The mediating role of alexithymia and loneliness in the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and nomophobia

Childhood maltreatment: A predictor of mental health problems among adolescents and young adults

The current study investigates the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV), childhood trauma, trait anxiety, depression, and anxious attachment in college students. Ninety-three male and 161 female undergraduate students at Fairfield University, ranging in age from 17 to 23, with a mean age of 18.8 years, participated. Participants completed five self-report inventories: The Conflict in Adolescent Dating Relationships Inventory (CADRI), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Adult Attachment Scale (AAS). IPV perpetration in college dating relationships was related to childhood emotional and physical abuse, emotional and physical neglect, and trait anxiety. IPV victimization in college dating relationships was related to childhood emotional and physical abuse, childhood emotional and physical neglect, and an anxious attachment style. IPV perpetration and victimization were also significantly correlated with one another. Subscale analyses suggest that childhood emotional abuse was related to being both the perpetrator and victim of verbal or emotional abuse in dating relationships. Childhood physical abuse, physical neglect, and emotional abuse were related to both perpetration and victimization of physical IPV. Threatening behavior perpetration in dating relationships was related to childhood emotional abuse, emotional neglect, physical abuse, and physical neglect; however, being the victim of threatening behavior was only related to childhood emotional abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect, not childhood physical abuse. These results support the relationship between childhood trauma and dating violence in college students. They also support a role for anxiety in IPV, although trait anxiety was related to perpetration and an anxious attachment style was correlated with IPV victimization. In addition, they suggest that different experiences of childhood trauma may relate to different aspects of IPV in college dating relationships.

Child emotional aggression and abuse: Definitions and prevalence

Emotional abuse in childhood and suicidality: The mediating roles of re-victimization and depressive symptoms in adulthood

Dissociation fully mediates the relationship between childhood sexual and emotional abuse and DSM-5 PTSD in a sample of treatment-seeking adults

The present study examined whether witnessing interparental violence and experiencing childhood physical or emotional abuse were associated with college students’ perpetration of physical aggression and self-reports of victimization by their dating partners. Participants (183 males, 475 females) completed the Adult-Recall Version of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2-CA; Straus 2000), the Exposure to Abusive and Supportive Environments Parenting Inventory (EASE-PI; Nicholas and Bieber 1997), and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2; Straus et al. 1996). Results of zero-inflated Poisson (ZIP) regressions demonstrated that being female and having experienced higher levels of childhood physical abuse were associated with having perpetrated physical aggression at least once. Among women, exposure to mother-to-father violence and childhood physical abuse were related to the extent of dating aggression. Among men, witnessing father-to-mother violence and childhood emotional abuse were associated with the extent of dating aggression. Witnessing interparental violence and experiencing childhood physical abuse increased the likelihood that women would report victimization, whereas childhood emotional abuse decreased the likelihood that respondents reported dating victimization. Viewing father-to-mother violence and experiencing childhood emotional abuse increased the extent that men reported being victimized by their dating partners, whereas witnessing mother-to-father violence and experiencing physical abuse decreased the extent that men reported being victimized by their dating partners. Results suggest the importance of parent and respondent gender on dating aggression.

ObjectiveTo estimate the health and economic burdens of child maltreatment in China.MethodsWe did a systematic review for studies on child maltreatment in China using PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, CINAHL-EBSCO, ERIC and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases. We did meta-analyses of studies that met inclusion criteria to estimate the prevalence of child neglect and child physical, emotional and sexual abuse. We used data from the 2010 global burden of disease estimates to calculate disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) lost as a result of child maltreatment.FindingsFrom 68 studies we estimated that 26.6% of children under 18 years of age have suffered physical abuse, 19.6% emotional abuse, 8.7% sexual abuse and 26.0% neglect. We estimate that emotional abuse in childhood accounts for 26.3% of the DALYs lost because of mental disorders and 18.0% of those lost because of self-harm. Physical abuse in childhood accounts for 12.2% of DALYs lost because of depression, 17.0% of those lost to anxiety, 20.7% of those lost to problem drinking, 18.8% of those lost to illicit drug use and 18.3% of those lost to self-harm. The consequences of physical abuse of children costs China an estimated 0.84% of its gross domestic product – i.e. 50 billion United States dollars – in 2010. The corresponding losses attributable to emotional and sexual abuse in childhood were 0.47% and 0.39% of the gross domestic product, respectively.ConclusionIn China, child maltreatment is common and associated with large economic losses because many maltreated children suffer substantial psychological distress and might adopt behaviours that increase their risk of chronic disease.

Examining the link between emotional childhood abuse and social relationships in midlife: The moderating role of the oxytocin receptor gene

Juvenile offenders are at risk for involvement in both fighting behavior and peer victimization. Understanding the potential causal mechanisms leading to these outcomes is important to address the needs of this population. The present study tested four mediator models of violent perpetration and peer victimization in a sample of 112 incarcerated youth (68 males and 44 females). In the models, the relationship between child physical and emotional abuse and fighting and victimization was expected to be mediated by impulsiveness, depression, and drug use. Multiple mediator models were tested according to Preacher and Hayes (2008). Depression fully mediated the relation between child emotional abuse and victimization and partially mediated the relation between child physical abuse and victimization. Drug use fully mediated the relation between child emotional abuse and fighting. These results suggest that treatment of depressive symptoms and drug use among juvenile offenders with a history of child physical or emotional abuse may limit violent perpetration and peer victimization in this population.

<p>Juvenile offenders are at risk for involvement in both fighting behavior and peer victimization. Understanding the potential causal mechanisms leading to these outcomes is important to address the needs of this population. The present study tested four mediator models of violent perpetration and peer victimization in a sample of 112 incarcerated youth (68 males and 44 females). In the models, the relationship between child physical and emotional abuse and fighting and victimization was expected to be mediated by impulsiveness, depression, and drug use. Multiple mediator models were tested according to Preacher and Hayes (2008). Depression fully mediated the relation between child emotional abuse and victimization and partially mediated the relation between child physical abuse and victimization. Drug use fully mediated the relation between child emotional abuse and fighting. These results suggest that treatment of depressive symptoms and drug use among juvenile offenders with a history of child physical or emotional abuse may limit violent perpetration and peer victimization in this population.</p>

<p>Juvenile offenders are at risk for involvement in both fighting behavior and peer victimization. Understanding the potential causal mechanisms leading to these outcomes is important to address the needs of this population. The present study tested four mediator models of violent perpetration and peer victimization in a sample of 112 incarcerated youth (68 males and 44 females). In the models, the relationship between child physical and emotional abuse and fighting and victimization was expected to be mediated by impulsiveness, depression, and drug use. Multiple mediator models were tested according to Preacher and Hayes (2008). Depression fully mediated the relation between child emotional abuse and victimization and partially mediated the relation between child physical abuse and victimization. Drug use fully mediated the relation between child emotional abuse and fighting. These results suggest that treatment of depressive symptoms and drug use among juvenile offenders with a history of child physical or emotional abuse may limit violent perpetration and peer victimization in this population.</p>

Childhood emotional abuse has been linked with mental and physical health concerns yet may be perceived as less severe than other forms of childhood abuse. The present study aims to (a) understand perceptions of childhood abuse forms across psychologists, general college-level students, and the general public and (b) investigate whether personal emotional abuse history affects perceptions of emotional abuse. Participants (N = 444) completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form and provided perceived abuse severity and offender responsibility on eight case vignettes of emotional, physical, sexual, and no abuse. Research Question 1 was tested with a two-way (Vignette Type × Participant Type) multivariate analysis of variance performed on perceived severity and offender responsibility scores. Research Question 2 included abuse history as a third factor to examine potential moderation. All three groups perceived scenarios regarding emotional abuse as less severe and the offender less responsible than scenarios regarding sexual or physical abuse. Unexpectedly, psychologists were just as variable in their perceptions of abuse severity across abuse forms, as compared to the general public and college students. However, psychologists with emotional abuse histories provided more severe ratings on emotional abuse items, more in line with general public perceptions. College students' and the general public's relative ratings were roughly equivalent regardless of emotional abuse history. The study calls for more attention to emotional abuse in psychologist training programs. Research and training to increase understanding of emotional abuse and its sequelae could move forward related educational outreach and legal proceedings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

The purpose of the current study was to examine the joint influences of experiential avoidance and social problem solving on the link between childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and intimate partner violence (IPV). Experiential avoidance following CEA may interfere with a person’s ability to effectively problem solve in social situations, increasing risk for conflict and interpersonal violence. As part of a larger study, 232 women recruited from the community completed measures assessing childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, experiential avoidance, maladaptive social problem solving, and IPV perpetration and victimization. Final trimmed models indicated that CEA was indirectly associated with IPV victimization and perpetration via experiential avoidance and Negative Problem Orientation (NPO) and Impulsivity/Carelessness Style (ICS) social problem solving strategies. Though CEA was related to an Avoidance Style (AS) social problem solving strategy, this strategy was not significantly associated with IPV victimization or perpetration. Experiential avoidance had both a direct and indirect effect, via NPO and ICS social problem solving, on IPV victimization and perpetration. Findings suggest that CEA may lead some women to avoid unwanted internal experiences, which may adversely impact their ability to effectively problem solve in social situations and increase IPV risk.

Childhood physical and sexual abuse are known risk factors for adult sexual aggression perpetration and victimization, but less is known about the role played by childhood emotional abuse. College sophomores were surveyed regarding their childhood physical, sexual, and emotional abuse victimization and their late-adolescent experiences of sexual aggression victimization and perpetration. Controlling for social desirability and childhood physical and sexual abuse, childhood emotional abuse was the strongest predictor of adolescent sexual perpetration for women and the strongest predictor of adolescent sexual victimization for men. Emotional abuse was a marginally reliable predictor of adolescent sexual victimization in women. These results show the importance of childhood emotional abuse victimization as a risk factor for sexual victimization and perpetration in adolescent intimate relationships.

BackgroundEmotional abuse in childhood is the most common type of childhood abuse worldwide and is associated with a variety of somatic and mental health issues. However, globally and in indigenous contexts, research on the associations between emotional abuse in childhood and somatic and mental specialist healthcare utilization in adulthood is sparse.AimThe main aim of this study was to investigate the association between emotional abuse in childhood and somatic and mental specialist healthcare utilization in adulthood in Sami and non-Sami populations, and to examine whether this association differs between the two ethnic groups.MethodThis study used cross-sectional data from the SAMINOR 2 Questionnaire Survey - a population-based study on health and living conditions in areas with Sami and non-Sami populations in Middle and Northern Norway. In total, 11 600 individuals participated in SAMINOR 2. Logistic regression was used to present the association between emotional abuse in childhood and somatic and mental specialist healthcare utilization.ResultsEmotional abuse in childhood was significantly associated with somatic specialist healthcare utilization in adulthood (fully adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15–1.49), with no differences observed between ethnic groups. Emotional abuse in childhood was also associated with mental specialist healthcare utilization (fully adjusted OR 3.99, 95% CI 3.09–5.14), however this association was weaker among Sami (crude OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.37–4.13) compared with non-Sami (crude OR 5.40, 95% Cl 4.07–7.15) participants.ConclusionsEmotional abuse in childhood is associated with somatic and mental specialist healthcare utilization in adulthood, with a stronger association to mental healthcare utilization. The association between emotional abuse in childhood and mental specialist healthcare utilization was weaker among Sami than non-Sami participants. Future studies should investigate the reason for this ethnic difference. Our results highlight the need to strengthen efforts to prevent childhood abuse and develop strategies to reduce its societal and personal burden.