Joint developmental trajectories of victimization and nonsuicidal self-injury in adolescents and the impact of childhood emotional maltreatment: “Boys’ Crisis” and “Girls’ Risk”

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the gender-specific joint development trajectory of adolescent victimization and nonsuicidal self-injury as well as the predictive value of emotional abuse and neglect in early life. A total of 1214 senior high school students were surveyed three times with an interval of six months by questionnaire method. Our study used latent class growth analysis to identify different types of developmental trajectories in boys and girls. The results showed that both the “safe group” and the “high growth group” identified in boys showed symbiotic development of victimization and NSSI, while a special “differentiated group” in girls showed reverse development of victimization and NSSI. Emotional neglect in childhood only affected the developmental trajectory categories of victimization and NSSI in adolescent girls, but not boys. Childhood emotional abuse has a significant effect on both boys and girls, leading boys to favor “boys high growth” groups and girls to favor “girls differentiation” groups. The results suggest a stronger symbiotic relationship between NSSI and victimization in boys and a greater need for attention to victimization in girls. Emotional abuse and neglect in childhood have different effects on joint developmental trajectories across genders. In the future, we need to establish gendered and targeted interventions and parenting models.