A Pernicious Cycle: Finding the Pathways from Child Maltreatment to Adolescent Peer Victimization

Background and Purpose:

Child maltreatment deprives young people of the opportunity to develop into healthy adolescents. Further, it causes a cycle of victimization that often results in their being victimized by peers. Although previous research has demonstrated that physical and sexual maltreatment predict peer victimization, little is known about the mechanisms by which physical and sexual maltreatment lead to peer victimization. Additionally, research in this area has not investigated specific types of peer victimization (i.e., physical and sexual). To address these gaps in the research, this study aims to identify the pathways from physical and sexual abuse to adolescent physical and sexual victimization by assessing anxiety/depression, aggression, and peer relationships as potential mediating variables.

Methods:

The data derive from Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONSCAN), which tracks the consequences of child abuse and neglect using five study sites across the US. The sample includes 792 adolescents (52.3% female; 57.7% Black, 22.2% White, 7.4% Hispanic, 12.7% Other). Child abuse was measured at age 12 using the self-reports of the life-time maltreatment experiences (15 items for physical abuse, 11 for sexual). Anxiety/depression and aggression were assessed at age 12 using the Youth Self-Report Form (YSR). Peer relationship problems were assessed at age 14 by teachers using the Teacher’s Estimation of Child’s Peer Status. At least two teachers completed the peer-status forms for each student, and the scores were averaged. Peer victimization was assessed at age 16 using the modified version of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. This study uses only victimization by peer(s), excluding sibling and dating victimization. Child race, gender, and household income were used as confounders. To evaluate the direct and indirect effects of physical and sexual maltreatment on physical and sexual peer victimization, path analyses with weighted least squares mean and variance adjusted estimator (WLMSV) were conducted using Mplus version 6.12.

Results:

The model produced a good fit: CFI=.98, TLI=.92, RMSEA=.05 (90% CI=.028-.073), and WRMR=.69. Physical maltreatment had no direct effect on either physical or sexual peer victimization, whereas sexual maltreatment had significant direct effect on both physical and sexual victimization. Both physical and sexual maltreatment had significant indirect effects on adolescent peer victimization through anxiety/depression and peer relationships; physical and sexual abuse were associated with higher levels of anxiety/depression, which in turn were associated with increased peer relationship problems that led to physical and sexual peer victimization.

Conclusion and implications:

This study contributes to expanding our knowledge of the relationships between maltreatment and peer victimization. The significant direct path from sexual maltreatment to adolescent peer victimization identified the long-lasting effects of sexual maltreatment. Additionally, anxiety/depression and peer relationship problems were identified as critical underlying mechanisms that link child physical and sexual maltreatment to later peer victimization. These findings suggest that multiple points for interventions may exist to disrupt the cycle of victimization; early assessment and treatment for anxiety/depression and interventions for positive peer relationships may be helpful in preventing peer victimization among adolescents who have been physically and/or sexually abused.