Child maltreatment and parental domestic violence and abuse, co-occurrence and the effect on lifetime outcomes in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

Abstract

Exposure to child maltreatment (CM), and parental domestic violence and abuse (DVA), impose considerable adverse life outcomes in both the short and long term, yet, the extent and effects of their co-occurrence on outcomes have not been comprehensively quantified. This study describes the analysis of data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, quantifying the prevalence of CM, parental DVA, co-occurrence rates, and the impact of different combinations of childhood exposures on life outcomes (health, economic, and likelihood of perpetrating intimate partner violence as a young person).Childhood exposure prevalences were estimated at 41.7% for any form of CM, 19.3% for parental DVA, and 49.0% for exposure to at least one form of CM and/or parental DVA. Co-occurring parental DVA was reported in 21%–42% of CM-exposed households. Sexual abuse was reported in 2% of parental DVA-exposed households, whilst co-occurrence of other forms of CM ranged between 19% and 41%.Co-occurring CM and parental DVA exposures were associated with increased risks of drug use, anxiety, depression, smoking, unemployment, social welfare use, and perpetration of intimate partner violence as a young person – highlighting the intergenerational effects of exposure. Increased risks across a wider range of adverse outcomes were associated with child-reported awareness of parental DVA, compared to parent-reported DVA exposure.The high cumulative prevalence of childhood exposure to CM and/or parental DVA, and the scale of the resulting adverse impacts emphasise the need for policies and family interventions sensitive to the possibility of co-occurring forms of abuse.