Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Feb;31(1):53-71.
doi: 10.1017/S0954579418001633.

The reproduction of child maltreatment: An examination of adolescent problem behavior, substance use, and precocious transitions in the link between victimization and perpetration

Megan Bears Augustyn  1 , Terence P Thornberry  2 , Kimberly L Henry  3
Affiliations

The reproduction of child maltreatment: An examination of adolescent problem behavior, substance use, and precocious transitions in the link between victimization and perpetration

Megan Bears Augustyn et al. Dev Psychopathol. 2019 Feb.

Abstract

Growing evidence suggests that maltreatment is reproduced across generations as victims of maltreatment are at an increased risk for maltreatment perpetration. Unfortunately, little information about mediating pathways exists to provide an explanation for why maltreatment begets maltreatment. We use the number of types of maltreatment experienced to predict later maltreatment perpetration and then examine two developmental pathways that may serve as bridges between maltreatment victimization and perpetration: adolescent problem behaviors and precocious transitions to adulthood. With prospective, longitudinal data from the Rochester Youth Development Study, we assess the relevance of these pathways for the number of maltreatment experiences as well as the number of maltreatment victimization experiences by developmental period (i.e., childhood and adolescence). Our results demonstrate a significant relationship between maltreatment victimization and maltreatment perpetration. Adolescent delinquency and two precocious transitions, dropping out of school and independent living, as well as the accumulation of precocious transitions and problem behaviors, serve as mediators of this intergenerational relationship. Furthermore, the relationship between the number of types of maltreatment and subsequent perpetration is primarily driven by experiences of maltreatment during adolescence. We discuss the implications of these results and set an agenda for the development of programs and policies to interrupt the cycle of maltreatment.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Mediation model of the cycle of maltreatment.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Achenbach TM (1991). Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist/4–18 and 1991 Profile Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychology.
    1. Alexander JF, & Robbins MS (2011). Functional family therapy New York: Springer.
    1. Allwood MA, & Widom CS (2013). Child abuse and neglect, developmental role attainment, and adult arrests. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 50, 551–578.
    1. Augustyn MB, Thornberry TP, & Krohn MD (2014). Gang membership and pathways to maladaptive parenting. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 24, 252–267. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Baron RM, & Kenny DA (1986). The moderator–mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms