Journal Article

Childhood Maltreatment Predicts Poor Economic and Educational Outcomes in the Transition to Adulthood

Goldman-Mellor, Sidra, Arseneault, Louise, Odgers, Candice L., Jaffee, Sara R., Fisher, Helen L., Merrick, Melissa, Ambler, Antony, Danese, Andrea

2018

Overview

Objectives. To test whether childhood maltreatment was a predictor of (1) having low educational qualifications and (2) not being in education, employment, or training among young adults in the United Kingdom today. Methods. Participants were from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative UK cohort of 2232 twins born in 1994 to 1995. Mothers reported on child maltreatment when participants were aged 5, 7, 10, and 12 years. Participants were interviewed about their vocational status at age 18 years. Results. The unadjusted odds of having low educational qualifications or of not being in education, employment, or training at age 18 years were more than 2 times greater for young people with a childhood history of maltreatment versus those without. These associations were reduced after adjustments for individual and family characteristics. Youths who reported having a supportive adult in their lives had better education outcomes than did youths who had less support. Conclusions. Closer collaboration between the child welfare and education systems is warranted to improve vocational outcomes for maltreated youths.

• Publisher: American Public Health Association
• Subject: Abused children / Adolescent / Adults / Age / AJPH Child Maltreatment / Behavior / Caregivers / Child / Child abuse & neglect / Child Abuse - psychology / Child development / Child welfare / Childhood / Children / Children & youth / Collaboration / Ecological risk assessment / Economic conditions / Education / Educational Status / Educational systems / Employment / Employment - trends / Environmental aspects / Environmental risk / Families & family life / Family characteristics / Female / Forecasting / Foster care / Humans / Interviews / Interviews as Topic / Learning outcomes / Life course / Life transitions / Longitudinal Studies / Male / Mental health / Mothers / Neighborhoods / Other Child and Adolescent Health / Participation / Post traumatic stress disorder / Psychiatry / Psychopathology / Public health / Qualifications / Qualitative Research / Risk factors / Socioeconomic Factors / Teenagers / Training / Twin studies / Twins / United Kingdom / Vocational education / Young adults / Youth / Youth employment