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Dimensions of child maltreatment and their relationship to adolescent adjustment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2008

David A. Wolfe  and
Robin McGee
David A. Wolfe*
Affiliation:
Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children, The University of Western Ontario
Robin McGee
Affiliation:
The University of Western Ontario
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: David A. Wolfe, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5C2.
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Abstract

Research in the broad area of child maltreatment has investigated the effects of these phenomena globally and without much attempt to distinguish the nature and extent of such experiences. This study sought to examine the underlying structure of child maltreatment and relate this structure to current adolescent adjustment. A principal components analysis was conducted with 162 adolescents who had backgrounds of child maltreatment, using a comprehensive measure of such experiences at two developmental time periods (birth to 6 years, and 7–12 years). This analysis resulted in interpretable factors that were used to create scales measuring maltreatment in a continuous, nonredundant manner. These scales were used to test main and interaction effects of each type of maltreatment on current adjustment of adolescent males and females. For males (N = 71), the relationship between early maltreatment and adjustment was significantly enhanced when interactions between physical and psychological abuse and between partner abuse and neglect were entered into the equation. For females (N = 91), current adjustment was significantly related to the developmental period in which neglect or psychological abuse had occurred. Results are discussed in relation to measurement and theoretical issues.

Type
Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 6 , Issue 1 , Winter 1994 , pp. 165 - 181
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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