Saturday, 15 January 2005 - 8:00 AM

This presentation is part of: Causes and Outcomes of Child Maltreatment

Maltreatment in Early Childhood: Effects on Child Development

Current research suggests that child maltreatment is associated with poor outcomes across a variety of domains of child development. Compared to non-maltreated children, abused and neglected children tend to score more poorly on cognitive, academic, and behavioral assessments, as well as on other measures of child well-being. However, it is unclear whether associations between child maltreatment and child health and development are causal. While it is possible that child abuse and neglect result in suboptimal child outcomes, it is also possible that children who are likely to be victims of maltreatment are also likely to have poor developmental outcomes for other reasons (e.g., differences in socioeconomic, family, parental, or individual characteristics, as well as the organization and stability of their home environments). Thus, selection bias is a substantial concern when comparing child outcomes across maltreated and non-maltreated children, as these groups may differ considerably in terms of other characteristics. Given the potential for selection bias in existing studies, causal connections between child maltreatment and subsequent developmental problems have not been adequately demonstrated.

In this paper, we use propensity scores matching methods to address selection bias across maltreated and non-maltreated children. We then assess the effects of child maltreatment by age 3 on a host of child cognitive, behavioral, and school-related outcomes at ages 5 and 8. The propensity scores models allow us to account for selection on observables by “matching” the background characteristics of children who were maltreated in early childhood with those who were not, effectively allowing us to compare developmental outcomes for “like” children with different maltreatment statuses. We perform these analyses using data from the Infant Health and Development Program, a randomized study of low birth weight infants in 8 U.S. sites. Child development outcomes at ages 5 and 8 are measured using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised, Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Weschler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (age 5) and Weschler Intelligence Scale (age 8), Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery, and Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist, as well as several measures of school performance and achievement (e.g., enrollment in special education, grade repetition).

Results are suggestive of causal links between child maltreatment and some cognitive, behavioral, and school related outcomes, but the size and significance of such effects vary across outcome measures. On the whole, this research implies that young children who have been victims of maltreatment may be in need of considerably more intensive interventions than are often available to them, in order to reduce potential cognitive and behavioral problems in middle childhood, as well as to prepare them for successful school experiences. In particular, such children would benefit programs and services that promote cognitive development, learning, and academic performance, as well as mental health/behaviorally oriented interventions. Examples of existing programs that provide such services and may aid this population are discussed, as is the need to expand access to such services.

See more of Causes and Outcomes of Child Maltreatment
See more of Oral and Poster

See more of Celebrating a Decade of SSWR (January 13 - 16, 2005)