Suchergebnisse

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with an increased risk for school dropout. This study examined pathways from childhood adversity to school dropout through academic, behavioral, emotional, and social pathways. Data were collected prospectively from 728 adolescents and their caregivers who participated in the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect and from child protective services records. Path analyses revealed a direct association between ACEs and dropout, as well as indirect effects through poor reading achievement and elevated externalizing problems. ACEs were associated with elevated internalizing problems, which were negatively associated with dropout. However, ACEs were not associated with peer influences. Implications of the identified mechanisms in the ACEs and school dropout association for future preventive interventions are discussed.

This study aimed to prospectively identify ecological risk factors for juvenile arrest in a sample of youth at risk for maltreatment. Chi-Squared Automatic Interaction Detector analysis was performed with data from 592 youth from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect to identify the optimal combination of age 14 predictors of past-year arrest at age 16. Results extended previous research, which has identified being male, having more conduct disorder symptoms, suspension from school, perceived school importance, witnessing family violence, and having a jailed family member as key risk and protective factors for arrest by identifying important interactions among these risk factors. These interactions differentiate youth at the greatest risk of arrest, which, in this sample, were males with greater than two symptoms of conduct disorder who witnessed family violence. These findings suggest that longitudinal and multi-informant data could inform the refinement of actuarial risk assessments for juvenile arrest.

Parents who were abused as children are at increased risk for perpetuating maladaptive parenting practices, yet the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. This study prospectively examined maternal distress (a latent variable consisting of depressive symptoms and daily stress) and family violence as potential mediators in the intergenerational transmission of abusive (i.e., psychologically aggressive and physically assaultive) parenting. Participants included ( N = 768) mother-child dyads identified as being at-risk for family violence and maltreatment prior to children's age four. More maternal childhood abuse was associated with more distress and increased risk for family violence exposure in adulthood. However, only maternal distress mediated the association between mothers' history of abuse and their use of abusive parenting strategies. This study provides critical information about ecological mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of abusive parenting and suggests the importance of targeting depression and stress management among mothers with abuse histories to curtail the cycle of violence.