NCJ Number
223841
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 13 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2008 Pages: 307-312
Date Published
August 2008
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study sought to examine the impact of specific forms of childhood psychological maltreatment (CPM) on the emotional adjustments of young adults, and the concurrent impact of childhood physical abuse.
Abstract
The findings confirm the co-occurrence of the various forms of psychological maltreatment and physical abuse which is consistent with other findings (Higgins & McCabe, 2001). The findings suggest psychological maltreatment is a multifaceted construct requiring further research to investigate the long-term impact of various subtypes. The study suggests that specific forms of CPM may be risk factors for the development of different types of emotional impairments in early adulthood; however, the mechanisms and conditions through which this link operates are unclear. Mediating variables, including level of social support, cognitions and attributions, and emotion regulation skills are likely to be at work. Numerous moderation variables are also likely to be influential. For example, the study examined frequency of the various subtypes of CPM but it did not examine other abuse characteristics such as duration of severity of the maltreatment or the relationship to the perpetrator. Despite the various limitations of the study not all forms of CPM may have a similar impact on later psychological adjustment and that the common distinction between psychological neglect and psychological abuse may be overly simplistic. Participants were 256 students between the ages of 18 and 22. Tables, references