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Child maltreatment and children's developmental trajectories in early to middle childhood

Sarah A Font1, Lawrence M Berger

  • 1University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Child Development
|December 19, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Child maltreatment significantly impacts cognitive and social-emotional development from an early age. While developmental issues can increase maltreatment risk, early maltreatment has a stronger, lasting effect on child wellbeing.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Science
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Child maltreatment is linked to adverse developmental outcomes.
  • The bidirectional and causal nature of these associations requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the bidirectional associations between child maltreatment and developmental outcomes.
  • To determine the causal influence of early maltreatment on cognitive and social-emotional well-being.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N=4,898).
  • Employed hierarchical linear modeling and structural equation modeling.
  • Followed children from birth through age 9.

Main Results:

  • Early childhood maltreatment has immediate and ongoing effects on development.
  • Newly occurring maltreatment over time also impacts developmental outcomes.
  • Children's early developmental scores predict subsequent maltreatment risk, but less so than maltreatment predicts developmental outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Child maltreatment exerts a significant and lasting influence on child development.
  • Developmental trajectories are shaped by both early and ongoing experiences of maltreatment.
  • Interventions addressing early maltreatment are crucial for improving long-term child wellbeing.

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