Unique and Combined Contributions of Multiple Child Abuse Types and Abuse Severity to Adult Trauma Symptomatology

Abstract

Studies have documented the co-occurrence and cumulative impact of multiple types of child maltreatment on later psychosocial difficulties. Other research suggests that child abuse characteristics indicative of severity may also increase risk of later adjustment problems. However, little effort has been made to examine the co-occurrence of both multiple types of maltreatment and abuse severity within a single study. The present investigation examines self-reported child maltreatment and adult functioning in a geographically diverse sample of 1,396 undergraduate students. Results indicate that experiencing multiple types of maltreatment is positively associated with more severe abuse. Although increased maltreatment types and more severe abuse are each associated with greater trauma symptomatology, abuse severity is the stronger of the two predictors. Finally, number of maltreatment types and severity of maltreatment interact to predict greater levels of trauma symptomatology. These results highlight the importance of considering both co-occurring abuse types and severity in research and clinical work with adult victims.Keywords: child maltreatment, child abuse, long-term effects, multiple abuse, trauma A ccording to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2006), 872,000 children were the victims of confi rmed child abuse and neglect reported to state child protective services in 2004. Of these cases, 60% involved neglect, 18% physical abuse, 10% sexual abuse, and 7% emotional maltreatment. Not only is abuse prevalent, but child maltreatment in its various forms has been associated with a host of immediate and long-term adverse outcomes including depressive symptoms (Danielson, De Arellano, Kilpatrick, Saunders, & Resnick, 2005), partner relationship problems (DiLillo & Long, 1999), adult sexual victimization (Messman-Moore & Brown, 2004), substance abuse (Brown & Anderson, 1991), aggression (Herrenkohl, Egolf, & Herrenkohl, 1997), and poor school performance (Kendall-Tackett & Eckenrode, 1996). Trauma symptomatology is one of the most commonly studied outcomes in the child maltreatment literature. In fact, studies have documented consistent relationships between child sexual and physical abuse and adult posttraumatic stress symptoms (e.g., Boney-McCoy & Finkelhor, 1996;Schaaf & McCanne, 1998). Recently, emotional maltreatment has been included as an additional abuse type in examinations of child maltreatment and adult trauma symptoms (Rich, Gidycz, Warkentin, Loh, & Weiland, 2005). Given the widespread prevalence of child maltreatment and the deleterious outcomes that often result, it is not surprising that this problem has captured the attention of social science researchers during the past 30 years. Co-Occurrence of Multiple Forms of Child MaltreatmentAlthough researchers have traditionally studied single types of maltreatment, it is becoming increasingly clear than many individuals experience more than one form of child maltreatment, a phenomenon referred to as multitype abuse (Higgins & Mc...

The relationships of attachment styles, parental attidues and traumatic childhood experiences with emotional intelligence<p>Bağlanma stilleri, anne baba tutumları ve çocukluk çağı örselenme yaşantılarının duygusal zekâ ile ilişkileri

“…Durmuşoğlu ve Doğru (2009), çocukluk çağı örselenme yaşantılarının kişilerarası ilişkilerdeki bozulmalarla ilişkili olduğunu savunmuştur. Diğer taraftan çocukluktaki örselenme yaşantılarına odaklanmış çalışmaların birçoğunda yaşanan duygusal travmaların ileriki yıllarda kişilik bozuklukları, depresyon, madde kullanımı, antisosyal davranış bozuklukları gibi birçok sorunla ilişkisini ortaya koymuştur (Bilim, 2012;Şimşek, 2010;Özcan, 2010;Doğan, 2009;Binbay, 2009;Toker, 2008;Clemmons, Walsh, DiLillo, Messman-Moore, 2007;Springer, Sheridan, Kuo, Carnes, 2007;Bostancı, Albayrak, Bakoğlu, Çoban, 2006).…”

Measuring Abuse Sequelae: Validating and Extending the Trauma Symptom Checklist-40

“…These studies often employ self-report measures. For samples of college men and women combined, self-reports of CSA range from 8.2% to 34% (Boudewyn & Liem, 1995;Brandyberry & MacNair-Semands, 1998;Clemmons Walsh, DiLillo, & MessmanMoore, 2007;Cruise, 1998;Finkelhor, 1979;Witchel, 1989), self-reports of CPA range from 9.1% to 20% (Clemmons, 2004), and self-reports of both CSA and CPA range from 1.3% to 3.8% (Clemmons, 2004;Clemmons et al, 2007). For college men, self-reports of CSA range from 10% to 16% (Boudewyn & Liem, 1995;Clemmons, 2004;Clemmons et al, 2007).…”

“…For samples of college men and women combined, self-reports of CSA range from 8.2% to 34% (Boudewyn & Liem, 1995;Brandyberry & MacNair-Semands, 1998;Clemmons Walsh, DiLillo, & MessmanMoore, 2007;Cruise, 1998;Finkelhor, 1979;Witchel, 1989), self-reports of CPA range from 9.1% to 20% (Clemmons, 2004), and self-reports of both CSA and CPA range from 1.3% to 3.8% (Clemmons, 2004;Clemmons et al, 2007). For college men, self-reports of CSA range from 10% to 16% (Boudewyn & Liem, 1995;Clemmons, 2004;Clemmons et al, 2007). For college women, self-reports of CSA range from 6.3% to 28% and self-reports of CPA ranged MEASURING ABUSE SEQUELAE 6 from 14.7% to 32.4% (Boudewyn & Liem, 1995;Cruise, 1998;Fox & Gilbert, 1994;Fromuth, 1986;Gagnon, 1965;Gold et al, 1994;Messman-Moore, Walsh, & DiLillo, 2010).…”

“…Frequency of abuse has been demonstrated to be significantly correlated to four TSC-40 subscales and the overall TSC-40 scale (Elliot & Briere, 1992). Several studies have measured frequency of abuse to contribute to the construct of severity (Clemmons, 2004;Clemmons et al, 2007;Elliot & Briere, 1992). A few studies have demonstrated that more frequent abuse is related to greater adjustment difficulties and more symptomatology later in life (Clemmons, 2004;Elliot & Briere, 1992).…”

“…Several studies have used the TSC-40 for measuring the effects of CPA (see e.g., Brandyberry & MacNair-Semands, 1998;Clemmons, 2004;Clemmons et al, 2007;Dunn, Ryan, & Dunn, 1994;Elliot & Guy, 1993;Follete et al, 1994) but only a few have done so in a college sample (e.g., Brandyberry & MacNair-Semands, 1998;Clemmons, 2004). Using the TSC-40 to measure the long-term effects of both CSA and CPA offers an evaluation of how victim typology influences subsequent dysfunction.…”