Child Maltreatment and Children's Developmental Trajectories in Early to Middle Childhood. Issue 2 (17th December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Font, Sarah A.; Berger, Lawrence M.
• Is Part Of: Child development. Volume 86:Issue 2(2015)
• Page Start: 536
• Page End: 556
• Publication Date: 2014-12-17
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child Development -- Periodicals; Child Development; Pediatrics -- Periodicals; Pedicatrics; 305.231
• DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12322
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0009-3920

Abstract

Abstract : Associations between experiencing child maltreatment and adverse developmental outcomes are widely studied, yet conclusions regarding the extent to which effects are bidirectional, and whether they are likely causal, remain elusive. This study uses the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a birth cohort of 4, 898 children followed from birth through age 9. Hierarchical linear modeling and structural equation modeling are employed to estimate associations of maltreatment with cognitive and social‐emotional well‐being. Results suggest that effects of early childhood maltreatment emerge immediately, though developmental outcomes are also affected by newly occurring maltreatment over time. Additionally, findings indicate that children's early developmental scores predict their subsequent probability of experiencing maltreatment, though to a lesser extent than early maltreatment predicts subsequent developmental outcomes.