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Predicting Child Maltreatment over the Early Life Course: A Prospective Study

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Abstract

A large number of early life exposures predict child maltreatment. Using data from a 30-year birth cohort study we examine 12 early life course risk factors of four types of self-reported childhood maltreatment recalled at the 30-year follow-up. Of the 7223 children in the sample at birth, 2425 responded to the Child Trauma Questionnaire at the 30-year follow-up. On adjusted analysis being a teenage mother predicts childhood physical and sexual abuse, as well as child neglect. More numerous maternal marital partner changes in the 5 years after the birth predict offspring experiences of emotional abuse, sexual abuse and childhood neglect. Policy responses should focus on the broad social context in which children are reared as the most effective approach to reducing the high level of childhood abuse and neglect.

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Funding

This study was funded by a Grant awarded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (APP1009469–CI Najman) and a Grant awarded by the Australian Research Council (ARC-DP150100162–CI Najman).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Public Health Building, Herston Campus, 288 Herston Road, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia

    Jake M. Najman, Gail M. Williams & Alexandra M. Clavarino

  2. Mental Health Research Programme, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia

    James G. Scott

  3. Metro North Mental Health Service, Herston, QLD, Australia

    James G. Scott

  4. School of Medicine, Princess Alexandra Hospital, University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD, 4102, Australia

    Steve Kisely

  5. School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University, 176 Messines Ridge Road, Mount Gravatt, QLD, 4122, Australia

    Tara R. McGee

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  1. Jake M. Najman
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  4. Alexandra M. Clavarino
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Correspondence to Jake M. Najman.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Najman, J.M., Scott, J.G., Williams, G.M. et al. Predicting Child Maltreatment over the Early Life Course: A Prospective Study. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 53, 701–714 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01164-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01164-z

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