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Factors Associated With First Occurrences of Child Maltreatment in Military Families

Stephen J Cozza1, Christin M Ogle1,2, Joscelyn E Fisher1,2

  • 1Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Department of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.

JAMA Network Open
|May 13, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Risk factors for child maltreatment in active duty service member families include female service members, young parents, and multiple children. Prevention efforts should address these evolving risks across the family life course.

Area of Science:

  • Military Health
  • Child Welfare
  • Family Studies

Background:

  • Child maltreatment poses significant risks to child development and well-being.
  • Understanding risk factors within specific populations, such as military families, is crucial for targeted prevention.
  • Service member families face unique stressors that may influence child maltreatment risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify factors associated with the first occurrence of four child maltreatment types (neglect, physical, emotional, sexual abuse) among active duty service member families.
  • To examine age-related changes in the risk of child maltreatment for different types within this population.

Main Methods:

  • Population-based retrospective cohort study utilizing data from the Child Maltreatment in Military Families Life Course Study.
  • Inclusion of active duty service member families with and without child maltreatment incidents from fiscal years 2009-2018.
  • Analysis involved univariable and multivariable logistic regressions to examine associations between family, sociodemographic, and military characteristics and maltreatment occurrences.

Main Results:

  • Higher odds of child maltreatment were associated with female service members, younger parental age (<21 years), having three or more dependent children, and never-deployed status.
  • Crude rates were highest for neglect, followed by physical, emotional, and sexual abuse.
  • Risk peaked for neglect and physical abuse at 3 months, while emotional and sexual abuse risks peaked later in childhood and adolescence.

Conclusions:

  • Families with female service members, never-deployed service members, multiple children (≥3), and young parents (<21 years) exhibited higher risks for child maltreatment.
  • Dynamic prevention strategies are necessary to address the changing risk factors throughout the family life course.
  • Findings underscore the need for tailored support and interventions for military families to mitigate child maltreatment.
Abstract

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