From Childhood Maltreatment to Dating Violence Victimization Among Youth with Disabilities: The Positive Role of School Social Bonds

Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) and dating violence victimization (DVV) pose significant public health concerns due to their adverse effects on physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. During the developmental transition period, youth with disabilities face increased vulnerability to CM and DVV due to a unique set of challenges and vulnerabilities stemming from their disabilities. Supportive school environments, which are characterized by positive relationships with peers, teachers, and other school staff, can serve as protective factors. These bonds provide a buffer against the negative effects of CM and contribute to a healthy emotional and social development. This study intends to examine the mediating role of school social bonds (SSBs) in the relationship between CM and DVV among young adults with disabilities.

Methods: A secondary data analysis was conducted on youth with disabilities (n = 1,301) using the nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Study for Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). The study sample comprised 15.9% of youth with physical disabilities, 11.8% with intellectual disabilities, 54.9% with learning disabilities, and 17.4% with multiple disabilities. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to investigate the mediational model in the relationship between CM and DVV among young adults with disabilities. The latent variables were constructed for the CM and DVV variables in the model. Three variables related to SSBs were designated as mediators. CM and the three mediating variables were used to predict DVV. Sex, age, race, level of education of mothers, receipt of public assistance, family income, and family structure were entered as covariates that predict DVV.

Results: The fit indices for SEM indicated an adequate or a reasonably good fit (CFI=.959, RMSEA=.025; 95% CI: [.022, .027], TLI=.932). CM exerted a significant direct effect on DVV (b=.14, p<.001). CM predicted negative relationships with peers (b=−.14, p<.001), teachers (b=−.13, p<.001), and school (b=−.13, p<.001). The study observed a significant mediated pathway from CM to DVV. DVV was predicted only by the negative relationships with teachers (b=−.07, p=.004). CM exhibited a significant indirect effect on DVV only via the negative relationships with teachers at school (μ=.013, 95% CI [.003, .024]).

Conclusion: Healthy interpersonal relationships among youth with disabilities, especially during their transition into adulthood, can be fostered through early interventions during their school years, particularly through positive and caring relationships with teachers. Although transition services primarily focus on academic and vocational skills, expanding these services to incorporate the skills and knowledge required for life beyond the educational setting is imperative. Acknowledging that life beyond academics includes independent living and family formation, schools should provide students with curricula that teach relationship-building skills, particularly in the realm of intimate relationships. Interventions for the prevention of dating violence can be integrated into broad sexual and reproductive health education programs to facilitate an inclusive and supportive transition to adult life for youth with disabilities.