Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Longterm Consequences of Child Maltreatment

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook of Child Maltreatment

Part of the book series: Child Maltreatment ((MALT,volume 2))

Abstract

Over the past three decades, considerable progress has been made in understanding the long-term consequences of childhood victimization. Using a schematic modified ecological model to organize this chapter, the first part reviews the literature on the “cascade of consequences of childhood maltreatment” across multiple domains of functioning, including cognitive and academic, social and behavioral, psychiatric and emotional, and physical health and neurobiological. Where possible, consequences for specific types of childhood maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect) are described. Because the negative effects of childhood maltreatment are not inevitable, the next section describes research on protective factors that may buffer maltreated children from succumbing to negative consequences. The next section discusses the important role that contextual factors play in influencing the development of children. Finally, there is a discussion of the challenges to the field and a brief section on gaps in knowledge and suggestions for future research.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 219.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Allwood, M., & Widom, C. S. (2013) Child abuse and neglect, developmental role attainment, and adult arrests. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency. First published January 21, 2013. doi: 10.1177/0022427812471177.

  • Altemeier, W. A., O’Connor, S., Sherrod, K. B., Tucker, D., & Vietz, P. (1986). Outcome of abuse during childhood among pregnant low income women. Child Abuse & Neglect, 10, 319–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arata, C. M. (2002). Child sexual abuse and sexual revictimization. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9(2), 135–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aslund, C., Nordquist, N., Comasco, E., Leppert, J., Oreland, L., & Nilsson, K.W. (2011). Maltreatment, MAOA, and delinquency: Sex differences in gene-environment interaction in a large population-based cohort of adolescents. Behavioral Genetics, 41, 262–272.

    Google Scholar 

  • Balsam, K. F., Rothblum, E. D., & Beauchaine, T. P. (2005). Victimization over the life span: A comparison of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and heterosexual siblings. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73, 477–487.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bartholow, B. N., Doll, L. S., Joy, D., Bolan, G., Harrison, J. S., Moss, P. M., & McKiman, D. (1994). Emotional, behavioral, and HIV risks associated with sexual abuse among homosexual and bisexual men. Child Abuse and Neglect, 18(9), 745–761.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell, A. P., Weinberg, M. S., & Hammersmith, S. K. (1981). Sexual preference: Its development in men and women. Bloomington: Indiana University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Belsky, J. (1980). Child maltreatment: An ecological integration. The American Psychologist, 35, 320–335.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentley, T., & Widom, C. S. (2009). A 30-year follow-up of the effects of child abuse and neglect on obesity in adulthood. Obesity, 17(10), 1900–1905.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berlin, L. J., Appleyard, K., & Dodge, K. A. (2011). Intergenerational continuity in child maltreatment: Mediating mechanisms and implications for prevention. Child Development, 82(1), 162–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyce, W. T., Quas, J., Alkon, A., Smider, N. A., Essex, M. J., & Kupfer, D. J. (2001). Autonomic reactivity and risk for psychopathology in middle childhood. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 179, 144–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brems, C., Johnson, M. E., Neal, D., & Freemon, M. (2004). Childhood abuse history and substance use among men and women receiving detoxification services. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 30(4), 799–821.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, J., Cohen, P., Johnson, J., & Smailes, E. (1999). Childhood abuse and neglect: Specificity of effects on adolescent and young adult depression and suicidality. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 38(12), 1490–1496.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caetano, R., Field, C. A., & Scott, N. (2003). Association between childhood physical abuse, exposure to parental violence, and alcohol problems in adulthood. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 18(3), 240–257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cameron, P., & Cameron, K. (1995). Does incest cause homosexuality? Family Research Institute, 76, 611–621.

    Google Scholar 

  • Canez, I. E. (2000). Predictions of posttraumatic stress symptomatology in Hispanic versus non-Hispanic maltreated children. Doctoral dissertation, University of California, San Diego.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caspi, A., McClay, J., Moffit, T. E., Mill, J., Martin, J., & Craig, I. A. (2002). Role of genotype in cycle of violence in maltreated children. Science, 297, 851–854.

    Google Scholar 

  • Champagne, F., & Meaney, M. J. (2001). Like mother, like daughter: Evidence for non-genomic transmission of parental behavior and stress responsivity. Progress in Brain Research, 133, 287–302.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cicchetti, D., & Carlson, V. (1989). Child maltreatment: Theory and research on the causes and consequences of child abuse and neglect. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cicchetti, D., Toth, S. L., & Lynch, M. (1993). The developmental sequelae of child maltreatment: Implications for war-related trauma. In L. A. Leavitt & N. A. Fox (Eds.), The psychological effects of war and violence on children (pp. 41–71). Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cicchetti, D., Rogosch, F. A., & Sturge-Apple, M. L. (2007). Interactions of child maltreatment and serotonin transporter and monoamine oxidase A polymorphisms: Depressive symptomatology among adolescents from low socioeconomic status backgrounds. Development and Psychopathology, 19, 1161–1180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, D. B., Lesnick, L., & Hegedus, A. M. (1997). Traumas with other adverse life events in adolescents with alcohol abuse and dependence. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(12), 1744–1751.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cloitre, M., Tardiff, K., Marzuk, P. M., & Leon, A. C. (1996). Childhood abuse and subsequent sexual assault among female inpatients. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9, 473–482.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, P., Brown, J., & Smailes, E. (2001). Child abuse and neglect and the development of mental disorders in the general population. Development and Psychopathology, 13, 981–999.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coid, J., Petruckevitch, A., Feder, G., Chung, W., Richardson, J., & Moorey, S. (2001). Relation between childhood sexual and physical abuse and risk of revictimisation in women: A cross-sectional survey. Lancet, 358, 450–454.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conte, J. R., & Schuerman, J. R. (1988). The effects of sexual abuse on children: A multidimensional view. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2, 380–390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corliss, H. L., Cochran, S. D., & Mays, V. M. (2002). Reports of parental maltreatment during childhood in the United States population-based survey of homosexual, bisexual, and heterosexual adults. Child Abuse & Neglect, 26, 165–1178.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crittendon, P. M., & Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1989). Child maltreatment and attachment theory. In D. Cicchetti & V. Carlson (Eds.), Child maltreatment (pp. 432–463). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Currie, J., & Widom, C. S. (2010). Long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect on adult economic well-being. Child Maltreatment, 15(2), 111–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Damashek, A. L., & Chaffin, M. J. (2012). Child abuse and neglect. In P. Sturmey & M. Hersen (Eds.), Handbook of evidence-based practice in clinical psychology (pp. 647–678). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Bellis, M. D. (2001). Developmental traumatology: The psychobiological development of maltreated children and its implications for research, treatment, and policy. Development and Psychopathology, 13(3), 539–564.

    Google Scholar 

  • Desai, S., Arias, I., Thompson, M. P., & Basile, K. C. (2002). Childhood victimization and subsequent adult revictimization assessed in a nationally representative sample of women and men. Violence and Victims, 17(6), 639–653.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon, L., Browne, K., & Hamilton-Giachritsis, C. (2005). Risk factors of parents abused as children: A mediational analysis of the intergenerational continuity of child maltreatment (part 1). Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 46(1), 47–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dodge, K. A., Pettit, G. S., Bates, J. E., & Valente, E. (1995). Social information-processing patterns partially mediate the effect of early physical abuse on later conduct problems. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 104(4), 632–643.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dube, S. R., Anda, R. F., Felitti, V. J., Edwards, V. J., & Croft, J. B. (2002). Adverse childhood experiences and personal alcohol abuse as an adult. Addictive Behaviors, 27, 713–725.

    Google Scholar 

  • DuMont, K. A., Widom, C. S., & Czaja, S. J. (2007). Predictors of resilience in abused and neglected children grown-up: The role of individual and neighborhood characteristics. Child Abuse & Neglect, 31(3), 255–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eckenrode, J., Laird, M., & John, D. (1993). School performance and disciplinary problems among abused and neglected children. Developmental Psychology, 29, 53–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eckenrode, J., Zielinski, D., Smith, E., Marcynyszyn, L. A., Henderson, C. R., Kitzman, H., … Olds, D. L. (2001). Child maltreatment and the early onset of problem behaviors: Can a program of nurse home visitation break the link? Development and Psychopathology, 13, 873–890.

    Google Scholar 

  • Egeland, B. (1988). Breaking the cycle of abuse: Implications for prediction and intervention. In K. Browne, C. Davies, & P. Stratton (Eds.), Early prediction and prevention of child abuse (pp. 87–99). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Egeland, B. (1997). Mediators of the effects of child maltreatment on developmental adaptation in adolescence. In D. Cicchetti & S. L. Toth (Eds.), Rochester symposium on developmental psychology: Developmental perspectives on trauma: Theory, research, and intervention (Vol. 8, pp. 403–434). Rochester: University of Rochester Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Egeland, B., Jacobvitz, D., & Sroufe, L. A. (1988). Breaking the cyle of abuse. Child Development, 59, 1080–1088.

    Google Scholar 

  • English, D. J., Widom, C. S., & Brandford, C. (2001). Childhood victimization and delinquency, adult criminality, and violent criminal behavior: A replication and extension, final report (NCJ192291). Rockville: National Institute of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erickson, M. F., Egeland, B., & Pianta, R. (1989). The effects of maltreatment on the development of young children. In D. Cicchetti & V. Carlson (Eds.), Child maltreatment: Theory and research on the causes and consequences of child abuse and neglect (pp. 647–684). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ertem, I. O., Leventhal, J. M., & Dobbs, S. (2000). Intergenerational continuity of childhood physical abuse: How good is the evidence? Lancet, 356(9232), 814–819.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eskin, M., Kaynak-Demir, H., & Demir, S. (2005). Same-sex sexual orientation, childhood sexual abuse, and suicidal behavior in university students in Turkey. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 31, 185–195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farber, E. A., & Egeland, B. E. (1987). Invulnerability among abused and neglected children. In E. J. Anthony & B. Cohler (Eds.), The invulnerable child (pp. 253–288). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Felitti, V. J., Anda, R. F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D. F., Spitz, A. M., Edwards, V., … Marks, J. S. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fergusson, D. M., & Lynskey, M. T. (1997). Physical punishment/maltreatment during childhood and adjustment in young adulthood. Child Abuse & Neglect, 21(7), 617–630.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fergusson, D. M., Horwood, L. J., & Lynskey, M. T. (1997). Childhood sexual abuse, adolescent sexual behaviors and sexual revictimization. Child Abuse & Neglect, 21(8), 789–803.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fergusson, D. M., Horwood, J. L., & Woodward, L. J. (2000). The stability of child abuse reports: A longitudinal study of the reporting behaviour of young adults. Psychological Medicine, 30, 529–544.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fergusson, D. M., Boden, J. M., & Horwood, L. J. (2008). Exposure to childhood sexual and physical abuse and adjustment in early adulthood. Child Abuse & Neglect, 32, 607–619.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foley, D. L., Eaves, L. J., Wormley, B., et al. (2004). Childhood adversity, monoamine oxidase A genotype, and risk for conduct disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 61, 738–744.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frodi, A., & Smetana, J. (1984). Abused, neglected, and nonmaltreated preschoolers’ ability to discriminate emotions in others: The effects of IQ. Child Abuse & Neglect, 8, 459–465.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galaif, E. R., Stein, J. A., Newcomb, M. D., & Bernstein, D. P. (2001). Gender differences in the prediction of problem alcohol use in adulthood: Exploring the influence of family factors and childhood maltreatment. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 62(4), 486–493.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garbarino, J. (1977). The human ecology of child maltreatment: A conceptual model for research. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 39(4), 721–735.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia, J., Adams, J., Friedman, L., & East, P. (2002). Links between past abuse, suicide ideation, and sexual orientation among San Diego college students. Journal of American College Health, 51, 9–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garmezy, N. (1981). Children under stress: Perspectives on antecedents and correlates of vulnerability and resistance to psychopathology. In A. I. Rabin, J. Arnoff, A. M. Barclay, & R. A. Zucker (Eds.), Further explorations in personality (pp. 196–269). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, R., Widom, C. S., Browne, K., Fergusson, D. M., Elspeth, W., & Janson, S. (2009). Child Maltreatment 1 Burden and consequences of child maltreatment in high-income countries. Lancet, 373(9657), 68–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grogan-Kaylor, A. (2005). Corporal punishment and the growth trajectory of children’s antisocial behavior. Child Maltreatment, 10(3), 283–292.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunnar, M. R. (2000). Early adversity and the development of stress regulation. In C. E. Nelson (Ed.), The Minnesota symposia on child psychology, Vol 31: The effects of early adversity on neurobehavioral development. Minnesota symposia on child psychology (pp. 163–200). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gunnar, M. R., Fisher, P. A., & The Early Experience, Stress, and Prevention Network. (2006). Bringing basic research on early experience and stress neurobiology to bear on preventive interventions for neglected and maltreated children. Development and Psychopathology, 18, 651–677.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hatcher, S. S., Maschi, T., Morgen, K., & Toldson, I. A. (2009). Exploring the impact of racial and ethnic differences in the emotional and behavioral responses of maltreated youth: Implications for culturally competent services. Children and Youth Services Review, 31(9), 1042–1048.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heim, C., & Nemeroff, C. B. (2001). The role of childhood trauma in the neurobiology of mood and anxiety disorders: Preclinical and clinical studies. Biological Psychiatry, 49, 1023–1039.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heim, C., Newport, D. J., Wagner, D., Wilcox, M. M., Miller, A. H., & Nemeroff, C. B. (2002). The role of early adverse experience and adulthood stress in the prediction of neuroendocrine stress reactivity in women: A multiple regression analysis. Depression and Anxiety, 15, 117–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henry, B., Moffitt, T. E., Caspi, A., Langley, J., & Silva, P. A. (1994). On the “remembrance of things past”: A longitudinal evaluation of the retrospective method. Psychological Assessment, 6(2), 92–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrenkohl, T. I., & Herrenkohl, R. C. (2007). Examining the overlap and prediction of muliple forms of child maltreatment, stressors, and socioeconomic status: A longitudinal analysis of youth outcomes. Journal of Family Violence, 22, 553–562.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrenkohl, E. C., Herronkohl, R. C., & Egolf, B. (1994). Resilient early school-age children from maltreating homes: Outcomes in late adolescence. The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 64(2), 301–309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrenkohl, E. C., Herrenkohl, R. C., Egolf, B. P., & Russo, M. J. (1998). The relationship between early maltreatment and teenage parenthood. Journal of Adolescence, 21(3), 291–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hildyard, K. L., & Wolfe, D. A. (2002). Child neglect: Developmental issues and outcomes. Child Abuse & Neglect, 26(6–7), 679–695.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hubbard, D. J., & Pratt, T. C. (2002). A meta-analysis of the predictors of delinquency among girls. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 34, 1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, T. L., Haas, A. P., Razzando, L., Cassidy, R., & Matthews, A. (2000). Comparing lesbians’ and heterosexual women’s mental health: A multi-site survey. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 11, 57–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, T. L., Johnson, T., & Wilsnack, S. C. (2001). Sexual assault and alcohol abuse: A comparison of lesbians and heterosexual women. Journal of Substance Abuse, 13, 515–532.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huizinga, D., Haberstick, B. C., Smolen, A., et al. (2006). Childhood maltreatment, subsequent antisocial behavior, and the role of monoamine oxidase A Genotype. Biolgical Psychiatry, 60(7), 677–683.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaffee, S. R. (2012). Teasing out the role of genotype in the development of psychopathology in maltreated children. In C. S. Widom (Ed.), Trauma psychopathology and violence: Causes, consequences or correlates? (pp. 49–75). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaffee, S. R., Caspi, A., Moffitt, T. E., Polo-Thomas, M., & Taylor, A. (2007). Individual, family and neighborhood factors distinguish resilient from non-resilient maltreated children: A cumulative stressors model. Child Abuse & Neglect, 31(3), 231–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, J. G., Cohen, P., Brown, J., Smailes, E. M., & Bernstein, D. P. (1999). Childhood maltreatment increases risk for personality disorders during early adulthood. Archives of General Psychiatry, 56, 600–606.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, J. G., Smailes, E. M., Cohen, P., Brown, J., & Bernstein, D. P. (2000). Associations between four types of childhood neglect and personality disorder symptoms during adolescents and early adulthood: Findings of a community-based longitudinal study. Journal of Personality Disorders, 14(2), 171–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, J. G., Cohen, P., Kasen, S., & Brook, J. S. (2002). Childhood adversities associated with risk for eating disorders or weight problems during adolescence or early adulthood. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 394–400.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jonson-Reid, M. (2004). Child welfare services and delinquency: The need to know more. Child Welfare, LXXXIII(2), 157–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jonson-Reid, M., Drake, B., Kim, J., Porterfield, S., & Han, L. (2004). A prospective analysis of the relationship between reported child maltreatment and special education eligibility among poor children. Child Maltreatment, 9, 382–394.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jonson-Reid, M., Kohl, P. L., & Drake, B. (2012). Child and adult outcomes of chronic maltreatment. Pediatrics, 129, 839–845.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplow, J. B., & Widom, C. S. (2007). Age of onset of child maltreatment predicts long-term mental health outcomes. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 116, 176–187.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, J. G., & Widom, C. S. (1999). Childhood victimization, running away, and delinquency. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 36(4), 347–381.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaufman, J., & Zigler, E. (1987). Do abused children become abusive parents? The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 57, 186–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kempe, R. S., & Kempe, C. H. (1978). Child abuse. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiecolt-Glaser, J. K., Bane, C., Glaser, R., & Malarkey, W. B. (2003). Love, marriage, and divorce: Newlyweds’ stress hormones foreshadow relations changes. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 176–188.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, J., & Cicchetti, D. (2010). Longitudinal pathways linking child maltreatment, emotion regulation, peer relations, and psychopathology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51, 706–716.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinard, E. M. (1999). Psychosocial resources and academic performance in abused children. Children and Youth Services Review, 21, 351–376.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knutson, J. F., Taber, S. M., Murray, A. J., Valles, N., & Knoeppl, G. (2010). The role of care neglect and supervisory neglect in childhood obesity in a disadvantaged sample. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 35, 523–530.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koenig, L. J., & Clark, H. (2004). Sexual abuse of girls and HIV infection among women: Are they related? In L. J. Koenig, L. S. Doll, A. O’Leary, & W. Pequegnat (Eds.), From child sexual abuse to adult sexual risk: Trauma, revictimization, and intervention (pp. 69–92). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langeland, W., & Hartgers, C. (1998). Child sexual and physical abuse and alcoholism: A review. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, Supplement 59(3), 336–348.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lansford, J. E., Dodge, K. A., Pettit, G. S., Bates, J. E., Crozier, J., & Kaplow, J. (2002). A 12-year prospective study of the long-term effects of early child physical maltreatment on psychological, behavioral, and academic problems in adolescence. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 156, 824–830.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lansford, J. E., Miller-Johnson, S., Berlin, L. J., Dodge, K. A., Bates, J. E., & Pettit, G. S. (2007). Early physical abuse and later violent delinquency: A prospective longitudinal study. Child Maltreatment, 12, 233–245.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lansford, J. E., Dodge, K. A., Pettit, G. S., & Bates, J. E. (2010). Does physical abuse in early childhood predict substance use in adolescence and early adulthood? Child Maltreatment, 15(2), 190–194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lau, A. S., Litrownik, A. J., Newton, R. R., Black, M. M., & Everson, M. D. (2006). Factors affecting the link between physical discipline and child externalizing problems in black and white families. Journal of Community Psychology, 34(1), 89–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leiter, J. (2007). School performance trajectories after the advent of reported maltreatment. Children and Youth Services Review, 29, 363–382.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lissau, I., & Sorensen, T. I. A. (1994). Parental neglect during childhood and increased risk of obesity in young adulthood. Lancet, 343, 324–330.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, D., Diorio, J., Tannenbaum, B., Caldji, C., Francis, D., Freedman, A., … Meaney, M. J. (1997). Maternal care, hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responses to stress. Science, 277(5332), 1659–1662.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luntz, B. K., & Widom, C. S. (1994). Antisocial personality disorder in abused and neglected children grown up. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 151(5), 670–674.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lupien, S. J., & McEwen, B. S. (1997). The acute effects of corticosteroids on cognition: Integration of animal and human model studies. Brain Research Reviews, 24, 1–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lupien, S. J., King, S., Meaney, M. J., & McEwen, B. S. (2001). Can poverty get under your skin? Basal cortisol levels and cognitive function in children from low and high socioeconomic status. Development and Psychopathology, 13, 653–676.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lupien, S. J., Wilkinson, C. W., Brière, S., Ménard, C., Kin, N. Y., & Nair, N. P. V. (2002). The modulatory effects of corticosteroids on cognition: Studies in young human populations. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 27, 401–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maker, A. H., Kemmelmeir, M., & Peterson, C. (2001). Child sexual abuse, peer sexual abuse, and sexual assault in adulthood: A multi-risk model of revictimization. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14(2), 351–368.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manly, J. T., Kim, J. E., Rogosch, F. A., & Cicchetti, D. (2001). Dimensions of child maltreatment and children’s adjustment: Contributions of developmental timing and subtype. Development and Psychopathology, 13, 759–782.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maxfield, M. G., & Widom, C. S. (1996). The cycle of violence: Revisited six years later. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 150(4), 390–395.

    Google Scholar 

  • McBeth, J., Morris, S., Benjamin, S., Silman, A. J., & Macfarlane, G. J. (2001). Associations between adverse events in childhood and chronic widespread pain in adulthood: Are they explained by differential recall? Journal of Rheumatology, 28(10), 2305–2309.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCrory, E., De Brito, S. A., & Viding, E. (2010). Research Review: The neurobiology and genetics of maltreatment and adversity. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51(10), 1079–1095.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGloin, J. M., & Widom, C. S. (2001). Resilience among abused and neglected children grown up. Development and Psychopathology, 13(4), 1021–1038.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meaney, M. J., Bhatnagar, S., Larocque, S., McCormick, C. M., Shanks, N., Sharma, S., … Plotsky, P. M. (1996). Early environment and the development of individual differences in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress response. In C. R. Pfeffer (Ed.), Severe stress and mental disturbance in children (pp. 85–127). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Merrill, L. L., Newell, C. E., Thomsen, C. J., Gold, S. R., Milner, J. S., Koss, M. P., & Rosswork, S. G. (1999). Childhood abuse and sexual revictimization in a female Navy recruit sample. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 12, 211–225.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mersky, J. P., & Topitzes, J. (2010). Comparing early adult outcomes of maltreated and non-maltreated children: A prospective longitudinal investigation. Children and Youth Services Review, 32(8), 1086–1096.

    Google Scholar 

  • Messman, T. L., & Long, P. J. (1996). Child sexual abuse and its relationship to revictimization in adult women: A review. Clinical Psychology Review, 16(5), 397–420.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meston, C. M., Heiman, J. R., & Trapnell, P. D. (1999). The relation between early abuse and adult sexuality. Journal of Sex Research, 36, 385–395.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, B. A., & Downs, W. R. (1993). The impact of family violence on the use of alcohol by women. Alcohol Health and Research World, 17(2), 137–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, B. A., & Mancuso, R. F. (2004). Connecting childhood victimization to later alcohol/drug problems: Implications for prevention. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 25(2), 149–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, B. A., Maguin, E., & Downs, W. R. (1997). Alcohol, drugs, and violence in children’s lives. In M. Galanter (Ed.), Recent developments in alcoholism (Alcohol and violence: Epidemiology, neurobiology, psychology, family issues, Vol. 13, pp. 357–385). New York: Plenum Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, E., Heath, A. C., Madden, P. A., et al. (2002). Association between self-reported childhood sexual abuse and adverse psychosocial outcomes: Results from a twin study. Archives of General Psychiatry, 59(2), 139–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nikulina, V., Widom, C. S., & Czaja, S. (2011). The role of childhood neglect and childhood poverty in predicting mental health, academic achievement and crime in adulthood. American Journal of Community Psychology, 48(3–4), 309–321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noll, J. G., Trickett, P. K., & Putnam, F. W. (2003). A prospective investigation of the impact of childhood sexual abuse on the development of sexuality. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 575–586.

    Google Scholar 

  • Noll, J. G., Zeller, M. H., Trickett, P. K., & Putnam, F. W. (2007). Obesity risk for female victims of childhood sexual abuse: A prospective study. Pediatrics, 120, e61–e67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Offer, D., Kaiz, M., Howard, K. I., & Bennett, E. S. (2000). The altering of reported experiences. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, 735–742.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohene, S., Halcon, L., Ireland, M., Carr, P., & McNeely, C. (2005). Sexual abuse history, risk behavior, and sexually transmitted diseases: The impact of age at abuse. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 32, 358–363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pears, K. C., & Capaldi, D. M. (2001). Intergenerational transmission of abuse: A two-generational prospective study of an at-risk sample. Child Abuse & Neglect, 25(11), 1439–1461.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perez, C. M., & Widom, C. S. (1994). Childhood victimization and longterm intellectual and academic outcomes. Child Abuse & Neglect, 18(8), 617–633.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry, B. D., & Pollard, R. (1998). Homeostasis, stress, trauma, and adaptation: A neurodevelopmental view of childhood trauma. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 7, 33–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raphael, K. G. (1987). Recall bias: A proposal for assessment and control. International Journal of Epidemiology, 16(2), 167–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renner, L. M., & Slack, K. S. (2006). Intimate partner violence and child maltreatment: Understanding intra-and intergenerational connections. Child Abuse & Neglect, 30, 599–617.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rich, C. L. (1990). Accuracy of adults’ reports of abuse in childhood. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 147(10), 1389–1390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, A. L., Gilman, S. E., Breslau, J. B., & Koenen, K. C. (2011). Race/ethnic differences in exposure to traumatic events, development of post-traumatic stress disorder, and treatment-seeking for post-traumatic stress disorder in the United States. Psychological Medicine: A Journal of Research in Psychiatry and the Allied Sciences, 41(1), 71–83.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogosch, F. A., & Cicchetti, D. (1994). Illustrating the interface of family and peer relations through the study of child maltreatment. Social Development, 3, 291–308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roth, T. L., & Champagne, F. A. (Eds.). (2012). Epigenetic pathways and the consequences of adversity and trauma. (pp. 23–48) In Widom, C. S. (Ed.), Trauma, psychopathology, and violence: Causes, consequences or correlates? New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saewyc, E. M., Bearinger, L. H., Blum, R. W., & Resnick, M. D. (1999). Sexual intercourse, abuse, and pregnancy among adolescent women: Does sexual orientation make a difference. Family Planning Perspective, 31, 127–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sameroff, A. J., & Fiese, B. H. (2000). Transactional regulation: The developmental ecology of early intervention. In J. P. Shonkoff & S. J. Meisels (Eds.), Handbook of early childhood interventions (pp. 138–159). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sappington, A. A., Pharr, R., Tunstall, A., & Rickert, E. (1997). Relationships among child abuse, date abuse, and psychological problems. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 53(4), 319–329.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaaf, K. K., & McCanne, T. R. (1998). Relationship of childhood sexual, physical, and combined sexual and physical abuse to adult victimization and posttraumatic stress disorder. Child Abuse & Neglect, 22(11), 1119–1133.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schuck, A. M., & Widom, C. S. (2005). Understanding the role of neighborhood context in the long-term criminal consequences of child maltreatment. American Journal of Community Psychology, 36(3/4), 207–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Senn, T. E., Carey, M. P., Vanable, P. A., Coury-Doniger, P., & Urban, M. A. (2006). Childhood sexual abuse and sexual risk behavior among men and women attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 720–731.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sidebotham, P., Golding, J., & Team, A. S. (2001). Child maltreatment in the “children of the nineties”. A longitudinal study of parental risk factors. Child Abuse & Neglect, 25(9), 1177–1200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simpson, T. L., & Miller, W. R. (2002). Concomitance between childhood sexual and physical abuse and substance use problems: A review. Clinical Psychology Review, 22, 27–77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, C., & Thornberry, T. P. (1995). The relationship between childhood maltreatment and adolescent involvement in delinquency. Criminology, 33(4), 451–481.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steele, B. F., & Pollock, C. D. (1968). A psychiatric study of parents who abuse infants and small children. In C. H. Kempe & R. E. Helfer (Eds.), The battered child (pp. 103–147). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg, K. J., Lamb, M. E., Guterman, E., & Abbott, C. B. (2006). Effects of early and later family violence on children’s behavior problems and depression: A longitudinal, multi-informant perspective. Child Abuse & Neglect, 30, 283–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stith, S. M., Liu, T., Davies, L. C., Boykin, E. L., Alder, M. C., Harris, J. M., Som, A., McPherson, M., & Dees, J. E. M. E. G. (2009). Risk factors in child maltreatment: A meta-analytic review of the literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 14, 13–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stouthamer-Loeber, M., Loeber, R., Homish, D. L., & Wei, E. (2001). Maltreatment of boys and the development of disruptive and delinquent behavior. Development and Psychopathology, 13, 941–955.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suomi, S. J. (1991). Early stress and adult emotional reactivity in rhesus monkeys. In G. Bock & J. Whelan (Eds.), Childhood environment and adult disease (pp. 171–188). Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suomi, S. J. (1999). Early stress and adult emotional reactivity in rhesus monkeys. In J. S. P. R. Cassidy (Ed.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (pp. 181–197). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamang, A. (2005). A study of trafficked Nepalese girls and women in Mumbai and Kolkata, India. Kathmandu: Terre des homes Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taubes, G. (2007, September 16). Do we reallly know what makes us healthy? New York Times Magazine, Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

  • Taylor, A., & Kim-Cohen, J. (2007). Meta-analysis of gene-environment interactions in developmental psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 19, 1029–1037.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, R. (2006). Exploring the link between maternal history of childhood victimization and child risk of maltreatment. Journal of Trauma Practice, 5, 57–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornberry, T. P., Ireland, T. O., & Smith, C. A. (2001). The importance of timing: The varying impact of childhood and adolescent maltreatment on multiple problem outcomes. Development and Psychopathology, 13, 957–979.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornberry, T. P., Knight, K. E., & Lovegrove, P. J. (2012). Does maltreatment beget maltreatment? A systematic review of the intergenerational literature. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 13(3), 135–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tjaden, P., Thoennes, N., & Allison, C. J. (1999). Brief report: Comparing violence over the life span in samples of same-sex and opposite-sex cohabitants. Violence and Victims, 14, 413–425.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomeo, M. E., Templer, D. L., Anderson, S., & Kotler, D. (2001). Comparative data of childhood adolescence molestation in heterosexual and homosexual persons. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 30, 535–541.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tout, K., de Haan, M., Campbell, E. K., & Gunnar, M. R. (1998). Social behavior correlates of cortisol activity in child care: Gender differences and time-of-day effects. Child Development, 69(5), 1247–1262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trickett, P. K., Noll, J. G., & Putnam, F. W. (2011). The impact of sexual abuse on female development: Lessons from a multigenerational, longitudinal research study. Development and Psychopathology, 23, 453–476.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vythilingam, M., Heim, C., Newport, J., Miller, A. H., Anderson, E., Bronen, R., … Bremner, J. D. (2002). Childhood trauma associated with smaller hippocampal volume in women with major depression. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 159, 2072–2080.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiler, B. L., & Widom, C. S. (1996). Psychopathy and violent behaviour in abused and neglected young adults. Criminal Behavior and Mental Health, 6, 253–271.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, H. R., Widom, C. S., & Chen, P.-H. (2007). Congruence between adolescents’ self-reports and their adult retrospective reports regarding parental discipline practices during their adolescence. Psychological Reports, 101, 1079–1094.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S. (1989a). Does violence beget violence? A critical examination of the literature. Psychological Bulletin, 106(1), 3–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S. (1989b). The cycle of violence. Science, 244, 160–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S. (1998). Childhood victimization: Early adversity and subsequent psychopathology. In B. P. Dohrenwend (Ed.), Adversity, stress, and psychopathology (pp. 81–95). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S. (1999). Posttraumatic stress disorder in abused and neglected children grown up. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 156(8), 1223–1229.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S., & Brzustowicz, L. M. (2006). MAOA and the “cycle of violence”: Childhood abuse and neglect, MAOA genotype, and risk for violent and antisocial behavior. Biological Psychiatry, 60(7), 684–689.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S., & Hiller-Strumhofel, S. (2001). Alcohol abuse as a risk factor for and consequence of child abuse. Alcohol Research & Health, 25(1), 52–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S., & Kuhns, J. B. (1996). Childhood victimization and subsequent risk for promiscuity, prostitution, and teenage pregnancy: A prospective study. American Journal of Public Health, 86, 1607–1612.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S., Ireland, T., & Glynn, P. J. (1995). Alcohol abuse in abused and neglected children followed-up: Are they at increased risk? Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 56, 207–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S., Weiler, B. L., & Cottler, L. B. (1999). Childhood victimization and drug abuse: A comparison of prospective and retrospective findings. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67(6), 867–880.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S., Marmorstein, N. R., & White, H. R. (2006). Childhood victimization and illicit drug use in middle adulthood. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 20(4), 394–403.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S., DuMont, K., & Czaja, S. J. (2007a). A prospective investigation of major depressive disorder and comorbidity in abused and neglected children grown up. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64(1), 49–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S., White, H. R., Czaja, S. J., & Marmorstein, N. R. (2007b). Long-term effects of child abuse and neglect on alcohol use and excessive drinking in middle adulthood. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 68(3), 317–326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S., Czaja, S. J., & Dutton, M. A. (2008). Childhood victimization and lifetime revictimization. Child Abuse & Neglect, 32, 785–796.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S., Czaja, S., Bentley, T., & Johnson, M. S. (2012a). A prospective investigation of physical health outcomes in abused and neglected children: New findings from a 30-year follow-up. American Journal of Public Health, 102(6), 1135–1144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Widom, C. S., Czaja, S., Wilson, H. W., Allwood, M., & Chauhan, P. (2012b). Do the long-term consequences of neglect differ for children of different races and ethnic backgrounds? Child Maltreatment. doi:10.1177/1077559512460728. published online 16 October 2012.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilsnack, S. C., Vogeltanz, N. D., Klassen, A. D., & Harris, T. R. (1997). Childhood sexual abuse and women’s substance abuse: National survey findings. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 58(3), 264–271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, H. W., & Widom, C. S. (2009a). The role of youth problem behaviors in the path from child abuse and neglect to prostitution: A prospective examination. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 20(1), 210–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, H. W., & Widom, C. S. (2009b). Sexually transmitted diseases among abused and neglected children grown up: A 30-year prospective study. American Journal of Public Health, 99(S1), S197–203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, H. W., & Widom, C. S. (2010). Does physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect in childhood increase the likelihood of same-sex sexual relationships and cohabitation? A prospective 30-year follow-up. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 39(1), 63–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wodarski, J. S., Kurtz, P. D., Gaudin, J. M., & Howing, P. T. (1990). Maltreatment and the school-age child: Major academic, socioemotional and adaptive outcomes. Social Work Research & Abstracts, 35(6), 506–513.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolfe, D. A. (1991). Preventing physical and emotional abuse of children. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zingraff, M. T., Leiter, J., Myers, K. A., & Johnsen, M. (1993). Child maltreatment and youthful problem behavior. Criminology, 31, 173–202.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department, John Jay College and Graduate Center, City University of New York, 524 West 59th Street, Suite 10.63.03, New York, NY, 10019, USA

    Cathy Spatz Widom

Authors
  1. Cathy Spatz Widom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cathy Spatz Widom .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Arts and Sciences, Schubert Center for Child Studies, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

    Jill E. Korbin

  2. University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado, USA

    Richard D. Krugman

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Widom, C.S. (2014). Longterm Consequences of Child Maltreatment. In: Korbin, J., Krugman, R. (eds) Handbook of Child Maltreatment. Child Maltreatment, vol 2. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7208-3_12

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation