Study Finds Link Between Early Childhood Abuse and Negative Adult Outcomes in Several Areas

A new study has found that negative economic, health, and criminal outcomes in adulthood were more than twice as likely for adults who were abused early in childhood compared to those who were not. The study, “Early Physical Abuse and Adult Outcomes,” which will be published in the January 2021 issue of Pediatrics (published online Dec. 14), used a community sample of 1,048 U.S. children followed from kindergarten into adulthood. Parents completed interviews about responses to the child’s problem behaviors during the kindergarten interview. Interviewers rated the probability that the child was physically abused in the first five years of life. Adult outcomes were measured using 23 indicators of education/economic stability, physical health, mental health, substance use, and criminal convictions reported by participants and their peers and in school and court records. After controlling for many pre-existing conditions and common causes of stressors related to maltreatment, experiencing physical abuse in the first five years of life predicted worse outcomes in four of five areas of adult functioning, including mental health conditions and criminal conviction. Early physical abuse did not predict substance use after accounting for potential confounds. Unreported physical abuse in community samples has long-term detrimental effects into adulthood. Pediatricians should talk with parents about using only non-violent discipline and should support early interventions to prevent child abuse, the authors conclude.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.