Child Maltreatment, Psychopathology, Substance Use, and Revictimization: Do Friends Play a Role?

• In Event: 3-191 - Risk and Protective Factors Influencing Developmental Trajectories from Childhood Maltreatment to Adverse Adolescent Outcomes

Integrative Statement

Decades of research have demonstrated the detrimental influence that childhood maltreatment has on various aspects of child development (Cicchetti & Toth, 2016). However, considering that not all maltreated children go on to develop negative outcomes, it is important to gain a more complete understanding of why some of these children appear to be doing relatively well. Studies examining the presence of supportive relationships for children who have experienced significant adversity have contributed greatly to illuminating the pathway to resilience for these children (Masten & Coatsworth, 1998). However, much of this literature focuses on the parent-child relationship despite inconsistent findings that parents can play a protective role for maltreated children against adverse outcomes. Another potential source of social support to consider is friendship, which is especially critical during adolescence when peers come to replace parents as the primary agents of the children’s socialization (Mueller & Silverman, 1989). Despite this, there is scant literature examining the protective effect of friendships for maltreated children. For the few studies that do examine its impact, support is mixed as to whether friends can mitigate negative outcomes.

The current study adds to this limited and conflicting literature by utilizing a 3-wave longitudinal design to examine whether the quality of relationships with close friends mediates the relationship between child maltreatment and adolescent revictimization, psychopathology, and substance use. Main effects of maltreatment on adolescent outcomes and stability and cross-lagged effects of psychopathology, substance use, and revictimization between adolescent waves were also examined.

Participants were from a community sample of 545 (295 maltreated, 250 non-maltreated) racially diverse (52.8% Black, 27.5% White, 12.8% Bi-racial) children who were recruited with the assistance of the Department of Human Services (DHS). Children and their families participated in a weeklong summer camp in middle childhood (Mean age= 7.6 years) for low-income families. They were followed up twice in early-mid adolescence (Mean age = 13.8 years) and mid-late adolescence (Mean age = 16.2 years). Maltreatment was coded using DHS records. Psychopathology, substance use, revictimization, and friendship quality were assessed using adolescent self-report measures. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze a cross-lagged panel mediation model that allowed for examination of main effects, cross-lagged effects, and mediation simultaneously.

Results of the path analysis are presented in Figure 1. Analyses demonstrated that relationship quality with close friends in early-mid adolescence did not mediate the relationship between maltreatment and later adolescent revictimization, psychopathology, or substance use. Furthermore, friendship quality was actually unrelated to maltreatment and each of the outcomes examined. Considering that the existing literature on the potential protective effect of friendship for maltreated children is surprisingly rare and highly conflicting, these results further suggest that our vast knowledge regarding the normative development of friendships and how they contribute to positive outcomes may not apply to children who have experienced maltreatment. Therefore, there is a critical need for future research to seek greater understanding of the unique nature of maltreated children’s friendships and the specific ways their friendships may protect against, or even increase risk for, negative outcomes.

Authors

• Michelle Patrice Desir, University of Minnesota
  Presenting Author

• Fred Rogosch, University of Rochester
  Non-Presenting Author

• Dante Cicchetti, University of Minnesota
  Non-Presenting Author