“…Furthermore, childhood maltreatment has been linked to a cycle of later traumatic victimization and maltreatment among women by spouses or other domestic partners which in turn often leads to homelessness or intermittent periods of housing instability in the women's attempts to escape their abusive environments (Browne, 1993;Browne & Bassuk, 1997;El-Bassel, Witte, Wada, Gilbert, & Wallace, 2001;Muehlenhard, Highby, Lee, Bryan, & Dodrill, 1998;Tyler, Hoyt, Whitbeck, & Cauce, 2001;Wenzel, Leake, & Gelberg, 2001). In addition, women who report childhood abuse and neglect often report concomitant high levels of parent substance abuse problems during their childhood (Fox & Gilbert, 1994;Melchert, 2000;Shah, Dail, & Heinrichs, 1995). This study explores whether early abuse, as manifested in sexual, physical, or verbal abuse, or parent substance abuse have the more pervasive effect on later adverse behavioral and psychological outcomes and whether recent physical abuse and lower self-esteem can mediate between childhood influences and current maladaptive outcomes.…”