BACKGROUND:Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a major developmental risk factor for adolescent withdrawn behavior, yet empirical estimates vary substantially, and the mechanisms underlying this association remain insufficiently tested. OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to examine the robustness of the association between CM and withdrawn behavior using a multiverse approach and to test a longitudinal moderated mediation model with psychological resilience as a mediator and friendship quality as a moderator. PARTICIPANTS:Data were drawn from adolescents in Hebei Province, China. Study 1 included 1976 participants. Study 2 followed 1639 adolescents from the same cohort over approximately seven months. METHODS:Study 1 employed a multiverse analysis incorporating 80 plausible analytic specifications to assess the stability of the association between CM and withdrawn behavior. Study 2 used a longitudinal moderated mediation model to test the mediating role of psychological resilience and the moderating role of friendship quality. RESULTS:In Study 1, CM was associated with higher levels of withdrawn behavior across all 80 analytic specifications (median β = 0.17; NSRPD = 80/80; p < .001). In Study 2, CM was related to lower psychological resilience (β = -0.07, p = .006), which in turn was related to higher subsequent withdrawn behavior (β = -0.22, p < .001). Friendship quality significantly strengthened the negative association between psychological resilience and withdrawn behavior (β = -0.05, p = .049). CONCLUSIONS:The association between CM and adolescent withdrawn behavior was robust across analytic specifications. Psychological resilience mediated this association, and friendship quality strengthened the protective effect of psychological resilience.
BACKGROUND:While the association between child maltreatment and later mental illness is well established, less is known about whether this relationship extends intergenerationally. OBJECTIVE:To investigate intergenerational child protection service (CPS) contact and offspring mental disorder diagnoses across four familial patterns: no CPS contact, cycle breakers (parental CPS contact only), cycle initiators (offspring CPS contact only), and cycle maintainers (both generations). PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:The study used linked administrative data from >75,000 Australian children (birth to ∼18 years) and their parents. METHODS:Binary logistic regression models examined associations between intergenerational CPS patterns and offspring mental disorder diagnoses (internalizing, externalizing, neurodevelopmental disorders, self-harm/suicidal ideation) adjusting for socio-demographic indicators and parental history of mental illness. RESULTS:In adjusted models, offspring categorized as cycle breakers differed from offspring from families with no CPS contact for internalizing disorders (OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.14-2.03) and externalizing disorders (OR = 1.96, 95% CI = 1.37-2.83). Offspring classified into initiator and maintainer families were more likely to have all disorder types compared to offspring from families with no CPS contact; the largest ORs were for externalizing disorders (initiator, OR = 5.41, 95% CI = 4.91-5.97; maintainer, OR = 8.82, 95% CI = 7.6010.23) and self-harm/suicidal ideation (initiator, OR = 5.21, 95% CI = 4.66-5.82; maintainer, OR = 7.82, 95% CI = 6.54-9.35). CONCLUSIONS:Cycle breaker families and families with no CPS contact had similarly low levels of mental disorder across diagnosis type. Findings show a strong association between child maltreatment victimization and mental illness, underscoring the importance of early, targeted intervention to inform child protection and mental health policy.
BACKGROUND:Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with mental disorders and suicidal behavior but less is known about their relationship with psychosocial recovery after a suicide attempt in Latin American adults. OBJECTIVE:To examine associations between ACE-IQ exposure and multidimensional psychosocial recovery among adults with a documented suicide attempt. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:The analytic sample included 1044 adults reported to the departmental surveillance system for suicidal behavior in Caldas, Colombia, 2023-2025. METHODS:Thirteen ACE categories were analyzed as any exposure, cumulative count, specific exposure types, and latent profiles. Outcomes included depression, persistent suicidal ideation, loneliness, subjective well-being, resilience, sense of community, continuity of care, and theory-informed composite recovery indices. Regression models adjusted for life-course group, year of attempt, marital status, educational level, number of children, sex, procedence, previous suicide attempts, and chronic disease. RESULTS:Any ACE exposure was reported by 51.4% of participants. 46.8% had no reattempts, 26.0% had one, and 27.2% had two or more. ACE accumulation correlated with lower global recovery (rho = -0.41) and higher symptom (rho = 0.44). Each additional ACE category was associated with lower global recovery (B = -2.18, 95% CI [-2.49, -1.86]) and higher symptom burden (B = 1.85, 95% CI [1.52, 2.18]). Emotional abuse/bullying and emotional-relational polyadversity profiles showed the poorest recovery. Emotional abuse, neglect, and bullying were the most consistent category-level associations. CONCLUSIONS:Childhood adversity was associated with poorer multidimensional recovery after suicide attempt. Screening should consider cumulative burden and relational-emotional adversity patterns, not only single ACE categories.
BACKGROUND:Emerging research has documented the intergenerational effect of parental childhood maltreatment on children's aggressive behaviors, including physical and relational aggression. However, existing research on mediating mechanisms has largely been confined to individual-level analyses, overlooking the dyadic dynamics between mothers and fathers. OBJECTIVE:The present study examined whether parental corporal punishment mediated the association between parents' childhood physical maltreatment (CPM) and child aggression using the actor-partner interdependence mediation model (APIMeM). PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:A sample of 309 mother-father dyads and their preschool children (aged 3-6 years) was recruited from mainland China. METHODS:Data were collected across two time points separated by a six-month interval. At T1, both parents completed retrospective reports of their own childhood physical maltreatment and self-reports of their current use of corporal punishment. At T2, children's physical and relational aggression were assessed via peer nominations. The proposed mediation model was tested using the APIMeM framework, with indirect effects evaluated via bootstrapping procedures. RESULTS:Both maternal and paternal CPM were positively associated with their own use of corporal punishment (actor effects) as well as their partner's use of corporal punishment (partner effects). In turn, greater use of corporal punishment by both parents at T1 was linked to higher levels of physical and relational aggression in children at T2. CONCLUSIONS:The findings suggest that parental corporal punishment serves as a key dyadic mediator in the pathway from parental CPM to child aggression, highlighting the importance of considering interdependent family dynamics in understanding the intergenerational transmission of risk.
BACKGROUND:Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poorer mental health across the life course. However, research examining ACEs during the transition to parenthood has largely focused on mothers, with limited evidence on fathers. OBJECTIVE:To examine associations between cumulative and specific ACEs and mental health and wellbeing among first-time fathers during the first year after their child's birth. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:Participants were 718 first-time fathers (Mage = 34.69 years; SD = 6.98 years) drawn from the Ten to Men Study, a population-representative cohort of Australian men. METHODS:Fathers retrospectively reported ACEs using the ACE-10 questionnaire and completed measures of depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), problematic alcohol use (AUDIT), and wellbeing (Personal Wellbeing Index). Generalised linear models estimated associations between exposure to ACEs and outcomes, adjusting for study wave and demographic covariates. Models also examined independent associations between specific ACE types and outcome measures. RESULTS:Compared with fathers reporting no ACEs, those reporting 2-3 ACEs showed higher depressive and anxiety symptoms and lower wellbeing, with stronger effects observed for those reporting ≥4 ACEs (all p < .05). Cumulative ACE exposure was not significantly associated with problematic alcohol use. Childhood sexual abuse, feeling unloved, and verbal abuse were independently associated with higher depression and anxiety and poorer wellbeing, while household substance use predicted higher problematic alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS:ACEs are associated with poorer mental health and wellbeing among first-time fathers. Identifying fathers with childhood adversity histories may help inform early prevention and intervention efforts during the transition to parenthood.
OBJECTIVE:This study examines joint trajectories of depression and anxiety from pregnancy to three years postpartum. We further investigate whether childhood maltreatment (CM) and intimate partner violence (IPV) predict these trajectories, and how the trajectories are associated with maternal quality of life. METHODS:A cohort of 340 pregnant women was recruited in Hong Kong and assessed at 20-24 weeks gestation, 4 weeks postpartum, and 3 years postpartum. Participants self-reported depressive and anxiety symptoms at each assessment point. At baseline, they retrospectively reported their own history of childhood maltreatment. They also reported their experiences of IPV victimization throughout the study period, and quality of life at the 3 years postpartum. Distinct joint trajectories of depression and anxiety were analyzed using the parallel-process latent class growth analysis. Logistic and linear regressions were employed to examine key factors of trajectories and associations with quality of life, respectively. RESULTS:Three distinct joint trajectories emerged: a Resilience group characterized by consistently low depression and anxiety symptoms (76.2%), a Recovery group characterized by initially elevated but decreasing symptoms (18.5%), and a Relapsing group characterized by symptoms that decreased after childbirth but increased again at 3 years postpartum (5.3%). Higher CM increased the likelihood of belonging to the Recovery (OR = 1.46, p<0.01) or Relapsing groups (OR = 2.09, p<0.001) compared to the Resistance group after adjusting key confounders. IPV during pregnancy was associated with the Relapsing trajectory (OR = 2.77, p<0.05) in the unadjusted models. Women in the Relapsing group reported significantly lower mental (β = -0.32, p<0.001) and physical (β = -0.19, p<0.001) quality of life at 3 years postpartum adjusting key confounders. CONCLUSIONS:Regular screening for depressive and anxiety symptoms from pregnancy through the postpartum period is essential. Identifying distinct symptom trajectories and their risk factors, such as CM and IPV, is crucial for providing targeted interventions to women at greater risk.
BACKGROUND:Paternal incarceration is associated with child maltreatment. However, clarity on its influence across types is needed. Additionally, maltreatment exposures may co-occur and how paternal incarceration influences children's polyvictimization is not yet known. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the influences of paternal incarceration on childhood emotional, physical, and sexual maltreatment by caregivers, as well as their exposure to multiple forms. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:Adolescents in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health were followed from Wave I (1994-5) (average age 15) into early adulthood at Wave 4 (2008-9) (ages 24-32) (n = 12,832). METHODS:Using respondent's age of their first maltreatment exposure and their age at first paternal incarceration, their experiences of childhood emotional, physical, and sexual maltreatment by caregivers were regressed on prior paternal incarceration and control variables. Respondent's childhood maltreatment polyvictimization was similarly analyzed. RESULTS:A robust association was found between paternal incarceration and respondent's risk of physical maltreatment (OR = 1.84, p < .001). Additionally, paternal incarceration increased repeated emotional maltreatment among girls (OR = 1.49, p < .001) but not among boys. Furthermore, paternal incarceration elevated respondent's exposure to two or more types of maltreatment (OR = 1.80, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS:Paternal incarceration is associated with children's risks of physical and emotional childhood maltreatment by caregivers, as well as their polyvictimization risks. Therefore, children in these circumstances are vulnerable to maltreatment, a finding of import to practitioners and policymakers.
BACKGROUND:Allostatic load is a multisystem composite measure that quantifies the cumulative physiological wear and tear caused by chronic stress, often traceable to early life, where adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) serve as a key risk factor. OBJECTIVE:This study aims to identify distinct co-occurring patterns of ACEs, examine their relationship with allostatic load later in life, and investigate potential buffering mechanisms. METHODS:Data were from 2090 adults (age range 25-84, M = 53.019, SD = 12.556; 45.3% male) in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) database. ACEs were assessed using the validated Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; allostatic load was operationalized as a composite index with 24 biomarkers across cardiovascular, immune, neuroendocrine, and metabolic systems. RESULTS:Five distinct profiles emerged: no adversity (50.96%), mild emotional neglect (7.27%), mild emotional neglect and sexual abuse (7.42%), emotional neglect and emotional abuse (25.26%), and multiple adversity (9.09%). Compared with no adversity, emotional neglect and emotional abuse (b = 0.138, SE = 0.063, p < 0.05) and multiple adversity (b = 0.345, SE = 0.090, p < 0.001) were associated with higher allostatic load later in life. Purpose in life was associated with lower allostatic load (b = -0.009, SE = 0.004, p < 0.01) but did not serve as a buffer. CONCLUSIONS:ACEs frequently co-occur, and individuals exposed to multiple types of adversity are at the greatest risk of physiological dysregulation. Purpose in life may function more as a promoting factor than as a protective buffer in associations between ACEs and physiological functioning.
BACKGROUND:Emotional maltreatment (i.e., emotional abuse and emotional neglect) correlates significantly with traditional bullying perpetration and victimization in children; however, little is known about the co-developmental trajectories of these two forms of emotional maltreatment and their relations to traditional bullying. OBJECTIVE:This study examined gender-specific trajectories of emotional abuse and emotional neglect through parallel process latent class growth modeling and their relations to traditional bullying perpetration and victimization. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:The baseline sample included 2080 fourth-grade Chinese elementary school children (55.3% boys; Mage = 10.18, SD = 0.60). METHODS:Participants completed assessments of emotional abuse, emotional neglect, traditional bullying perpetration, and victimization on five occasions, with six-month intervals between assessments. RESULTS:Four trajectories were identified for boys: congruently low-decreasing (51.13%), low-decreasing emotional abuse & moderate-stable emotional neglect (28.76%), congruently moderate-increasing (10.97%), and low-stable emotional abuse & high-stable emotional neglect (9.14%). For girls, three trajectories were revealed: congruently low-decreasing (70.55%), low-stable emotional abuse & moderate-stable emotional neglect (20.28%), and moderate-increasing emotional abuse & moderate-stable emotional neglect (9.17%). Children in the congruently moderate-increasing group for boys and the moderate-increasing emotional abuse & moderate-stable emotional neglect group for girls showed the highest risk for traditional bullying perpetration and victimization. Compared with girls, boys exhibited a stronger relation between the trajectories of emotional maltreatment and traditional bullying. CONCLUSION:Findings elucidated statistically significant relations between the gender-specific trajectories of emotional maltreatment and traditional bullying, emphasizing the importance of differing interventions for subgroups to mitigate traditional bullying.
BACKGROUND:Childhood exposure to intimate partner violence (CEIPV) is a serious form of developmental trauma with lasting effects on emotional regulation, relational functioning, and identity formation. While much research emphasizes risk and pathology, less is known about how adolescents interpret these early experiences and construct resilience. OBJECTIVE:To explore how adolescents exposed to IPV in early childhood make sense of their experiences and articulate resilience through personal narratives. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:Twenty-one adolescents (aged 13-18) residing in the Abha region of Saudi Arabia participated. All had documented or self-reported exposure to IPV before age 10 and were engaged in community-based psychosocial or youth programs. METHODS:A descriptive phenomenological design guided in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Colaizzi's seven-step method was used for thematic analysis. Interviews were conducted in Arabic, transcribed, translated, and validated through member checking and peer debriefing. RESULTS:Four major themes emerged: (1) Remembering Through Fragments, trauma stored somatically rather than narratively; (2) Becoming My Own Safe Space, emotional self-reliance and boundary setting; (3) Telling My Story, Taking My Power, voice as healing and advocacy; and (4) Resilience Rooted in Connection, relationships, culture, and faith as protective factors. Storytelling facilitated both individual transformation and a desire for peer support and change-making. CONCLUSIONS:Adolescents are not passive witnesses to IPV but meaning-makers and emerging advocates. Trauma-informed, culturally grounded interventions should center youth voice and foster relational, narrative, and spiritual pathways to healing. Anchored in ecological systems theory, trauma-informed principles, and narrative approaches to resilience, this study positions adolescents' own accounts as primary evidence for understanding how young people exposed to intimate partner violence construct meaning, agency, and recovery in a culturally specific context.
BACKGROUND:Moral distress occurs when professionals know the ethically appropriate action to take but are unable to do so due to constraints. U.S. child welfare workers, who operate under multiple constraints, are at high risk for moral distress. However, current measures do not sufficiently capture sources of moral distress specific to this profession. OBJECTIVE:This study evaluated the factorial validity, reliability, and measurement invariance of the Measure of Moral Distress for Child Welfare (MMD-CW; 13 items). PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:The study used survey data from 1452 child welfare workers (48% Black or African American; 45% White). METHODS:Bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling was conducted to determine the factor structure of the MMD-CW. Measurement invariance across racial groups was tested sequentially. RESULTS:The MMD-CW includes a general moral distress factor (12 items) and two distinct yet related sources of moral distress at the organization (7 items) and team (5 items) levels. The MMD-CW demonstrated good reliability for the general and two specific factors and showed the dimensional uniqueness of moral distress. Partial residual measurement invariance was achieved across racial groups. Workers of color reported higher team-level distress but lower organization-level distress than White workers. CONCLUSIONS:Findings support the use of the MMD-CW as a valid and reliable tool for assessing the complexity of moral distress among child welfare workers and for informing research and practice aimed at addressing moral distress in child welfare.
BACKGROUND:Bullying victimization is prevalent among adolescents and adversely affects their mental health and social adjustment. Although studies have examined how family environment and parenting styles are associated with bullying victimization, the specific role of childhood psychological maltreatment and its related psychological processes have not been adequately tested. OBJECTIVE:The present study examined the association between childhood psychological maltreatment and adolescent bullying victimization, as well as the mediating role of core self-evaluation and the moderating role of friendship quality. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:A total of 820 valid questionnaires were collected from a sample of Grade 10 students in a high school in Shandong Province, China, of whom 806 were included in the final analyses. METHODS:Using a cross-sectional survey design, participants completed measures of childhood psychological maltreatment, core self-evaluation, friendship quality, and bullying victimization. Data were analyzed with SPSS 26.0 using the PROCESS macro to test a moderated mediation model. RESULTS:Findings revealed that childhood psychological maltreatment was significantly and positively associated with adolescent bullying victimization; core self-evaluation partially mediated the relationship between childhood psychological maltreatment and bullying victimization; and friendship quality moderated the association between childhood psychological maltreatment and bullying victimization, such that the association was weaker at higher friendship quality. CONCLUSIONS:This study supported a theoretically informed pattern of associations linking childhood psychological maltreatment, core self-evaluation, friendship quality, and bullying victimization. These findings may deepen understanding of the factors associated with adolescents' bullying victimization and provide preliminary insights for family- and school-based prevention and intervention programs.
BACKGROUND:Although studies have revealed the association between childhood emotional maltreatment and adolescents' social behavior, there remains a lack of integrative examination of both relationship-enhancing and relationship-damaging behavioral orientations, namely prosocial behavior and bullying involvement, particularly within the Chinese context. The potential dynamic relationships among them remain insufficiently understood. OBJECTIVE:This study aims to examine dynamic associations among childhood emotional maltreatment, prosocial behavior, and bullying involvement, and to explore their developmental patterns. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:A total of 1214 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 15.46 ± 0.71; 60.71% male) were followed across three waves. METHODS:Cross-lagged panel network analysis was conducted using R version 4.5.2. RESULTS:The results showed that: (1) a stable cascading structure emerged within the prosocial behavior cluster, with altruistic prosocial behavior exerting stronger influence and relational prosocial behavior showing higher predictability; (2) The bullying involvement cluster exhibited a diffusion pattern, in which multiple early bullying behaviors promoted the development of bullying perpetration, while later bullying victimization further activated other forms of bullying and ultimately converged into cyberbullying victimization; (3) In cross-cluster associations, early emotional neglect weakened the development of multiple forms of prosocial behavior, common-weal-social rule prosocial behavior showed a buffering effect, whereas cyberbullying victimization amplified the negative effects of emotional abuse and emotional neglect; (4) In later development, trait-based prosocial behavior gradually demonstrated a protective effect against various adverse experiences. CONCLUSIONS:Childhood emotional maltreatment undermines the development of prosocial behavior, while prosocial behavior and bullying involvement follow distinct developmental patterns across adolescence.
Mandatory Reporting (MR) is a range of regulations that, in its simplest form, mandate the reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect to state authorities and is widely implemented globally. Despite the common usage of the term MR, it masks significant divergences in goals and operational definitions. This paper discusses data from previous studies and official records to understand the various elements used and how responsibilities for protecting children are conceptualized. The paper highlights three main areas of focus for the MR regulations: children's focus (children's rights, child protection, and child intervention); professionals' focus (training and supervision); and the public's focus (crime detection and cultural changes toward safeguarding). Research regarding MR can identify different legal frameworks, give insight into the concept, and identify the reporting practice. This approach guards against 'all or nothing' and seeks to discuss the different aspects under MR regulation, as well as to suggest angles for further research, changes, and reforms.
Background Teacher violence refers to the use of power by teachers to harm students. Although this phenomenon is prevalent in China, empirical research on teacher-perpetrated violence remains limited. Objective This study aims to examine the 12-month prevalence and related risk factors for teacher violence in Chinese secondary schools using a cross-sectional survey design. Participants and setting A total of 593 secondary school students from Pengzhou, Sichuan Province, participated in the study. Methods Hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations among teacher violence, demographic variables, peer support, family functioning, and psychological distress. Results The overall prevalence of teacher violence was 36.42%, with physical violence being the most commonly reported type (29.01%), followed by psychological violence (19.73%) and sexual violence (5.23%). Younger age, poorer family functioning, and lower peer support were associated with greater exposure to teacher violence. Notably, the association between family functioning and teacher violence was no longer significant after controlling for students' psychological distress, suggesting that this relationship may be mediated by psychological distress. Conclusions These findings are consistent with polyvictimization theory, indicating that students with poorer family functioning and lower peer support are more likely to experience teacher violence, with psychological distress potentially serving as a mediator. The results underscore the urgent need for effective prevention and intervention strategies targeting teacher violence in Chinese school settings.
BACKGROUND:Childhood maltreatment has been associated with sexual risk behavior in early adulthood, yet less is known about its relationship with sexual protection behavior. Prior research has also rarely distinguished the timing, typological, and cumulative dimensions of maltreatment or examined the mechanisms linking these dimensions to later protective behavior. OBJECTIVE:This study examined the associations of the timing, type, and cumulative dimensions of childhood maltreatment with sexual protection behavior in early adulthood and assessed the mediating role of adolescent impulsivity. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:Data were drawn from 934 participants across five waves of the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, with assessments in childhood (ages 3, 5, and 9), adolescence (age 15), and early adulthood (age 22). METHODS:Sexual protection behavior was measured as whether the respondent or their partner was currently using a condom, another form of protection, or birth control. Logistic regression models and bias-corrected bootstrap analyses were used. RESULTS:Maltreatment at ages 3 and 9 was associated with a lower likelihood of sexual protection behavior at age 22, whereas the corresponding estimates at age 5 did not reach statistical significance. Emotional maltreatment showed numerically larger negative estimates than physical maltreatment. Cumulative burden across maltreatment types at ages 3 and 9 and cumulative exposure across developmental periods were also significantly associated with the outcome. Significant indirect associations through impulsivity at age 15 were observed between all examined maltreatment dimensions and the outcome. CONCLUSIONS:Childhood maltreatment was associated with a lower likelihood of sexual protection behavior in early adulthood, with descriptive variations observed across developmental timing and maltreatment dimensions. Adolescent impulsivity may represent one potential pathway underlying these associations.
BACKGROUND:Child sex offenders employ specific strategies to groom children online for sexual abuse, often involving covert use of deception and emotional manipulation to build trust. Research often narrowly focuses on children's experiences of unwanted solicitation from adults, but misses experiences of covert grooming strategies and those where offenders pose as children-which may be difficult to identify and potentially increases risk of abuse. OBJECTIVE:This study examined the extent to which Australian children encounter a range of grooming and solicitation strategies from strangers online, and assessed their interpretations, responses and risk factors. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING:Participants (N = 304) aged 10-17, proportionally representing the broader Australian population, took part in an online survey. METHODS:The survey measured communication experiences related to 12 grooming and solicitation strategies from strangers, including comfort levels, perceived communicator age, and responses. It also assessed relationships with individual factors, digital engagements and safety practices. RESULTS:Nearly 66% experienced grooming-related communication, and 31% experienced solicitation. Experiences of specific strategies ranged from 15% (external enticements) to 54% (risk assessment). Participants mostly perceived this communication as neither comfortable nor uncomfortable, coming from another child, and responded by doing nothing or restricting the communicator. Increased digital engagement, especially posting media, was strongly linked to experiences of grooming and solicitation communication (ηp2 up to .157). No link was found with implementing digital safety practices, including parental mediation and privacy measures. CONCLUSIONS:Findings highlight the high prevalence of grooming and solicitation-related communications received by Australian children online. Implications for educational interventions are discussed.
Background Little empirical research exists on child welfare outcomes of Indigenous children in the US. Objective To determine if cases involving Indigenous children have higher odds of substantiation and child removal compared to cases involving non-Hispanic White children when controlling for public assistance, caregiver substance use, domestic violence, child demographics, and allegation types. Participants & settings Child welfare cases from Oklahoma reported in the federal fiscal year 2019 National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System's child file. Methods Cases were classified as involving children who were either non-Hispanic White, Indigenous alone, or Indigenous along with other ethnoracial identities (i.e., Indigenous and White, Indigenous and Black, etc.). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression with clustering were conducted with a significance threshold of p < 0.05. Results Lower odds of substantiation were observed for cases involving Indigenous and White children (AOR: 0.91, 95%CI: 0.85, 0.97). Higher odds of removal were observed for cases involving Indigenous and White (AOR: 1.18, 95%CI: 1.07, 1.31), Hispanic, Indigenous, and White (AOR: 1.53, 95%CI: 1.25, 1.88), Indigenous, White, and Black (AOR: 1.64, 95%CI: 1.28, 2.10), Hispanic, Indigenous, White, and NHOPI (AOR: 5.15, 95%CI: 2.46, 10.77), Indigenous and Black (AOR: 1.41, CI: 1.03, 1.93), and Hispanic, Indigenous (AOR: 1.54, 95%CI: 1.13, 2.09) children. Conclusion A better picture of Indigenous child welfare outcomes was obtained by disaggregating multiracial data including lower odds of substantiation and higher odds of removal for specific Indigenous subgroups.
PURPOSE:This study examines the psychometric properties of the Sex Offense Grooming Assessment (SOGA), a new measure assessing sexual grooming of children. METHODS:Following pilot testing with individuals who committed sexual harm (Masked for Review, 2023), the SOGA was revised and administered to 73 therapists in the United States, assessing 171 adult clients who had sexually harmed 415 children (N = 171). RESULTS:Psychometric analysis supported a reliable 39-item instrument with six subscales: (1) Sexual Normalization, (2) Coercion, Threats, and Force, (3) Online/Technology-Assisted Grooming, (4) Desensitization and Deception, (5) Bribery, and (6) Exploitation of Environment and Relationships. Redundant items from the pilot study were removed, resulting in a more efficient and user-friendly measure while maintaining comprehensive coverage of grooming strategies. DISCUSSION:The SOGA provides a reliable tool for forensic interviewers and mental health clinicians to assess grooming behaviors in individuals who have caused sexual harm. By systematically identifying key grooming strategies, this measure enhances clinical assessments, risk evaluations, and interventions aimed at preventing further harm. Its standardized approach also supports research efforts to better understand the nuances of sexual grooming, contributing to the current body of knowledge in forensic and therapeutic settings. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT:The SOGA offers forensic interviewers and evaluators an empirically supported measure to identify grooming strategies. By capturing both offline and online tactics, it enhances accuracy in risk assessments, informs protective decision-making, and supports prevention of further sexual harm.
Background Extant literature indicates that childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with adverse intergenerational outcomes, including a heightened risk of CM exposure in the next generation. Research findings also suggest that attachment may play a central role in this phenomenon. Objectives To examine whether the intergenerational cycles of CM and insecure and disorganized attachment coexist, the current study aimed to investigate: 1) whether parents' attachment mediates the association between severity of parental CM history and child exposure to maltreatment; 2) whether children's CM exposure mediates the association between parental CM history and child attachment. Participants and setting Participants were 79 mother-child dyads (32 girls, 47 boys, Mage = 5.31 years): 29 dyads followed by child protection services (CPS) and 50 dyads from a community sample. Methods Mothers responded to the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Attachment Multiple Model Interview. Children completed the Attachment Story Completion Task. Results Maternal CM exposure was associated with (i) children's CM exposure through maternal attachment insecurity and disorganization (β = 0.18, 95% bootstrap CI [0.05, 0.31]) and (ii) child attachment insecurity and disorganization through children's CM exposure (β = 0.16, 95% bootstrap CI [0.07, 0.28). Conclusions These findings provide preliminary evidence for a possible intertwining of intergenerational cycles of CM and insecure and disorganized attachment, highlighting the complex nature of these processes. They emphasize the need for trauma-informed child protection practice with children, but also parents, who have often themselves been exposed to CM, and highlight the importance of addressing attachment in both generations.
