Experienced Childhood Physical Abuse Research Articles

Examining the Relation Between Early Violence Exposure and Firearm-Related Experiences in Emerging Adulthood: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Firearms are a leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults in the United States. Early exposure to violence, as a victim or witness, is associated with increased risk of firearm-related experiences, including carrying and threatening others with a gun. These experiences, in turn, increase the risk of both fatal and non-fatal firearm injuries. Using an ethnically diverse sample of emerging adults, we build on prior research by examining the link between early violence exposure at multiple contexts of the social-ecological model and multiple firearm-related experiences (i.e., firearm-threatening victimization, firearm-threatening perpetration, and firearm carriage). We analyzed data from a 10-year longitudinal study of 1042 youth in the Southern United States. Experiencing childhood physical abuse was associated with both firearm-threatening victimization and perpetration in emerging adulthood. Additionally, exposure to neighborhood and interparental violence were linked to threatening others with firearms and carrying firearms, respectively. Counter to expectations, bullying victimization did not emerge as a predictor of any firearm-related experiences. Findings highlight the importance of cross-cutting violence prevention efforts to prevent high-risk firearm-related behaviors among emerging adults. Programs for children and adolescents that address these types of violence exposure should highlight coping skills and sources of positive social support to bolster protective factors against firearm-related outcomes.

Perceived Community Belonging as a Moderator: Effects of Childhood Abuse on Health and Well-Being Among Middle-Aged and Older Canadians

ABSTRACT This study examined the moderating role of perceived community belonging in the relationship between childhood abuse and health and well-being outcomes among Canadian individuals aged 55 and older. Using data from the 2014 Canadian General Social Survey (n = 14,416), multiple linear regression models revealed that women who experienced either childhood physical or sexual abuse reported poorer self-rated general and mental health, as well as lower life satisfaction, compared to those without such histories. The most pronounced effects were observed among women who experienced both types of abuse. For men, a similar pattern was evident only for those who experienced childhood physical abuse. Notably, among women, a strong sense of community belonging lessened the negative effects of both types of childhood abuse on all examined outcomes. These findings underscore the protective role of perceived community belonging against the consequences of childhood abuse for older women. They illuminate the crucial role of gerontological social workers and scholars in promoting community integration and support. Focusing on these areas, especially for those with traumatic histories, can potentially improve their overall health and well-being.

Childhood maltreatment and association with trajectories of depressive symptoms among older adults: a longitudinal study in China

Objectives Childhood maltreatment has long-lasting effects on mental health. Existing evidence suggests that trajectories of depressive symptoms vary among individuals; however, little is known about how childhood maltreatment shapes these trajectory patterns. Therefore, this study investigated the impacts of childhood maltreatment on eight-year depressive trajectories among Chinese older adults. Method Five waves of longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were utilized. Growth Mixture Modelling was performed to identify distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms, and multinomial logistic regression was conducted to explore the associations between these trajectories and childhood maltreatment. Results Four trajectories of depressive symptoms were identified: the ‘no symptoms’ class (61.83%), the ‘increasing symptoms’ class (14.49%), the ‘decreasing symptoms’ class (16.44%), and the ‘chronic symptoms’ class (7.24%). Older adults who experienced childhood physical abuse were more likely to be in the ‘chronic symptoms’ class than in the ‘no symptoms’ class, whereas emotional neglect did not show a significant association with three problematic trajectories. Conclusion This study provides empirical evidence that childhood physical abuse increases the likelihood of developing chronic depressive symptoms in later life. To mitigate this risk, it is crucial to institute comprehensive treatment plans that incorporate trauma-informed care principles, employ evidence-based therapies specifically designed to address the long-term effects of abuse, and prioritize regular screening and assessment of mental health among older adults.

Physical, sexual, and psychosocial health impacts of child abuse: Evidence from Ghana.

Child abuse is a significant global health problem. While data on child abuse in Ghana are scant, anecdotal evidence suggests the vast majority of Ghanaian children have experienced some form of physical or sexual abuse. This paper explores links between early childhood abuse and health outcomes using a life course perspective. Nationally representative cross-sectional data were collected from a sample of 2289 ever-married Ghanaian women in 2017. Women provided retrospective accounts of different types of violence in early childhood. Random-effects logit models were used to examine the impact of two dimensions of early childhood abuse (physical and sexual) on the physical, sexual, and psychosocial health outcomes of women in later years. Women who experienced childhood physical abuse, but not often, were significantly more likely to report physical disabilities in later years than women who did not experience it. Women reporting childhood sexual abuse were more likely to be depressed in later years than those who never experienced such abuse. They were also significantly more likely to report sexually transmitted diseases. Our findings provide support for the life course theory by showing abuse experienced in childhood could have a long-term impact. We therefore suggest the need for early interventions to address child abuse.

Sex Trafficking in New York City and Vulnerabilities to Re-Trafficking.

Human trafficking occurs in a cycle of coercion and exploitation of vulnerable people; yet, little is known about those who are trafficked more than one time (re-trafficked). Our study sought to describe the trafficking experiences and explore vulnerabilities to re-trafficking in an urban, majority immigrant, population. This study is part of a parent cohort study that enrolls patients at the EMPOWER Center in New York City, which provides trauma-informed obstetric and gynecologic services to victims of sexual- and gender-based violence. Retrospective chart review was conducted on patients with a history of sex trafficking who were evaluated at the EMPOWER Center from February 2013 to January 2021. A total of 87 patients were enrolled in this study, 23 (26.4%) of whom had been re-trafficked. All were women. Most (88.5%) were victims of international trafficking, most often from Mexico or the Caribbean/Central America. Nine (10.3%) reported contraceptive use and six (6.9%) experienced forced substance use while trafficked. The most reported barriers that women faced in escaping trafficking were threat of violence (28.7%) and financial dependence (19.5%). Re-trafficked patients were more likely to have a history of being undocumented (odds ratio [OR] = 5.29; 95% confidence intervals [CI] [1.34, 20.94]) and experienced childhood sexual abuse (OR = 2.99; 95% CI [1.10, 8.16]), experienced childhood physical abuse (OR = 3.33; 95% CI [1.18, 9.39]), and lived with a non-parent family member (OR = 6.56; 95% CI [1.71, 25.23]). Although these vulnerabilities were no longer significant when analyzed in a parsimonious multivariate logistic regression model adjusting for the other significant variables, likely due to the limited sample size. Almost half (46.0%) reported ongoing emotional effects from being trafficked, which did not vary by re-trafficking status. Our study highlights potential pre-trafficking vulnerabilities, illustrates the complexity of the trafficking experience, and presents potential risk factors for being re-trafficked.

CHILDHOOD PHYSICAL ABUSE INCREASES THE RISK OF SUBJECTIVE MEMORY IMPAIRMENT

Abstract Subjective memory impairment, defined as self-reported difficulties in recall and learning, doubles the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia, despite being weakly related to objective memory decline. Because of its strong stability over time, it may be possible that subjective memory impairment reflects earlier life risk factors for dementia such as adverse childhood experiences. It is reported that over a fifth of older adults worldwide experienced physical abuse during childhood. Previous cross-sectional studies suggest physical abuse is associated with later cognitive impairment. Still unclear, are the longitudinal associations between childhood abuse and subjective memory impairment in later life. Using a sample of adults drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 19,185, Mage = 67.05, SD = 11.33) we assessed associations between reported physical abuse by a parent before the age of 18 and subjective memory impairment (current memory problems and perceived memory decline) over periods of up to 18 years. Generalized linear mixed models examined longitudinal associations between childhood physical abuse and subjective memory impairment while controlling for depressive symptoms and other empirically relevant covariates. Experiencing childhood physical abuse was associated with increased likelihood of reporting more current memory problems (OR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.04, 1.33) and perceived memory decline in later life (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.13, 1.43). Findings suggest childhood physical abuse is associated with subjective memory impairment, a strong predictor of dementia. Understanding early life conditions, including adverse childhood experiences may help explain associations between subjective memory impairment and dementia risk.

CHILDHOOD PHYSICAL ABUSE INCREASES THE RISK OF SUBJECTIVE MEMORY IMPAIRMENT

Abstract Subjective memory impairment, defined as self-reported difficulties in recall and learning, doubles the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia, despite being weakly related to objective memory decline. Because of its strong stability over time, it may be possible that subjective memory impairment reflects earlier life risk factors for dementia such as adverse childhood experiences. It is reported that over a fifth of older adults worldwide experienced physical abuse during childhood. Previous cross-sectional studies suggest physical abuse is associated with later cognitive impairment. Still unclear, are the longitudinal associations between childhood abuse and subjective memory impairment in later life. Using a sample of adults drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 19,185, Mage = 67.05, SD = 11.33) we assessed associations between reported physical abuse by a parent before the age of 18 and subjective memory impairment (current memory problems and perceived memory decline) over periods of up to 18 years. Generalized linear mixed models examined longitudinal associations between childhood physical abuse and subjective memory impairment while controlling for depressive symptoms and other empirically relevant covariates. Experiencing childhood physical abuse was associated with increased likelihood of reporting more current memory problems (OR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.04, 1.33) and perceived memory decline in later life (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.13, 1.43). Findings suggest childhood physical abuse is associated with subjective memory impairment, a strong predictor of dementia. Understanding early life conditions, including adverse childhood experiences may help explain associations between subjective memory impairment and dementia risk.

Risk and Protective Factors for Childhood Physical Abuse and Suicidal Ideation: The Effect of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Polymorphism and Social Support.

This study aimed to explore the relationship between childhood physical abuse and suicidal ideation considering the effects of genetic and environmental factors in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by focusing on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) polymorphism and social support, respectively. One-hundred fourteen patients with PTSD and 94 healthy controls (HCs) were genotyped with respect to BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. All participants underwent psychological assessments. The hierarchical regression analysis and the simple slope analysis were conducted. As for patients with PTSD, the moderation effect of BDNF polymorphism was significant but not for social support. Specifically, the BDNF Val/Val genotype worked as a risk factor and strengthens the relationship between childhood physical abuse and suicidal ideation. As for the HCs, the significant moderation effect was found only in social support, but not for BDNF polymorphism. The relationship between childhood physical abuse and suicidal ideation was weakened for the HCs with high social support. This study demonstrated a significant BDNF genetic vulnerability for suicide in patients with PTSD who experienced childhood physical abuse. Our results suggested that social support provided a mitigating effect on the relationship between childhood physical abuse and suicidal ideation only in the HCs.

Poorer physical and mental health among older adults decades after experiencing childhood physical abuse

BackgroundA burgeoning literature indicates adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poorer adult health outcomes. Most research to date has not focused on the outcomes among Canadian older adults. MethodsThe objectives of the current study were to identify the prevalence and adjusted odds of 2 mental health and 7 physical health conditions among survivors of childhood physical abuse (CPA) aged 60 and older (n = 409) in comparison to their peers who had not been physically abused (n = 4659). Data were drawn from a representative sample of older British Columbians in the Canadian Community Health Survey. Logistic regression analyses took into account sex, race, age, immigration status, marital status, education, income, smoking, obesity, binge drinking and number of other ACEs. ResultsFor anxiety, depression and COPD, CPA survivors had adjusted odds ratio more than twice that of their peers (ORanxiety = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.46, 3.38; ORdepression = 2.17; 95% CI = 1.57, 3.01; ORCOPD = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.40, 2.94). For CPA survivors, the adjusted odds ratios were more than 50% higher for cancer (ORcancer = 1.71; 95% CI = 1.31, 2.24), migraine (ORmigraine = 1.67; 95% CI = 1.15, 2.45) and debilitating chronic pain (ORpain = 1.58; 95% CI = 1.22, 2.03), and 33% higher for arthritis (ORarthritis = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.05, 1.69). CPA was not significantly associated with either heart disease (p = 0.15) or diabetes (p = 0.17). ConclusionsThe association between CPA and 2 mental health and 5 physical health conditions remained significant, even after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors and other ACEs. Further research is needed to investigate potential pathways through which childhood physical abuse is linked to a wide range of later-life health problems.

Association of childhood physical and sexual abuse with arthritis in adulthood: Findings from a population-based study.

The objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate childhood physical and sexual abuse as factors associated with arthritis among adults from selected states in the United States. Data for this study came from the 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. An analytic sample of 75,717 adults 18-75years old (49.7% female) was analyzed using log-binomial regression. The outcome variable investigated in this study was arthritis, and the main explanatory variables were childhood physical and sexual abuse. Of the 75,717 respondents examined, 20,938 (representing 27.6%) had arthritis. A little over one in four respondents (25.5%) experienced childhood physical abuse and 5.6% experienced childhood sexual abuse by age 18. In the multivariable regression, respondents who experienced childhood physical abuse had 1.36 times the risk of having arthritis when compared to respondents who did not experience childhood physical abuse (ARR=1.36, p<.001, 95% CI=1.28-1.46). Respondents who experienced childhood sexual abuse had 1.60 times the risk of having arthritis when compared to respondents who did not experience childhood sexual abuse (ARR=1.74, p<.001, 95% CI=1.54-1.97). The findings of this study demonstrate that childhood physical and sexual abuse are associated with arthritis later in adulthood. The associations persisted even after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic status, body mass index (BMI), current smoking status, and self-perceived physical health. The findings of this study add to the burgeoning number of studies demonstrating the adverse impact of childhood physical and sexual abuse on chronic health outcomes among adults.

Childhood Mistreatment and Opioid Use in Adulthood: Lifelong Consequences

Background: Although the rapid rise in the use of opioid medications in recent decades increased concerns of health professionals and policymakers about an opioid epidemic, most of the extant research focuses on the individual-level characteristics related to opioid medication use and little research has considered the impact of broader contextual factors. Guided by life course perspective, the current study investigates whether experiencing childhood mistreatment impacts opioid medication use in adulthood. Methods: Data were derived from the Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS), specifically the second wave of the original sample (2004-2006) and the refresher sample (2012-2015). The analytic sample consists of two groups (mean age = 55.4, SD = 11.3): opioid medication users (n = 134) and non-opioid medication users (n = 670) who were systematically age- and sex-matched to the opioid medication users at 1:5 ratio. Opioids prescription use was identified from the participants’ medication list by using the MULTUM Lexicon Drug Database Classification System. Five types of childhood mistreatment—emotional/physical/sexual abuse and emotional/physical neglect—were assessed via summary scales derived from the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Outcomes: Physical abuse during childhood was significantly associated with the use of opioid medications in adulthood, even after adjusting sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and chronic pains. Interpretation: The findings underscore the lasting adverse health impacts of physical abuse in childhood and suggest support for the development and implementation of tailored intervention strategies, particularly for those who experienced childhood physical abuse. Funding/Support: Endowed Research Fund Declaration of Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Factors associated with the severity of IPV perpetrated by substance using men towards current partner

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine frequency and correlates of intimate partner violence (IPV) severity perpetrated by heterosexual men receiving treatment for substance use towards a current partner in the past 12 months. Design/methodology/approach A secondary analysis of a self-reported questionnaire (n=162) completed by men receiving treatment for substance use in England and Brazil was conducted. Types of IPV perpetration (emotional, physical and/or sexual IPV) and frequency of occurrence were assessed. A five level ordinal variable for IPV perpetration severity was created: no IPV, minor; moderate, low severe and high severe. Psychological and cultural correlates of perpetration severity were explored using ordinal logistic regression. Findings Approximately four in ten men reported perpetrating IPV towards their partner in the past 12 months, one in ten reported perpetrating severe IPV (including hitting with something, kicking or beating, choking or burning, threatening with/using a weapon, sexual IPV and frequent emotional IPV) during this period. A number of correlates of perpetration severity were identified: experiencing childhood physical abuse, witnessing IPV in childhood, perpetrating IPV in previous relationships, committing violence towards another man, controlling behaviours, technology-facilitated abuse, depressive symptoms, having a substance using partner, receiving treatment for illicit drug use, hazardous drinking and poly-drug use. Research limitations/implications Despite the small sample size, small to large positive associations were observed between reporting IPV perpetration and several factors. These factors could be targeted to improve identification and assessment of IPV among men receiving treatment for substance use. Originality/value A strength of this study methodology is the use of a specific 12 months time frame for the perpetration of IPV towards current partner. The categorisation of levels of IPV perpetration based on types and frequency of violence occurrence was an additional valuable contribution of this study.

The Toxic Triad: Childhood Exposure to Parental Domestic Violence, Parental Addictions, and Parental Mental Illness as Factors Associated With Childhood Physical Abuse.

Childhood physical abuse can result in serious behavioral, mental health, and physical health conditions. There is a need for improved strategies to identify households in which childhood physical abuse occurs. This article explores three potential correlates of childhood physical abuse: childhood exposure to parental domestic violence, parental addictions, and parental mental illness. Secondary analyses were conducted using the regionally representative 2010 Brief Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) of adults (n = 9,241 men, n = 13,627 women) and the analyses were replicated in the 2012 BRFSS (n = 11,656 men, n = 18,145 women). Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted. Approximately one-quarter of the sample was Hispanic and/or Non-White. In 2010, 78.3% of men who had been exposed to all three of these early adversities reported that they had experienced childhood physical abuse compared with 7.5% of males who did not experience these adversities. Women reported similar levels of childhood physical abuse (66.9% for those reporting all three factors, 5.9% for those with zero risk factors). The 2012 BRFSS analyses resulted in comparable findings. Domestic violence, even in the absence of parental addictions and mental illness, was associated with a high prevalence of childhood physical abuse (between 34% and 38%). Currently, the World Health Organization cautions against routine screening for child abuse due to the high rate of false positives. We propose a two-step strategy to improve targeting: first, identifying households in which two or more adversities exist, and subsequently screening children in these households. Our findings will help improve the targeting of screening and outreach efforts to children most at risk, thereby minimizing the risk of false positives. Our data provide support for universal screening for childhood physical abuse in cases of domestic violence, particularly for those families where parental addictions and/or parental mental illness also exist.

The Impact of Child Abuse on Relationships between Resource Loss and Posttraumatic Stress: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis

ABSTRACTChildhood abuse is a serious and prevalent public health concern, both in the United States and around the world. The association between child abuse and adverse outcomes in adulthood is well-established, with those experiencing abuse more likely to be diagnosed with mental health disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), into adulthood. One way to conceptualize the relationship between trauma and adverse mental health outcomes in adulthood is through resource loss. Previous research indicates that individuals who have experienced childhood abuse may not adequately develop resources, such as tangible (e.g., money) and intangible (e.g., emotional) support systems, with the loss of these resources associated with decreased ability to cope with distress. The current study investigated the relationship between resource loss and symptoms of posttraumatic stress longitudinally in a sample of women who had experienced both childhood abuse and a mass-shooting event. Results demonstrated that experiencing childhood physical abuse and sexual abuse predicted symptoms of posttraumatic stress after controlling for exposure to the mass-shooting event. Additionally, symptoms of posttraumatic stress and resource loss predicted each other at two time points after the shooting. Findings demonstrate the bidirectional nature of the relationship between posttraumatic stress and resource loss, as well as highlight how effects of childhood abuse can be long-standing and negatively impact psychosocial functioning in women throughout adulthood.

Differentiating corporal punishment from physical abuse in the prediction of lifetime aggression.

Corporal punishment and parental physical abuse often co-occur during upbringing, making it difficult to differentiate their selective impacts on psychological functioning. Associations between corporal punishment and a number of lifetime aggression indicators were examined in this study after efforts to control the potential influence of various forms of co-occurring maltreatment (parental physical abuse, childhood sexual abuse, sibling abuse, peer bullying, and observed parental violence). College students (N = 1,136) provided retrospective self-reports regarding their history of aggression and levels of exposure to childhood corporal punishment and maltreatment experiences. Analyses focused on three hypotheses: 1) The odds of experiencing childhood physical abuse would be higher among respondents reporting frequent corporal punishment during upbringing; 2) Corporal punishment scores would predict the criterion aggression indices after control of variance associated with childhood maltreatment; 3) Aggression scores would be higher among respondents classified in the moderate and elevated corporal punishment risk groups. Strong support was found for the first hypothesis since the odds of childhood physical abuse recollections were higher (OR = 65.3) among respondents who experienced frequent (>60 total disciplinary acts) corporal punishment during upbringing. Partial support was found for the second and third hypotheses. Dimensional and categorical corporal punishment scores were associated significantly with half of the criterion measures. These findings support efforts to dissuade reliance on corporal punishment to manage child behavior.

Violent Childhood Experiences and Intimate Partner Violence Among Married U.S. Soldiers Who Deployed to Iraq

ABSTRACTThe association between intimate partner violence perpetration and violent adverse childhood experiences has not been established among Active Duty soldiers who have served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. In this study, 691 Active Duty soldiers were surveyed anonymously 6 months after they returned from Iraq. Results show that 9.8% of soldiers (n = 67) perpetrated intimate partner violence in the past year and that experiencing childhood physical abuse and sexual abuse were independently associated with intimate partner violence after adjusting for other risk factors. The findings of this study may help fill gaps in the understanding of this association and can help better identify soldiers at risk for perpetrating intimate partner violence.

Prevalence and Contributing Factors of Childhood Physical Abuse in Households and at Schools among School Adolescents in Arba Minch Town, Southern Ethiopia

Background: Though millions of children around the world are the victims and witnesses of physical abuse, every child has the right to health and a life free from violence. Therefore the objective of this study was to assess Prevalence and Contributing Factors of Childhood Physical Abuse in Households and in schools among School adolescents, Arba Minch Town. Methods: Institution based cross sectional study design was employed from Jan 11 to Feb 11/2016. The sample size of 737 was selected through multi-stage sampling techniques. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaire and interview from 7th to 10th grade students and analyzed by SPSS (IBM 20). Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multiple variable analyses were done. Results: A total of 718 (97.4 %) school children were participated in the study. Among them, 462 (64%) students faced childhood physical abuse. Of these, 77.3% abused by parents and 58.4% abused by school community. Age, sex (AOR=2.439; 95% CI=1.370, 4.348), presence of domestic violence (AOR=8.929; 95% CI=4.292, 18.519) and where the child grown up (AOR=0.460; 95% CI=0.220, 0.940) were contributing factors for childhood physical abuse. Conclusions: Majority of children in Arba Minch town have experienced childhood physical abuse at household and school environment.

Childhood physical and sexual abuse, and adult health risk behaviours among university students from 24 countries in Africa, the Americas and Asia

The goal of this study was to retrospectively estimate the prevalence of childhood physical abuse (CPA) and childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in relation to experience of adult violence, poor mental health, addictive behaviour and sexual risk behaviour among university students from 24 countries in Africa, the Americas and Asia. In a cross-sectional survey, data were collected from 18 404 undergraduate university students (mean age 20.7, SD = 2.9, age range of 16–30 years) from 24 countries. Overall, 5.0%, 2.6% and 1.2% of the students reported childhood physical abuse, childhood sexual abuse and childhood physical and sexual abuse, respectively. In the logistic regression models, adjusting for age, sex, study year, family wealth, and country, having experienced CPA and CSA was associated with increased odds of having any adult violence (physical and sexual partner violence victimisation. Having been in a physical fight, and weapon carrying), any poor mental health (post-traumatic stress disorder, depression symptoms and sleeping problems), addictive behaviour (tobacco use, binge drinking, frequent gambling and obesity) and sexual risk-taking was higher with a self-reported history of CPA and CSA.

Breaking the Cycle: Association of Attending Therapy Following Childhood Abuse and Subsequent Perpetration of Violence

Despite “cycle of violence” (Widom Psychological Bulletin, 106, 3–28, 1989, p. 4) theories prevailing for the past 30 years, few studies have looked at the empirical relationship between experiencing childhood physical abuse and becoming perpetrators of violence in adulthood. Those studies that do exist omit consideration of intervening therapeutic experiences. In the present study, archival data from an outpatient mental health clinic was used to examine whether therapeutic experiences mediate the relationship between experiencing childhood physical abuse by a parental figure and subsequent involvement as a perpetrator of physical violence. Treatment-seeking individuals (N = 816) responded to three items about whether they had experiences of childhood physical abuse, whether they acted violently in adulthood, and whether they had ever before received counseling or therapy. Past counseling/psychotherapy treatment was a significant mediator between experiencing childhood physical abuse and perpetrating physical violence in adulthood, even after controlling for the effect of the victims’ gender. Findings suggest that psychotherapeutic experiences after experiencing childhood physical abuse may decrease the likelihood of perpetrating violence in adulthood. Limitations, implications, and directions for future research are discussed.

The Role of Narcissistic Vulnerability in Predicting Adult Posttraumatic Symptoms from Childhood Sexual Abuse.

The aim of the present study is to determine whether narcissistic vulnerability can aid in clarifying the debate regarding the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and adulthood adjustment to traumatic events. 157 survivors (mean age=31.1, SD=10.9) of a traumatic event (war activities and road and work accidents) were assessed 1week, 1, and 4months following the event. Of the 157 participants, 15 reported experiencing CSA, and 26 reported experiencing childhood physical abuse (CPA). In the first-week assessment, patients were administered the Narcissistic Vulnerability Scale (NVS) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). In the follow-up assessments, subjects were interviewed on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale. Narcissistic vulnerability was found, both in 1- and 4-month follow-ups, to increase the likelihood of participants who experienced CSA to develop PTSD symptoms later in their adult life, when exposed to other additional trauma. Narcissistic vulnerability, in both follow-ups, did not increase the likelihood of participants who experienced CPA to develop PTSD symptoms later in their life when exposed to other additional trauma. The NVS predicted the development of PTSD symptoms in the whole sample, both in the 1- and 4-month follow-ups, above and beyond the prediction of the BDI. In other words, narcissistic vulnerability can add additional information above and beyond general negative emotionality. In conclusion, it is recommended to take into consideration the interplay between CSA and the individual's narcissistic vulnerability when assessing the long term effects of CSA such as acute or chronic PTSD.