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

• NCJ Number: 218396
• Journal: Child Maltreatment Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2007 Pages: 172-181
• Author(s): John C. Clemmons; Kate Walsh; David DiLillo; Terri L. Messman-Moore
• Date Published: May 2007
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the link between the co-occurrence and cumulative impact of multiple types of child maltreatment on later adult psychological problems.

Abstract

The findings indicate that it is important for researchers to go beyond classifications of individuals as either abused or nonabused and to consider the various characteristics (frequency, duration, nature of the acts, and use of force) that cumulatively are indicators of the severity of these complex maltreatment experiences. Consistent with prior research, the number of abuse types experienced and the overall severity of maltreatment were independently associated with poorer psychological functioning in adulthood. When examined relative to each other, however, only total severity emerged as a significant predictor of adult trauma symptoms. When individual abuse types were examined, positive links were found between severity scores and number of abuse types experienced; however, there was no such link between average maltreatment severity and number of abuse types. This suggests that relationships between single types of abuse and severity become diffuse in the context of additional forms of abuse. The number of abuse types predicted trauma symptoms only in cases in which maltreatment was very severe. Participants were 1,396 male and female undergraduate students at 3 universities in different regions of the country. The Computer Assisted Maltreatment Inventory assessed a broad range of childhood maltreatment experiences, including sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect. The Trauma Symptom Checklist-40 measured trauma-related symptoms among abuse survivors. It consists of 40 items that assess adult symptoms associated with traumatic childhood or adult experiences. Data were collected as part of a larger study that was exploring adult adjustment associated with a history of childhood maltreatment. 3 tables, 1 figure, and 41 references