into other categories. Physical illness or disability, as well as being left behind, are significant risk factors for children transitioning from the low-harm group to the high-harm group.

Contrast Avoidance and Anxiety Sensitivity Mediate the Relationship Between Childhood Maltreatment and Psychological Distress in Young Adulthood.

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with elevated depression and anxiety in young adulthood; however, there is a dearth of research identifying the intermediary pathways that link CM to these phenomena. The present study investigated two psychological factors-contrast avoidance, sensitivity to and avoidance of sudden negative emotional shifts, and anxiety sensitivity, the fear of arousal-related body sensations-as potential mediators of the relationship between CM and psychological distress in young adulthood. Our sample consisted of 280 undergraduate students who completed self-report measures of childhood maltreatment, anxiety sensitivity, contrast avoidance (i.e., the Contrast Avoidance Questionnaire), and psychological distress. We constructed a series of parallel mediation models to test whether contrast avoidance and anxiety sensitivity mediate the relationships between child maltreatment and psychological distress. CM was related to anxiety and stress indirectly through both contrast avoidance and anxiety sensitivity but was related to depression only through contrast avoidance. There were no significant differences in the magnitude of the indirect effects between contrast avoidance and anxiety sensitivity for the models predicting anxiety and stress. Contrast avoidance and anxiety sensitivity both appear to play important roles in understanding how early experiences of CM relate to psychological distress in young adulthood. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.

Economic insecurity in young adulthood among children maltreated during early adolescence.

BACKGROUND: Children living in foster care as teenagers often experience greater economic insecurity during adulthood than their peers. However, few studies examine the association between foster care entrance during early adolescence and later economic outcomes. OBJECTIVE: Examine whether entrance into foster care in early adolescence is associated with employment, monthly earnings, and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) relative to an observationally similar counterfactual population. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Using statewide administrative data from Wisconsin, I limited my study population to early adolescents exposed to alleged maltreatment between ages 10 through 13 who return to the home or achieve permanency by age 18. Economic security outcomes were examined at age 23. METHODS: Propensity score matching generated a counterfactual group that was similar to children who entered foster care (N = 1252). Odds of employment and SNAP usage were modeled with logistic regressions, while earnings were estimated with zero-inflated negative binomial regressions. RESULTS: On average, foster care entrance was not associated with later economic difficulties. Among children who entered foster care, longer stays predicted elevated likelihood of employment (OR 1.18, 95 % CI 1.04, 1.33), while more placements within foster care were associated with greater odds of receiving SNAP (OR = 1.38, 95 % CI 1.01, 1.90). CONCLUSION: Overall, entrance into foster care during early adolescence was not associated with earnings, employment, or SNAP participation relative to the matched sample.

The association between adverse childhood experiences and alterations in brain volume and cortical thickness in adults with alcohol use disorder.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have established a connection between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and alcohol use disorder (AUD), both of which are associated with alterations in grey matter volume (GMV) and cortical thickness (CT). The current study aimed to assess the neurobiological impact of ACE specifically in the context of AUD, as well as the role of maltreatment type (i.e., abuse or neglect) and timing. METHODS: Structural MRI data were collected from 35 adults with AUD (mean age: 40; 31% female) and 28 healthy controls (mean age: 36; 61% female). ACE were assessed retrospectively using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology interview. Global and regional GMV and CT were estimated using voxel- and surface-based morphometry. RESULTS: Relative to the healthy controls, the AUD group had significantly reduced CT in the left inferior frontal gyrus, left circular sulcus of the insula and subcentral gyrus and sulci (cluster C1), and in the central sulcus and precentral gyrus (cluster C2). Within the AUD group, a reduction of CT in cluster C1 was significantly associated with higher severity of ACE and AUD. Type and timing analyses revealed a significant association between higher levels of abuse at ages 13 to 15 and reduced CT in cluster C1 within the AUD group. CONCLUSIONS: In adults with AUD, abuse experienced during early adolescence is associated with reduced CT in regions involved in inhibitory control, indicating the potential relevance of cognitive pathways in the association between ACE and AUD. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm and expand upon current findings.

Effects of Therapy at a Community Based Trauma Therapy Service Treating Child Abuse and Neglect: A Pre-Post Study Using Administrative Data.

This repeated-measures study examined the effects of a hybrid of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) with other therapeutic approaches at a community-based clinic in Perth Western Australia among a sample of children and young people overwhelmingly experiencing multiple forms of maltreatment and with complex family situations (i.e., family and domestic violence, parental mental health, parental substance abuse). Drawing on 1713 individual client records from between 2017 and 2020, the researchers identified 113 children and young people with viable pre-post treatment assessments including 78 on the TSCC, 36 on the TSCYC, and 12 on the CBCL. Significant improvements on most clinical scales were identified on the TSCC and TSCYC. Sub-analysis of the TSCC results found no differences across gender, age, care status, therapy funding source, and the presence of sexual abuse in the rate of improvement on trauma symptoms. Overall, the study highlights that integrating different therapy approaches for populations with multiple and complex trauma symptoms accessing community-based services can be useful for supporting the delivery of TF-CBT for difficult to treat populations.

Maltreatment and Parent-Child Attachment as Predictors of Dating Violence and Risky Sexual Behaviour Among High-Risk Teens.

A history of maltreatment can increase risk for dating violence (DV) and risky sexual behaviour (RSB) among adolescents. Secure parent-child attachment may reduce this risk, yet few studies have examined this as a protective factor. This study differentiated developmentally appropriate, exploratory sexual behaviours from RSB and examined whether maltreatment experiences and parent-child attachment in adolescence predicted DV and RSB reported five years later in a high-risk sample. Participants were 179 adolescents (46% girls; M age = 15.34, range = 12-18 years) at risk for aggressive and antisocial behaviour. Adolescents reported their maltreatment histories and attachment to their parents at Time 1; five years later, at Time 2, they reported their experiences with DV perpetration and victimization and engagement in RSB. Both bivariate correlations and structural analyses demonstrated that maltreatment was associated with DV perpetration and victimization but not RSB, and attachment avoidance was associated with fewer RSB but not DV. Attachment anxiety was associated with physical DV perpetration and greater condom use, but only at the correlational level; attachment anxiety was not associated with DV or RSB in the structural model. There were no significant interaction effects. Findings highlight the importance of considering key developmental factors such as maltreatment and parent-child attachment in understanding adolescent risk for DV and RSB, and may inform future research that accounts for contextual factors such as motivation for violence perpetration and contraceptive use with multiple and/or casual sex partners.

Caregiver Experiences with a Trauma-Informed Parenting Program: Examining the Resource Parent Curriculum.

Background: Young people in out-of-home care often have trauma histories that negatively impact their development and well-being. As a result, resource parents often face challenges meeting the needs of these youth, which can be addressed by ensuring access to effective trauma-informed training. Objective: This qualitative study examined the impacts and helpfulness of a trauma-informed program (Resource Parent Curriculum (RPC)) designed for resource parents who care for a young person involved with child welfare. Methods: Twenty resource parents from two child welfare agencies in Ontario, Canada participated in focus groups and interviews after completing the RPC program. Results: Results of a thematic analysis indicated that, through use of relevant materials from the program, resource parents reported a better understanding of trauma reactions in their resource child. This improved understanding influenced their parenting approach when addressing their child's behaviours through consideration of their underlying needs. Conclusions: The findings can be used to support trauma-informed programming for resource parents within child welfare.

Validation of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form (CTQ-SF) for a French-Speaking Sample.

The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) is a widely used and standardized questionnaire designed to assess five types of childhood abuse. Despite the fact that the CTQ-SF demonstrates good validity and reliability, its internal structure presents some limitations and its original 28-item five-factor model has been contested. The present study assesses the reliability and the factor structure of a French version of the CTQ-SF for an alternative 25-item model and a bifactorial model, using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Participants were French-speaking females from two independent samples (N = 1903, N = 690). They completed an online sociodemographic questionnaire and the online version of the CTQ-SF. The new model proposed in this article demonstrated excellent fit indices in two independent samples. Our results support the fit of a bifactorial 25-item model, suggesting the presence of a general factor of intrafamilial maltreatment, from which only sexual abuse would be separated. Furthermore, the results support the fit of a solution with seven factors. This research proposes alternative models that address the limitations pinpointed by previous international studies and demonstrate good fit indices. Moreover, these findings provide support for the validity of a French version of the CTQ-SF. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40653-024-00612-x.

The relationship of childhood maltreatment, adult sexual victimization, depressed mood and symptoms of trauma with fear of childbirth.

BACKGROUND: Fear of childbirth (FoB) is experienced to some degree by most pregnant people and can be intense enough to merit treatment. Despite significant research on the topic of FoB, studies investigating various forms of maltreatment and mental health symptoms in relation to FoB are very limited. In particular, studies including multiple forms of maltreatment along with mental health symptoms as predictors of FoB are extremely limited. We sought to fill this gap and clarify the relative contributions of these variables to the prediction of FoB. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of data from pregnant people in Canada. Participants (N = 881) provided demographic and reproductive history information, completed self-report measures of FoB, childhood maltreatment (multiple forms), adult sexual victimization, depressed mood and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They were also administered a diagnostic interview to assess for specific phobia, FoB. Analyses included descriptive information, Wilcoxon rank sum tests, linear and logistic regression, and path analysis. RESULTS: Most forms of maltreatment showed some association with increased FoB. However, when assessed together, only emotional maltreatment remained a significant predictor of FoB. Both depressed mood and symptoms of PTSD contributed more to FoB than maltreatment, and mediated the relationship of emotional maltreatment with FoB. The only direct effects of childhood emotional maltreatment on FoB were for fears of medical interventions and feelings of embarrassment during labour and delivery. LIMITATIONS: Study findings fill significant gaps in our understanding of the relationship between maltreatment, mental health symptoms and FoB. However, the study sample was limited to Canadian participants, most of whom were socio-economically advantaged, cis-gender women of European descent, thus limiting the generalizability of the findings. Further, as childhood maltreatment and sexual assault experiences in adulthood were reported retrospectively, study findings are also vulnerable to recall bias. CONCLUSIONS: Findings contribute to our understanding of the relationship between childhood maltreatment, adult sexual victimization, mental health and FoB. These findings can facilitate future research and improved care via a focus on depressed mood, symptoms of PTSD, emotional maltreatment and specific fears of medical interventions and social discomfort as significant contributors to one's experience of FoB.

Child Maltreatment and Self-rated Health: Mediating Effect of Parent-child Conversation and Moderating Effect of Gender.

Child maltreatment seriously affects children's psychological and social well-being, as well as their physical health. The study aimed to explore the impact of violence experienced by children on their self-rated health. It also examined whether this effect is mediated by parent-child conversations and whether it varies based on the child's gender. The study was based on the Child Victim Survey of 2013 (FSD2943) in Finland. Mediation and moderation models were tested. According to the analyses, violence experienced by a child at the hands of their parents weakened the parent-child relationship, which, in turn, negatively impacted the child's self-rated health. Further, the higher the frequency of experienced violence, the more negative are the health consequences. However, girls had stronger negative health consequences as a result of low frequency of violence than boys. Social workers should pay particular attention to the dynamics within the family when assessing the possibility of child maltreatment.

Childhood maltreatment as a predictor of substance use/misuse among youth: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively describe whether experiencing a variety of childhood maltreatment types predicts a variety of substance use/misuse types among youth, beyond the narrow scope covered in previous systematic reviews on similar topics. A literature search was conducted in June, 2022 using PubMed, PsycInfo, and Embase. 58 studies (total participant n=170,749) were included. These studies were primarily organized by substance type outcomes including alcohol (n=43), cannabis (n=25), unspecified substances (n=25), and other specific substances (n=10). Results were further stratified by maltreatment type. For specific maltreatment and substance type combinations, the majority of studies indicated that childhood maltreatment was a significant predictor of substance use/misuse in youth. Of the 10 meta-analyses we conducted, significant associations were found for the majority (9/10) of maltreatment and substance type combinations. For instance, unspecified childhood maltreatment increased the probability of youth alcohol use by about four times, which was the highest relative risk found. In conclusion, this study shows that childhood maltreatment is a predictor of youth substance use/misuse.

Characteristics of preschool-age children who engage in problematic sexual behaviors with siblings.

BACKGROUND: Problematic sexual behavior (PSB) between siblings can be a form of sibling sexual abuse (SSA). A notable gap in research are studies examining PSB among preschool-age children with siblings. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the impact of child maltreatment, exposure to family sexuality, and use of coercive sexual behavior on preschool-aged children PSB with siblings and with nonsiblings. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: All 284 children were ages 3-6 years with PSB who had siblings in the home (197 initiated PSB with siblings and 87 initiated PSB with non-siblings). METHODS: The two groups were compared on types of PSB, use of coercion, child maltreatment history, exposure to family sexuality, and caregiver attitudes. Caregiver report measures were the Child Sexual Behavior Inventory- Third Edition (CSBI-III), the Family Sexuality Index, and intake form on maltreatment experienced (i.e., physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, exposure to domestic violence, caregiver drug use, and failure to protect). RESULTS: Maltreatment history was significant, t(258) = -3.36, p < .001; sibling initiators were associated with higher rates of sexual and physical abuse, and neglect than non-sibling. Exposure to family sexuality was significant with non-sibling initiators demonstrating greater exposure than the sibling group, t(282) = 2.66, p = .008. There was no significance between groups for types of PSB including use of coercion. CONCLUSIONS: Results illuminated unique dynamics of PSB with siblings of preschool-aged children. A developmental framework integrating child maltreatment, impulsivity, environmental factors, and capabilities are key considerations for conceptualization, prevention, and response that is distinct from SSA of adolescents.

Child Maltreatment and Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review.

Background: Evidence suggests that child maltreatment (CM) is associated with an elevated risk of adult diseases in later life. Emerging evidence shows that CM in childhood is associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adulthood. However, no study has systematically examined the evidence. Hence, this review aims to synthesise the evidence on the association between forms of CM and MetS in adulthood. Methods: Electronic databases of CINAHL, Medline, PsychInfo, SOCINDEX, and Scopus were systematically searched using predefined key terms to identify relevant published studies on the association between CM and MetS from the beginning of indexing to 1st January 2024. Studies were included if they met the selection criteria. The quality of studies was appraised using suitable criteria for cross-sectional and prospective studies. Results: The search revealed a total of 2411 studies. Five studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The findings revealed that there was an association between physical abuse and MetS in women across two studies and one study in men. In addition, one study reported an association between emotional abuse and the risk of MetS in men, while two studies revealed increased odds with CM. However, no significant associations were reported between MetS and childhood sexual abuse and neglect, respectively. Conclusion: These findings suggest that some forms of CM may increase a person's risk of having MetS. However, there is a need for methodological improvements due to heterogeneity in studies, mainly on the assessment and definition of CM. Further research is needed on forms of CM and MetS to understand the underlying mechanisms of the associations found and to identify targeted strategies to prevent the impact of CM on MetS and subsequent future health.

Childhood Maltreatment, Revictimization, and Partner Violence Victimization Through Midlife: A Prospective Longitudinal Investigation.

Existing research suggests that prior victimizations during a person's lifetime, particularly childhood traumas and maltreatment, are risk factors for abuse and revictimization in adulthood, although longitudinal evidence is sparse. Using data from a 30-year ongoing longitudinal study of the long-term consequences of childhood maltreatment, this paper describes the extent to which childhood maltreatment predicts subsequent victimization and partner violence victimization at two time points in adulthood. Data were obtained from a prospective cohort design study in which children with court-substantiated cases of maltreatment (ages 0-11 years) and demographically matched controls were followed into adulthood and interviewed over several waves. Childhood maltreatment was assessed through juvenile and adult court records from 1967 to 1971 in a midwestern county area in the United States. Victimization experiences were assessed from 2000 to 2002 (Mage = 39.5 years) and 2009 to 2010 (Mage = 47.5) and included two types based on information from the lifetime trauma and victimization history instrument and questions about past year partner violence victimization. Individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment were more likely to report physical and sexual assaults and kidnapping and stalking victimization than controls through age 39.5. In contrast, the two groups did not differ at the later assessment at age 47.5, except maltreated individuals reported greater risk for sexual assault/abuse than controls. For intimate partner violence victimization at age 39.5, maltreated and control groups differed only in terms of victimization involving injury. Later in adulthood, more individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment reported partner physical violence victimization compared to controls. Although these longitudinal findings showed a general decline in victimization experiences over the two time points, these results demonstrate that childhood maltreatment increases risk for subsequent revictimization in middle adulthood, specifically for sexual assault/abuse and intimate partner physical violence victimization. These findings have implications for prevention and intervention efforts targeting maltreated children.

Burden, consequences and associate factors of childhood maltreatment in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Child maltreatment is any type of abuse or child negligence which results the concrete or prospective hurt for those under age of eighteen. It is a global issue which severely endangered children's physical, emotional, behavioral, developmental and mental well-being for immediate and later in life. Although, its magnitude and devastating burden are difficult to comprehend, much remains to be done to know its prevalence and comprehensive impact. This meta-analysis and comprehensive review will provide important light on the burden, consequences, and contributing factors for child maltreatment. Methods: This meta-analysis and comprehensive review was coded at Prospero number of CRD42024503799. Universal online databanks including PubMed, Cochrane, Google, Google Scholar, SCOPUS, and Web of Science and Global Health were used to search for articles. Microsoft Excel was used for data extraction, and STATA17 was used to analyze this systematic review and meta-analysis. A random effect model exploration was employed when heterogeneity among included studies were evidenced. Results: The pooled prevalence of childhood maltreatment was 57.0 % (95 % CI = 32.00, 83.00). Included studies revealed that childhood maltreatment has multiple child health-related consequences. Being female (AOR = 2.94, 95 % CI: 1.48, 4.41), being young (AOR = 1.22, 95%CI: 1.09, 3.35), paternal illiteracy (AOR = 2.16, 95%CI: 1.012, 3.302) and have an open family discussion about sexual matters (AOR = 0.381 (95%CI: 0.121, 0.884) were considerably associated with child maltreatment. Conclusion: This finding publicized that the burden and multiple consequences of childhood maltreatment need much attention. Childhood maltreatment has both immediate and life time consequences for children later in life. Being female, being young, having illiterate fathers, and open family discussion about sexual matters were associated factors of child maltreatment.

Child maltreatment in a high adversity context: Associations of age, type and timing of exposure with psychopathology in middle childhood.

BACKGROUND: While cumulative childhood maltreatment (CM) has been linked to psychopathological outcomes, recent studies point to the relevance of the type and timing of exposure. The aim of the current study was to better understand their importance beyond the cumulative burden of CM for psychopathological symptoms in middle childhood. METHODS: A total of N = 341 children (M = 9.92, SD = 1.51) were interviewed to assess trauma load (UCLA - University of California at Los Angeles Event List), exposure to CM (pediMACE - Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology of Exposure - Pediatric Interview) and different outcomes of psychopathology (UCLA Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index, Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). We employed conditioned random forest regression, incorporating type, timing, and cumulative indicators of CM, to assess the importance of each predictor simultaneously. RESULTS: Exposure to CM (abuse, neglect and cumulative indicators) exhibited a robust association with psychopathological outcomes. Recent abuse and recent neglect showed most robust associations with outcomes, neglect was stronger related to internalizing problems and timing of exposure showed clear associations with diverse pathological outcomes. CONCLUSION: Beyond the cumulative burden, type and timing of CM show direct and diverse associations to pathological outcomes in middle childhood. Our results highlight the critical importance of early and detailed identification of CM, particularly recent exposure. This finding is valuable for researchers and clinicians, as it can refine diagnostic assessments and pave the way for effective early intervention strategies for affected children.