Previous research reports that offspring of parents with histories of childhood maltreatment are at increased risk for mental health problems, yet the mechanisms remain unclear. This study examines the extent to which parent psychopathology mediates the relationship between parent maltreatment history and offspring psychopathology. Using a prospective cohort design, individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment (ages 0 - 11 years) during 1967 - 1971 and demographically matched controls were followed into adulthood and first interviewed in 1989-1995 (N = 1,196). Offspring (N = 697, Mage = 22.8 years) were assessed in 2009 - 2010. A general p-factor structure and a model with specific latent constructs were tested. Structural equation modeling was used for mediation. The results indicated that only minor offspring of maltreated parents exhibited more symptoms of depression than offspring of controls. Parent psychopathology predicted offspring psychopathology. Parent depression and dysthymia predicted greater offspring depression, anxiety, PTSD, alcohol use, drug use, and marijuana use. Parent anxiety and alcohol and drug symptoms also predicted offspring alcohol symptoms. There was no evidence that parent psychopathology explained the relationship between a parent's history of maltreatment and their offspring's psychopathology. These new results suggest that reconsideration of some assumptions about the intergeneration impacts of maltreatment may be warranted.

Abstract INTRODUCTION Early childhood adversities, including childhood maltreatment, have been associated with dementia risk. Neighborhood disadvantage is associated with both child maltreatment and dementia risk and may, in part, explain the relationship between child maltreatment and dementia risk. METHODS Using data from a prospective cohort design study, children with documented cases of maltreatment during 1967 to 1971 and demographically matched controls were followed up and interviewed in adulthood. Neighborhood disadvantage was assessed at two developmental time points, ages 29 and 39. Dementia risk was operationalized using 11 risk factors assessed at mean age 41 from 2003 to 2005. RESULTS For the overall sample and White individuals, neighborhood disadvantage partially mediates the relationship between child maltreatment and dementia risk, but not for Black individuals. DISCUSSION Contextual factors are important for understanding relationships between early childhood risk factors and dementia risk later in life. However, research is needed to understand race differences in these relationships.

Abstract INTRODUCTION Childhood maltreatment is associated with increased risk for cognitive impairment. We examined whether psychosocial factors (socioeconomic status, education, depression, social support, social isolation) explained this relationship. METHODS In a prospective longitudinal study, children with documented histories of maltreatment and demographically matched controls were followed for over 30 years. Psychosocial variables were assessed in young adulthood (N = 1196, Mage = 29), and cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) was assessed in late midlife (N = 447, Mage = 59.4). Analyses included logistic regression and structural equation modeling. RESULTS Childhood maltreatment and higher levels of social isolation increased risk for CIND, whereas higher socioeconomic status (SES), education, and depression symptoms in young adulthood decreased risk for CIND. Social support was not associated with CIND. Education and SES partially mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and CIND. DISCUSSION Increasing educational opportunities for maltreated children may improve SES and reduce risk for CIND and dementia.

This cohort study whether childhood history of maltreatment is associated with late-midlife biological age.

BACKGROUND:Childhood maltreatment is a major public health concern in the U.S. and globally with long-term consequences for physical and mental health. Whether childhood maltreatment predicts problematic reproductive health outcomes is unknown as the existing literature reveals mixed results with a heavy reliance on retrospective studies, and of the very few prospective studies, follow-up does not extend beyond 21 years of age. This study leveraged a unique prospective cohort with court documented cases of childhood abuse and neglect and 30-years follow-up in middle adulthood on pregnancy-related reproductive health outcomes. OBJECTIVE:Conduct a rigorous, prospective study of associations between childhood maltreatment and reproductive health in middle adulthood, leveraging a unique prospective cohort, to overcome methodological weaknesses in previous studies that rely primarily on retrospective reports of childhood maltreatment. STUDY DESIGN:A prospective longitudinal follow-up of children aged 0-11 years with court documented cases of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect, from a U.S. Midwestern County (1967-1971) and a demographically matched comparison group (original study of 1575 children). At 30-years follow-up (2003-2005), 807 adult participants completed medical status examinations and comprehensive health interviews; the final sample includes N=426 (52.7%) females, based on biological sex at birth, who responded to a module on reproductive health. In regression analyses, we investigated whether childhood maltreatment (any exposure) and subtypes of childhood maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect) affected giving birth preterm or to low birth weight infants, infertility, teen pregnancy, and breastfeeding, and explored gravidity (number of pregnancies) and parity (number of live births). Covariates considered were demographic factors and physical health indicators previously associated with childhood maltreatment and reproductive health, including poor glycemic control (indicator of risk for diabetes), high body mass index (BMI), sexually transmitted infections and diseases (STIs and STDs), hepatitis C, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and smoking. RESULTS:At 30-years follow-up, participants were mean age=41.39 years (SD=3.58, range 32-49). Adjusting for age, race, employment, marital status, and high school education (selected based on group differences P<.05), the childhood maltreatment group had increased odds of giving birth to low birth weight infants (<5.5lbs; P<.05) and significantly higher gravidity (P<.05). By maltreatment subtype, the sexual abuse subgroup had increased odds for infertility (P<.05) and engagement with breastfeeding (P<.05), and the neglect subgroup had increased odds of giving birth to low birth weight infants (P<.01) and significantly higher gravidity (P<.05). Sensitivity analyses adjusting for poor glycemic control attenuated the associations. CONCLUSION:Childhood maltreatment influences reproductive health, in some instances leading to increased risk, such as infants born low birth weight, and in others leading to a positive health behavior, greater breastfeeding engagement. Maltreatment also led to higher gravidity (pregnancies) but not parity (live births), possibly indicating increased pregnancy loss. Poor glycemic control played an important role in understanding these associations, interpreted as possible chronic alterations in stress hormones affecting reproductive health. Findings suggest opportunity for trauma-responsive preventive interventions for individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment. Future research directions are the systematic examination of biological and behavioral mechanisms in these associations.

OBJECTIVE:Numerous studies have reported associations between child maltreatment and drug use and abuse. We ask whether internalizing and externalizing symptoms during young adulthood mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and illicit drug use and use of prescribed medications later in middle adulthood. METHOD:Using a prospective cohort design, a large group of court-substantiated cases of childhood maltreatment (ages 0-11) and demographically matched controls were followed into adulthood. Internalizing symptoms (depression and anxiety), externalizing symptoms (antisocial personality disorder), and drug abuse and dependence symptoms were assessed in young adulthood (M age = 29) in interviews during 1989-1995 (N = 1,196). Information about the use of illicit drugs and prescribed medications was obtained in middle adulthood in interviews during 2003-2005 (N = 807, M age = 41). Parallel mediation models were tested for depression and anxiety separately using path analysis. RESULTS:Childhood maltreatment predicted more internalizing and externalizing symptoms during young adulthood. Internalizing symptoms during young adulthood mediated the effect of childhood maltreatment on prescription drug use in middle adulthood. In contrast, externalizing symptoms mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and illicit drug use in middle adulthood, despite controls for drug abuse/dependence symptoms in young adulthood. CONCLUSIONS:These new findings suggest that efforts should be directed at reducing internalizing symptoms of anxiety and depression and externalizing symptoms in maltreated children to reduce the risk for drug use later in life. The unique mediating effects of internalizing versus externalizing symptoms on prescription drug and illicit drug use, respectively, suggest the need for tailored interventions for different kinds of drug use.

OBJECTIVE:The negative consequences of childhood maltreatment have been documented across multiple domains, including cognitive functioning in midlife. This study examined the impact of childhood maltreatment on cognitive functioning into late midlife, changes over time, and the extent to which cognitive change over time predicted functional impairment. METHOD:We use data from a prospective cohort design study in which individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment (ages 0-11 years) and demographically matched controls without those histories were interviewed over five study waves: 1989-1995 (N = 1,196; Mage = 29.2 years), 2000-2002 (N = 896; Mage = 39.5 years), 2003-2005 (N = 808; Mage = 41.2 years), 2009-2010 (N = 649; Mage = 47.0 years), and 2022-2023 (N = 447; Mage = 59.4). Tasks assessing verbal intelligence, processing speed, and executive functioning were administered at multiple points, permitting examination of changes over time. The eight-item Informant Interview to Differentiate Aging and Dementia assessed self-perceived change in functioning associated with dementing disorders. Linear mixed effects and structural equation models were used. RESULTS:Childhood maltreatment predicted poorer performance on cognitive tasks in young adulthood and late midlife, except for Stroop, and predicted a steeper decline in performance on the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised and Trails B. Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised, Matrix Reasoning, and Trails A and B change scores predicted greater perceived functional decline on the eight-item Informant Interview to Differentiate Aging and Dementia, whereas childhood maltreatment did not. CONCLUSIONS:The effects of childhood maltreatment on cognitive functioning continue into late midlife, with worse performance on tasks assessing general intelligence, abstract visual reasoning, processing speed, and set-shifting compared with controls. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Childhood maltreatment is a serious public health problem associated with both elevated and blunted cortisol measured in saliva and serum. Using a longitudinal, prospective study design, we aimed to determine whether childhood maltreatment predicts hair cortisol concentration (HCC), an index of stress physiology over extended periods. Individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment (ages 0-11 years) during the years 1967-1971 and a demographically matched group of children without those histories were followed up and interviewed over multiple time points from young adulthood until late midlife. Childhood maltreatment was assessed through review of official case records and retrospective self-reports in young adulthood. Stressful life events and lifetime traumas and victimization experiences were assessed at multiple interviews. Hair samples were collected at the last interview (2022-2023; Mage=59.4 years) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine HCC. Inverse probability weighting was used to account for attrition bias. Results indicated that individuals with documented histories of child maltreatment differed significantly from controls in HCC levels in late midlife, with overall history of childhood maltreatment, physical abuse, and neglect associated with elevated HCC. Self-reports of childhood physical abuse predicted heightened HCC. Stressful life events and trauma/victimization across all timepoints assessed as well as cumulative life stress/trauma/victimization also predicted heightened HCC in late midlife. We observed a significant interaction between documented childhood maltreatment and cumulative stressful life events and traumas predicting HCC in midlife. Findings reveal associations between early life stressors and HCC in late midlife and illustrate the complexity of studying long-term consequences of maltreatment based on documented (objective) versus self-report measures of childhood adversities.

IMPORTANCE:Childhood maltreatment has been associated with greater risk for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Better understanding of this association will have implications for prevention and intervention efforts. OBJECTIVE:To determine whether individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment and matched controls differ in cognitive functioning in late midlife and whether maltreatment leads to higher rates of cognitive impairment. DESIGN:Prospective cohort design SETTING: Metropolitan Midwestern county area PARTICIPANTS: Children with documented maltreatment histories and demographically matched controls were followed up into late midlife (N = 447, Mage = 59.4). Control group children were matched to maltreated children on age, sex, race and ethnicity, and approximate family social class during the time the cases were processed. EXPOSURE:Children with documented cases of physical and sexual abuse and neglect during 1967 to 1971 in the county juvenile (family) or adult criminal courts. Cases were restricted to children ages 0-11 at the time of the maltreatment to ensure that the temporal direction of consequences was clear. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES:Using a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment battery, multiple tests of cognitive functioning and the Functional Activities Questionnaire were administered. Participants were categorized as having cognitive impairment with no dementia (CIND) or dementia. RESULTS:Individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment performed worse on all 12 neuropsychological tests, compared to matched controls (Cohen's d 0.28 to 0.42) and had significantly higher risk for CIND [AOR = 1.86), amnestic CIND [AOR = 1.68) and non-amnestic [AOR = 1.48). About 13 % of maltreated individuals met criteria for amnestic CIND. Few met criteria for dementia. Males, females, Blacks, Whites, older and younger individuals, and those physically or sexually abused or neglected showed the effects of maltreatment. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE:Cognitive repercussions of childhood maltreatment continue into late midlife. Findings reinforce the importance of early detection and preventive interventions that may decrease risks associated with childhood maltreatment in later adulthood. Because we use documented court cases from childhood, this design reduces potential biases associated with reliance on retrospective self-reports of childhood adversities. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine long-term consequences of childhood neglect for cognitive impairment.

Previous studies have reported mixed findings regarding the relationship between childhood maltreatment and midlife mortality. To fill gaps in the literature, we examine the impact of childhood maltreatment on midlife mortality and test potential explanations for the relationship. Using a prospective cohort design, individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment (ages 0-11 years) during 1967-1971 and a demographically matched control group were followed into midlife. The National Death Index and Social Security Death Index were searched for all individuals (N = 1575) to determine date and cause of death. Individuals who survived were interviewed in 1989-1995 (M age = 29). By 2023, 18% (N = 283) had died. Contrary to expectations, there were no significant differences in midlife mortality between maltreated and control groups overall. Incidence rates for maltreated females were higher than for control females. Physically abused males were at decreased risk of midlife mortality. Among individuals interviewed in young adulthood, being female reduced risk, whereas lower SES and suicide attempt increased risk for midlife mortality. Childhood maltreatment, alcohol, drugs, anxiety, depression, smoking, and violent arrests did not. SES and problematic behaviors appear to play an important role in understanding midlife mortality and suggest targets for intervention.

Childhood maltreatment is associated with a range of negative social and psychological outcomes at different developmental stages. Using data from a prospective longitudinal study of the consequences of childhood maltreatment, we examine whether childhood maltreatment predicts lower levels of social connectedness and more depression symptoms over a 30-year time period and examine the directionality of the trajectories from childhood into middle adulthood. Children (ages 0-11 years) with documented histories of maltreatment and demographically matched controls were followed into adulthood across four waves: 1989-1995 (n = 1,196; Mage = 29.2 years, SD = 3.9), 2000-2002 (n = 896; Mage = 39.5 years, SD = 3.6), 2003-2005 (n = 808; Mage = 41.2 years, SD = 3.6), and 2009-2010 (n = 649; Mage = 47.0 years, SD = 3.5). Social connectedness and depressive symptoms were measured at all four time points. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models were used to estimate bidirectional relationships between social connectedness and depression symptoms and the extent to which the trajectories differed for the maltreated and control groups. Individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment generally had significantly lower levels of social connectedness and higher levels of depression compared to matched controls. Depression was associated with lower levels of social connectedness concurrently at ages 39, 41, and 47. Depression predicted lower social connectedness, and social connectedness predicted lower depression in middle adulthood, but not young adulthood. Better understanding of the long-term impact of childhood maltreatment on social connectedness and depression has implications for designing effective interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

BACKGROUND:Childhood maltreatment contributes to a large mental health burden worldwide. Different measures of childhood maltreatment are not equivalent and may capture meaningful differences. In particular, prospective and retrospective measures of maltreatment identify different groups of individuals and are differentially associated with psychopathology. However, the reasons behind these discrepancies have not yet been comprehensively mapped. METHODS:In this review, we draw on multi-disciplinary research and present an integrated framework to explain maltreatment measurement disagreement. RESULTS:We identified three interrelated domains. First, methodological issues related to measurement and data collection methods. Second, the role of memory in influencing retrospective reports of maltreatment. Finally, the motivations individuals may have to disclose, withhold, or fabricate information about maltreatment. CONCLUSIONS:A greater understanding of maltreatment measurement disagreement may point to new ways to conceptualise and assess maltreatment. Furthermore, it may help uncover mechanisms underlying maltreatment-related psychopathology and targets for novel interventions.

BACKGROUND: Childhood maltreatment and psychiatric morbidity have each been associated with accelerated biological aging primarily through cross-sectional studies. Using data from a prospective longitudinal study of individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment and control participants followed into midlife, we tested 2 hypotheses examining whether 1) psychiatric symptoms mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and biological aging and 2) psychiatric symptoms of anxiety, depression, or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) act in conjunction with childhood maltreatment to exacerbate the association of child maltreatment to aging. METHODS: Children (ages 0-11 years) with documented histories of maltreatment and demographically matched control children were followed into adulthood ( N = 607) and interviewed over several waves of the study. Depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms were assessed at mean ages of 29 (interview 1) and 40 (interview 2) years. Biological age was measured from blood chemistries collected later (mean age = 41 years) using the Klemera-Doubal method. Hypotheses were tested using linear regressions and path analyses. RESULTS: Adults with documented histories of childhood maltreatment showed more symptoms of depression, PTSD, and anxiety at both interviews and more advanced biological aging, compared with control participants. PTSD symptoms at both interviews and depression and anxiety symptoms only at interview 2 predicted accelerated biological aging. There was no evidence of mediation; however, anxiety and depression moderated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and biological aging. CONCLUSIONS: These new findings reveal the shorter- and longer -term longitudinal impact of PTSD on biological aging and the amplifying effect of anxiety and depression on the relationship between child maltreatment and biological aging.

BACKGROUND:Cognitive deficits might contribute to the elevated risk of life-course psychopathology observed in maltreated children. Leading theories about the links between childhood maltreatment and cognitive deficits focus on documented exposures (objective experience), but empirical research has largely relied on retrospective self-reports of these experiences (subjective experience), and the two measures identify largely non-overlapping groups. We aimed to test the associations of objective and subjective measures of maltreatment with cognitive abilities within the same individuals. METHODS:We studied a cohort of individuals from the US Midwest with both objective, court-documented evidence of childhood maltreatment and subjective self-reports of individuals' histories at age 29 years. Between the ages of 29 years and 41 years, participants were assessed with a comprehensive set of cognitive tests, including tests of general verbal intelligence (Quick Test and Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised [WRAT]), non-verbal intelligence (Matrix Reasoning Test [MRT]), executive function (Stroop Test and Trail Making Test Part B [TMT-B]), and processing speed (Trail Making Test Part A [TMT-A]). Participants were also assessed for psychopathology (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and Beck Anxiety Inventory). We tested the associations between objective or subjective measures of childhood maltreatment with cognitive functions using ordinary least squares regression. To test whether cognitive deficits could explain previously described associations between different measures of maltreatment and subsequent psychopathology, we re-ran the analyses accounting for group differences in the Quick Test. People with lived experience were not involved in the research or writing process. FINDINGS:The cohort included 1196 individuals (582 [48·7%] female, 614 [51·3%] male; 752 [62·9%] White, 417 [34·9%] Black, 36 [3·8%] Hispanic) who were assessed between 1989 and 2005. Of the 1179 participants with available data, 173 had objective-only measures of childhood maltreatment, 492 had objective and subjective measures, 252 had subjective-only measures, and 262 had no measures of childhood maltreatment. Participants with objective measures of childhood maltreatment showed pervasive cognitive deficits compared with those without objective measures (Quick Test: β=-7·97 [95% CI -9·63 to -6·30]; WRAT: β=-7·41 [-9·09 to -5·74]; MRT: β=-3·86 [-5·86 to -1·87]; Stroop Test: β=-1·69 [-3·57 to 0·20]; TMT-B: β=3·66 [1·67 to 5·66]; TMT-A: β=2·92 [0·86 to 4·98]). The associations with cognitive deficits were specific to objective measures of neglect. In contrast, participants with subjective measures of childhood maltreatment did not differ from those without subjective measures (Quick Test: β=1·73 [95% CI -0·05 to 3·50]; WRAT: β=1·62 [-0·17 to 3·40]; MRT: β=0·19 [-1·87 to 2·24]; Stroop Test: β=-1·41 [-3·35 to 0·52]; TMT-B: β=-0·57 [-2·69 to 1·55]; TMT-A: β=-0·36 [-2·38 to 1·67]). Furthermore, cognitive deficits did not explain associations between different measures of maltreatment and subsequent psychopathology. INTERPRETATION:Previous studies based on retrospective reports of childhood maltreatment have probably grossly underestimated the extent of cognitive deficits in individuals with documented experiences of childhood maltreatment, particularly neglect. Psychopathology associated with maltreatment is unlikely to emerge because of cognitive deficits, but might instead be driven by individual appraisals, autobiographical memories, and associated schemas. FUNDING:National Institute of Justice, National Institute of Mental Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute on Aging, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and National Institute for Health and Care Research.

OBJECTIVE:Homelessness is a serious and increasing public health concern. Childhood maltreatment and psychiatric problems have been associated with homelessness as risk factors; however, reliance on cross-sectional studies introduces ambiguity into interpreting previous findings. This study seeks to understand whether psychiatric symptoms in part explain the relationship between childhood maltreatment and homelessness. METHODS:The authors used data from a prospective cohort design study in which individuals with documented histories of childhood maltreatment (ages 0-11 years) and a demographically matched group of children without those histories (N=1,196) were followed up into middle adulthood and interviewed. Psychiatric symptoms (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], antisocial personality disorder [ASPD], and alcohol and drug use) were assessed at mean age 29. Homelessness was assessed at mean ages 29, 39, 41, and 47 years. Structural equation modeling was used to test mediation. RESULTS:Twice as many individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment reported ever being homeless (25.6% vs. 12.3%, AOR=2.54, 95% CI= 1.86-3.50) and past year homelessness (5.5% vs. 2.5%, AOR=2.09, 95% CI=1.31-3.43) at age 29, compared to controls. Controlling for past homelessness, psychiatric symptoms predicted future homelessness at mean ages 41 and 47. Three significant paths from childhood maltreatment to future homelessness were identified through depression, PTSD, and ASPD. CONCLUSIONS:This longitudinal study with documented cases of childhood maltreatment found that psychiatric symptoms earlier in life predict homelessness. Depression, PTSD, and ASPD represent pathways through which childhood maltreatment increases homelessness risk and warrant greater attention.

One overlooked result in a 1989 Science paper on the "cycle of violence" was a race-specific increase in risk for arrest for violence among Black maltreated children, but not White maltreated children. We examine whether race differences in the cycle of violence are explained by risk factors traditionally associated with violence. Using a prospective design, maltreated and non-maltreated children were matched on age, sex, race, and approximate family social class and interviewed at mean age 28.7 years (N = 1196). Arrest histories were obtained through age 50.5. Regression analyses included maltreatment, race, self-reported violent behavior, and risk factors (e.g., family, school, neighborhood variables). For arrests for violent crime, race was a significant predictor, whereas childhood maltreatment was not significant. For violent arrests, there was a significant race x maltreatment interaction when the total number of risk factors were included controlling for self-reported violent behaviors. For self-reported violent behaviors, childhood maltreatment remained significant for some risk factors. However, race did not predict self-reported violent behaviors. Offending behavior and traditional risk factors did not explain the disproportionate arrests among Black maltreated children. This disparity in the cycle of violence may reflect complex processes influenced by racial bias or structural racism.

Existing research suggests that prior victimizations during a person’s lifetime, particularly childhood traumas and maltreatment, are risk factors for abuse and revictimization in adulthood, although longitudinal evidence is sparse. Using data from a 30-year ongoing longitudinal study of the long-term consequences of childhood maltreatment, this paper describes the extent to which childhood maltreatment predicts subsequent victimization and partner violence victimization at two time points in adulthood. Data were obtained from a prospective cohort design study in which children with court-substantiated cases of maltreatment (ages 0–11 years) and demographically matched controls were followed into adulthood and interviewed over several waves. Childhood maltreatment was assessed through juvenile and adult court records from 1967 to 1971 in a midwestern county area in the United States. Victimization experiences were assessed from 2000 to 2002 ( Mage = 39.5 years) and 2009 to 2010 ( Mage = 47.5) and included two types based on information from the lifetime trauma and victimization history instrument and questions about past year partner violence victimization. Individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment were more likely to report physical and sexual assaults and kidnapping and stalking victimization than controls through age 39.5. In contrast, the two groups did not differ at the later assessment at age 47.5, except maltreated individuals reported greater risk for sexual assault/abuse than controls. For intimate partner violence victimization at age 39.5, maltreated and control groups differed only in terms of victimization involving injury. Later in adulthood, more individuals with histories of childhood maltreatment reported partner physical violence victimization compared to controls. Although these longitudinal findings showed a general decline in victimization experiences over the two time points, these results demonstrate that childhood maltreatment increases risk for subsequent revictimization in middle adulthood, specifically for sexual assault/abuse and intimate partner physical violence victimization. These findings have implications for prevention and intervention efforts targeting maltreated children.

Background: Previous research has found that childhood maltreatment predicts increased risk for violence and partner violence and there is some evidence for poorer executive functioning and low self-esteem. To date, there have been no longitudinal studies that have examined the extent to which executive functioning and self-esteem play a role in the relationship between child maltreatment and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. Methods: This study aims to fill this gap by utilizing data from a prospective longitudinal study of children with documented court cases of abuse and neglect (ages 0-11 years) from a metropolitan county area in the Midwest (during the years 1967-1971) and demographically matched controls. Both maltreated individuals and matched controls were followed up and assessed over several waves of the study in young and middle adulthood. At mean age 39 years, inhibition and cognitive control were evaluated, while cognitive flexibility and nonverbal reasoning were assessed at mean age 41. Self-esteem was also assessed at mean age 41. Physical IPV perpetration was evaluated at age 47 using two different scoring strategies in separate models: the number of acts and variety of acts, ensuring avoidance of potential score skewness. Results: Childhood maltreatment predicted lower executive functioning and self-esteem, and both independently predicted intimate partner violence perpetration. Lower executive functioning and self-esteem mediated the relationship between childhood maltreatment and physical IPV perpetration in midlife, irrespective of the scoring method. Conclusion: Findings suggest that executive functioning and self-esteem play a role in the cycle of violence. Implications and suggestions for future directions are discussed.

Background: Adult appraisals of their childhood sexual experiences as abusive are associated with increased risk for long-term psychological problems. Factors that underlie whether adults appraise their childhood sexual experiences as abusive remain unknown. Objective: To determine factors associated with adult cognitive appraisals of childhood sexual abuse. Participants and setting: Participants were 1196 adults ages 19-41 (M = 29.23, SD = 3.84) with documented cases of childhood maltreatment (sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect) during the years 1967-1971 and demographically matched controls who were followed-up and interviewed in adulthood. Methods: Using a prospective cohort design, participants were asked to recall whether they had any sexual experiences in childhood, and if so, the frequency of abuse, age at the onset of abuse, relationship to perpetrator, and whether they appraised the experiences as sexually abusive. Results: Over half of the sample (52%) reported childhood sexual experiences, yet only 44% considered those experiences sexually abusive. Participants with documented cases of child sexual abuse and neglect were more likely to appraise their childhood sexual experiences as abusive compared to controls. Participants who reported more severe abuse, more frequent abuse, younger age at the onset of abuse, and intrafamilial and both intra- and extrafamilial abuse (vs. extrafamilial abuse) were more likely to consider their experiences abusive. Compared to males and Black participants, females and White participants were more likely to appraise their experiences as abusive. Conclusions: Understanding factors that determine adult cognitive appraisals of childhood sexual experiences as abusive can inform clinical interventions for maltreated populations.

Attachment theory has played an important role in attempts to understand the "cycle of violence," where maltreated children are at increased risk for perpetrating violence later in life. However, little is known empirically about whether adult attachment insecurity in close relationships may partly explain the link between childhood maltreatment and violent behavior. This study aimed to address this gap using data from a prospective longitudinal study of documented childhood abuse and neglect cases and demographically matched controls (ages 0-11 years), who were followed into adulthood and interviewed (N = 892). Participants completed the Relationship Scales Questionnaire assessing adult attachment styles at mean age 39.54. Criminal arrest data were used to determine arrests for violence after the assessment of attachment through mean age 50.54. There were significant direct paths from childhood maltreatment and adult attachment insecurity to violent arrests after attachment measurement. Attachment insecurity partly explained the higher levels of violence in individuals with maltreatment histories. Analyses of maltreatment subtypes and attachment styles revealed that attachment anxiety appeared to mediate paths between neglect and physical abuse and later violence. There were no significant indirect paths from neglect or physical abuse to violence via attachment avoidance. Implications and future directions are discussed.