Abstract
Exposure to family violence as a child has a detrimental long-term impact on one’s life. This relationship is under-researched in Asian populations in the United States or in Asian countries. This study examined long-term effects of maltreatment, including interparental violence and child maltreatment on externalizing and internalizing problems experienced by Asian and Asian American college students. We also explored protective effects of social support against the negative consequences of family maltreatment. Surveying 542 college students in Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, and the United States, we measured effects of family maltreatment on problem outcomes and examined the role of social support. Exposure to dual harm of family maltreatment (i.e., intraparental violence and child maltreatment) increased students’ externalizing problems compared to exposure to one type of family maltreatment, but no differences in internalizing behaviors were found. Effects of social support from parents and peers on externalizing and internalizing problems were neither moderating nor mediating, but direct. Those who received parental support had fewer externalizing behaviors, but effects of peer support were not significant. In contrast, those who obtained parental and peer support showed lower levels of internalizing mental health concerns. Surprisingly, men exhibited more mental health issues than women. Exposure to dual harm increases behavioral problems, but family support can help repair damage among Asian and Asian American college students. The relationship between abuse and problem outcomes was similar across countries, indicating common psychological processes.
Highlights
Multi-type maltreatment—experiences of multiple forms of child abuse and neglect (Higgins & McCabe, 2001)—including interparental violence and child maltreatment, exists in all countries, representing a major human rights and public health problem (Bouhours & Broadhoust, 2015; Heise & Garcia-Moreno, 2002)
To address the need for more research among Asian and Asian American college students on this topic, and more through a comparative lens, we examine the long-term impacts of family multi-type maltreatment on externalizing and internalizing problems of Asian college students in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan and Asian American college students
This research aims to understand the effects of family maltreatment on Asian and Asian American college students’ externalizing and internalizing behaviors, as well determine the role of social support in that process
Summary
Multi-type maltreatment—experiences of multiple forms of child abuse and neglect (Higgins & McCabe, 2001)—including interparental violence and child maltreatment, exists in all countries, representing a major human rights and public health problem (Bouhours & Broadhoust, 2015; Heise & Garcia-Moreno, 2002). Research conducted in the United States showed that exposure to family violence as a child had a significant detrimental long-term impact on one’s life (Gewirtz & Edleson, 2004) Children exposed to both intimate partner violence and child maltreatment exhibited more difficulties in areas of social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive functioning than non-exposed peers (Gewirtz & Edleson, 2004; Wolfe, Crooks, Lee, McIntyre-Smith, & Jaffe, 2003). Those from abusive families experience physical health problems (e.g., injuries, heart problems, and migraine headaches), mental health problems (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression, and anxiety), and even premature death (U.S Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS], 2018). Many survivors of family violence and maltreatment either quit or are forced to leave their jobs, resulting in lifetime income losses of nearly $250,000 http://ajsss.julypress.com
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