Early Childhood Maltreatment and Young Adult Socioeconomic Status

Background/Purpose.

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a crucial public health and social issue with profound, long-lasting consequences. Early childhood, particularly before age 3 is the most common period for maltreatment due to children’s high dependence on caregivers. As a form of adverse childhood experience, maltreatment affects not only immediate well-being but can also disrupt children’s life trajectory into their adulthood and potentially across generations.

One under-examined consequence of early childhood maltreatment is its long-term impact on socioeconomic status (SES) in adulthood. SES, commonly measured by education, employment, and income, is a key determinant of life opportunities and overall well-being, especially during the transition to adulthood. Understanding how different forms of maltreatment affect specific SES domains can inform prevention and intervention strategies, helping at-risk children build protective factors and access resilience-supporting services as they grow.

While prior research has linked childhood maltreatment to poor physical and mental health outcomes, its influence on SES (particularly in longitudinal studies) remains underexplored. Psychological maltreatment, despite its prevalence and severity, has received especially limited attention. This study addresses these gaps by examining whether physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect during early childhood predict differences in educational attainment, employment, and income in young adulthood. We hypothesize that these forms of early maltreatment are negatively associated with SES across all three domains.

Methods.

Guided by Cumulative Disadvantage Theory which posits that early disadvantages accumulate over time, this study uses data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), focusing on Wave 3 (child age 3) and Wave 7 (age 22). The analytic sample includes 2,085 individuals (42.6% of the original cohort) with complete data on all key variables. Childhood maltreatment (physical abuse, psychological abuse, and neglect) was measured at age 3 using the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales. Socioeconomic outcomes (education, employment, and income) were assessed at age 22 using FFCWS’s young adult survey. Control variables included maternal education and income, young adult mental health, substance use, race/ethnicity, and relationship status. Logistic and linear regression models were used to assess associations between early maltreatment and SES outcomes.

Results.

Psychological abuse at age 3 was significantly associated with lower educational attainment at age 22 (OR = 0.99, CI [0.99, 0.998]). In terms of control variables, being in a partnership at age 22 was positively associated with higher educational attainment (OR = 1.35, CI [1.12, 1.63]).

Conclusions and Implications.

This study underscores the long-term impact of early childhood psychological abuse on educational attainment in young adulthood. Partnership status appears to serve as a protective factor, supporting better educational outcomes. These findings highlight the critical need for early prevention and intervention efforts. Policies should prioritize prevention efforts in addressing childhood maltreatment, recognizing its lasting influence across the life course. Future research should explore the mechanisms underlying these associations and identify opportunities to build resilience and provide support to reduce the cumulative impact of early adversity.