Alcohol abuse in abused and neglected children followed-up: are they at increased risk?

To examine whether childhood victimization leads to increased risk of alcohol abuse in young adulthood and whether there are differential responses by gender and type of abuse.

Substantiated cases of child abuse and/or neglect from 1967 to 1971 in a midwestern metropolitan county area were matched on the basis of age, race, sex and approximate family social class with a group of nonabused and nonneglected children and followed prospectively into young adulthood. Subjects were located and administered a 2-hour interview consisting of a series of structured and semistructured questions, rating scales and a psychiatric assessment using the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Findings are based on completed interviews with 1,068 subjects (611 abused and/or neglected and 457 controls).

No relationship between childhood victimization and subsequent alcohol abuse in men. A significant bivariate relationship for women was found, and the relationship persists when controlling for parental alcohol and/or drug problems, childhood poverty, race and age.

The connection between early childhood victimization and subsequent alcohol abuse seems less robust and more complex than hypothesized.