Citation

Vahl P, van Damme L, Doreleijers T, Vermeiren R, Colins O. Child Abuse Negl. 2016; 62: 142-150.

Affiliation

Academic Workplace Forensic Care for Youth (Academische Werkplaats Forensische Zorg voor Jeugd), Postbus 94, 7200 AB Zutphen, The Netherlands; Curium-LUMC, Leiden University Medical Center, Endegeesterstraatweg 27, 2342 AK Oegstgeest, The Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.10.008

PMID

27842265

Abstract

Mounting evidence indicates that emotional maltreatment is at least as harmful as physical and sexual abuse. Notwithstanding their high occurrence among detained adolescents, the link between emotional maltreatment and mental health problems in these youths is not well researched. This study, therefore, was designed to examine the unique link between emotional maltreatment and mental health problems, with particular attention to gender differences. Well validated self-report measures of maltreatment experiences (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) and mental health problems (Youth Self Report) were completed by 341 detained adolescents (156 boys, 185 girls) aged 12 to 18 years. As expected, girls reported higher levels of maltreatment experiences and internalizing and externalizing mental health problems than boys. Blockwise multiple linear regression analyses indicated that in both genders emotional abuse was uniquely and positively associated with internalizing and externalizing mental health problems, over and above the influence of other types of maltreatment. Furthermore, sexual abuse was uniquely related with internalizing problems in girls only, whereas only in boys this type of abuse was uniquely related with externalizing problems. Detained adolescents who have been the victim of emotional abuse in combination with another type of maltreatment may be the worst subgroup in terms of mental health problems. Therefore, emotional maltreatment experiences in adolescents who offend should receive more research and clinical attention.

Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en