Child Abuse & Neglect最新文献

{"title":"A systematic review of the perceived barriers to and facilitators of technology assisted – Child sexual abuse disclosure","authors":"Tony McGinn ,&nbsp;Admire Chereni ,&nbsp;Emma McGinnis","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107869","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107869","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Disclosure rates of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse (TA-CSA) remain exceptionally low despite growing awareness of its scale and harm. The 2024 conviction of Northern Irish offender Alexander McCartney, who exploited thousands of children online and drove a 12-year-old victim to suicide, illustrates how shame, fear, and confusion can silence victims. Strengthening evidence on what helps children disclose digitally mediated abuse is essential to inform prevention and intervention efforts.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To systematically review and synthesize the empirical literature on barriers and facilitators to technology-assisted child sexual abuse (TA-CSA) disclosure among children and adolescents.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Combined sample size across the included studies is 38,045. The studies encompass diverse populations including children, adolescents, and adults from various countries, focusing on experiences of online sexual abuse, victimization, and professional perspectives.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Following a published protocol, we systematically searched 14 multidisciplinary databases (2015–2025). Empirical studies (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods) reporting factors influencing minors' TA-CSA disclosure were included. These encompassed victim accounts and insights from caregivers, professionals, or perpetrators. Data were extracted and thematically analyzed to identify pivotal or recurring themes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Barriers to disclosure included victims' failure to recognize abuse (due to grooming or low awareness), feelings of shame and self-blame, fear of disbelief or blame, reluctance to report known perpetrators, and perceptions that adults would not understand. Facilitators, though less commonly reported, included increased awareness through education, supportive peers or siblings, and trusted adults who responded with empathy and understanding.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Further research is needed to develop effective disclosure interventions, but education alone is unlikely to improve outcomes, particularly for vulnerable groups in low-resource settings, pointing to the need for identity verification by technology companies. Prevention must combine education with structural safeguards, as offenders continue to exploit anonymous online platforms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 107869"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145967770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the relationship between depressive and aggressive-defiant symptoms across child maltreatment subtypes: A network analysis approach","authors":"Yongmin Shin ,&nbsp;Jungkyu Park ,&nbsp;Hyo Shin Kang ,&nbsp;Hyeseon Jo ,&nbsp;Bin-Na Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107889","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107889","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Child maltreatment (CM) often results in the co-occurrence of depressive and aggressive-defiant symptoms. However, it remains unclear whether the symptom relationships and putative directionality of these symptoms vary according to CM subtype.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study examined the symptom network and potential directionality of depressive and aggressive-defiant symptoms in physically abused, emotionally abused, and neglected children in South Korea.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>From a nationwide repository, we analyzed cross-sectional data of 3384 children officially identified as victims of CM by a child protection agency.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>For each CM subtype, Gaussian graphical models identified central and bridge symptoms, whereas directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) analyses inferred directionality among depressive and aggressive-defiant symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Anger-related symptoms were the most common across CM subtypes. Negative self-concept symptoms were the most central symptoms in the physical and emotional abuse networks, whereas depressive mood and negative interpersonal feedback were the key symptoms in the neglect network. Irritability consistently served as a key bridge symptom linking the two symptom clusters. Negative interpersonal feedback was also a significant bridge between emotional abuse and neglect network symptoms. DAG analyses revealed the subtype-specific putative directionality of comorbidities.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>CM subtype distinctly shaped the interrelations and directionality of depressive and aggressive-defiant symptoms. Interventions targeting identified central and bridging symptoms may improve tailored treatment approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 107889"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145967773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Children's involvement in technology-facilitated violence (TFV) in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV): Experiences of professionals working with victims of violence in Finland","authors":"Anniina Kaittila ,&nbsp;Sonja Tihveräinen ,&nbsp;Outi Kekkonen ,&nbsp;Johanna Hietamäki ,&nbsp;Suvi Nipuli ,&nbsp;Sisko Piippo ,&nbsp;Hanna Mielismäki ,&nbsp;Annamari Kangas-Kalinen ,&nbsp;Elli Hyväri ,&nbsp;Leo Nyqvist ,&nbsp;Marita Husso","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107878","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107878","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Digital technologies have transformed and diversified acts of domestic violence, enabling abusers to harass, monitor, isolate, and control their partners across time and space. Children, though not their primary targets, are also deeply affected and often exploited in technology-facilitated violence (TFV).</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study examines children's involvement in TFV through data from two research projects.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>The first dataset consisted of a survey exploring shelter employees' perceptions of the digital violence experienced by their clients. A total of 53 respondents described themes relevant to this study. The second dataset comprised four focus group interviews with 15 support service professionals from eight organizations with specialized expertise in TFV.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The data from the study were analyzed using a data-driven thematic analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results indicate that abusers use various tactics to exploit children, their devices, or information related to them in a technological manner to harm the child's parent. The forms of abuse observed in this study included 1) pressuring the child to become an active agent, 2) stalking by children's devices, 3) threatening, accusing, and scaring with child-related matters, and 4) undermining the child–parent relationship.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Professionals working with families must be trained to identify and respond to TFV, ensuring the safety of both parents and children. Structured screening tools that include TFV-related items can support the identification of children's experiences and inform practices across legal, health, and child protection settings. Importantly, assessments of adult victims or abusers should also include questions about children's involvement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 107878"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145967782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The ongoing legacy of Indigenous family separation: Long-term outcomes of child welfare involvement among American Indian and First Nations youth","authors":"Stefanie Gillson ,&nbsp;Dane Hautala ,&nbsp;Rachel Steinberg ,&nbsp;Melissa Walls","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107884","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107884","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Despite policies designed to preserve family structures, Indigenous children in the U.S. and Canada remain disproportionately removed from their homes and communities. This systemic removal represents an ongoing form of historical trauma with intergenerational consequences, yet research on its long-term psychosocial effects remains limited.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>To examine the prevalence of foster care and adoption among a sample of Indigenous youth and their associations with psychosocial outcomes in early adulthood.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Data come from a community-based participatory longitudinal study of Indigenous families from eight reservations and reserves in the U.S. and Canada (<em>N</em> = 708), collected between 2002 and 2020.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Multivariate regression models assessed associations between any child welfare involvement during childhood/adolescence (i.e., foster care and/or adoption) and young adult family (i.e., family satisfaction and cohesion) and psychosocial (i.e., flourishing, depressive symptoms, and marijuana use) outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Overall, 16.73 % of participants experienced child welfare placement during childhood or adolescence. Compared with Indigenous youth who were never placed in child welfare, those who experienced placement had lower odds of family satisfaction (<em>OR</em> = 0.40; <em>p</em> &lt; .05), reported decreased family cohesion (<em>b</em> = −1.38; <em>p</em> &lt; .05), lower rates of flourishing (<em>b</em> = −1.44; <em>p</em> &lt; .05). Despite showing significant bivariate associations, child welfare placement was not associated with depressive symptoms (<em>b</em> = 0.20; <em>p</em> = .15), and only marginally associated with marijuana use (<em>b</em> = 0.59; <em>p</em> = .06).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Indigenous family involvement in the child welfare system remains disproportionately high and is associated with adverse psychosocial outcomes in adulthood. Findings underscore the need for systemic reforms and culturally responsive, community-driven interventions to support Indigenous families.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 107884"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145967735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Parent-child attachment and trauma-related dissociation among youth in out-of-home care: The age-dependent roles of caregiver-child attachment and placement duration","authors":"Jenna N. Thompson ,&nbsp;Amy M. Salazar ,&nbsp;Heather N. Taussig","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107883","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107883","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Child maltreatment and disruptions in attachment relationships have been linked to higher levels of dissociation.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study explored the influences of birth parent-child attachment, caregiver-child attachment, and placement duration on dissociative symptoms among youth living in out-of-home care.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and Setting</h3><div>Youth with histories of maltreatment who were recently placed in out-of-home care (<em>N</em> = 310; <em>M</em>_<em>age</em> = 10.25; 48.9 % female).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A moderated mediation analysis was employed to examine the effects of birth parent-child attachment on dissociation, and to examine age-conditional indirect effects through caregiver-child attachment and placement duration.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Birth parent-child attachment directly influenced dissociative symptoms (<em>B</em> = −3.88, <em>p</em> = 0.004) and was partially mediated by caregiver-child attachment and placement duration. The indirect effects through caregiver-child attachment were negative and significant at <em>younger</em> ages (at age 9.36, <em>B</em> = −1.34, 95 % CI [−3.41, −0.22]; at age 10.25, <em>B</em> = −0.51, 95 % CI [−1.24, −0.07]), and nonsignificant by age 11.14. The indirect effects through placement duration with their caregivers were negative and significant among the <em>older</em> youth (became significant at 10.25, <em>B</em> = −0.69, 95 % CI [−1.66, −0.08], and was strongest by age 11.14, <em>B</em> = −1.90, 95 % CI [−4.12, −0.45]).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Relational pathways linking parent-child attachment to dissociation are context-dependent. Findings emphasize the need for interventions and programs that help youth navigate relationships with their birth parents and caregivers, encourage emotional and relational safety along with placement stability, and are developmentally sensitive, adapting to changing needs over time.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 107883"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145953910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The thirdspace of response to intrafamilial child abuse among Palestinian survivors in Israel: “The closeness to the earth felt like a mother's embrace”","authors":"Afnan Attrash-Najjar","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107888","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107888","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Trauma and human geography studies have often overlooked how children's responses to intrafamilial abuse are shaped by the spaces surrounding them.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study aims to explore how children experience and respond to intrafamilial abuse. In particular, the focus will be on the spatial dimensions of their responses, within environments marked by restricted mobility, continuous surveillance, and broader socio-political oppression of a marginalized minority.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A qualitative narrative methodology was employed. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 Palestinian Muslim adults (16 women, 5 men) in Israel who experienced prolonged intrafamilial physical abuse in childhood. Data was analyzed using an inductive, narrative-based thematic approach.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The analysis identified three themes: (1) interlocked geographies of violence, linking intrafamilial abuse with state oppression and historical trauma; (2) alternative geographies of survival, where children reshaped spaces for safety and agency; and (3) the politics of <em>sumud</em> (steadfastness), framing silence and non-disclosure as acts of collective resistance.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Palestinian children's responses to abuse are spatially and politically constituted acts of survival and resistance. This necessitates a paradigm shift in child protection toward contextual, community-based interventions that recognize these strategies as part of a broader anti-colonial struggle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 107888"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928783","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimating the impact of out-of-home placement on health risk behavior in adolescents exposed to maltreatment: An advanced causal inference approach","authors":"Austin J. Blake ,&nbsp;Mariola Moeyaert ,&nbsp;Felix J. Thoemmes ,&nbsp;David Mackinnon ,&nbsp;Laurie Chassin","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107882","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.107882","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Youth who experience out-of-home placement (OOHP) engage in elevated health risk behaviors (e.g., substance use, unprotected sex), with risk potentially heightened for those placed during adolescence. Estimating causal effects is challenging because maltreated youth who are placed differ systematically from those who remain in-home.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study examined the effects of adolescent OOHP on health risk behaviors, applying causal inference methods (g-estimation and inverse probability of treatment weighting; IPTW) to address selection bias and time-varying confounders.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Data were drawn from 734 maltreated adolescents in the U.S. National Survey on Child and Adolescent Wellbeing.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>IPTW and g-estimation were used to estimate effects of adolescent OOHP on substance use and sexual risk behavior during adolescence and into young adulthood, adjusting for numerous confounders. Results were compared with regression analyses using traditional covariate adjustment.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In traditional regression models, OOHP was not significantly associated with health risk behaviors. However, both causal inference approaches revealed that OOHP predicted increased substance use later in adolescence. IPTW analyses also indicated greater sexual risk behavior in adolescence and increased substance use in adulthood among placed youth.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Although OOHP is intended to enhance safety, adolescent OOHP may heighten risk for harmful health behaviors. Given the severe consequences of such behaviors and the risk of losing service access in adulthood, the period following OOHP is a critical window for intervention. The results demonstrate how robust causal inference techniques may lead to more accurate assessment of OOHP than traditional regression methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 107882"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145953823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and validation of the children's subjective service experience scale during social service delivery in Mainland China","authors":"Fan Wu ,&nbsp;Yiwen Yan ,&nbsp;Rongxuan Tian ,&nbsp;Liwen Qu ,&nbsp;Linyun Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107881","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107881","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Despite increasing advocacy for child-centered social services, tools for capturing children's subjective experiences remain limited, particularly in non-Western contexts.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to develop and validate the Children's Subjective Service Experience Scale (CSSES), a multidimensional measure of children's perceptions and engagement during social service practices.</div></div><div><h3>Participants</h3><div>A total of 1021 students (grades 4–9, aged 9–15) from seven schools across urban and rural regions in China participated. All were recipients of a national nonprofit social service program in Mainland China.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Items were generated from a systematic literature review, expert consultation, and interviews with children. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted on two split samples (n₁ = 511; n₂ = 510), followed by multigroup CFA to assess measurement invariance across gender, grade level, and urban–rural residence.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A 16-item, four-factor structure was identified, with two second-order dimensions: subjective experience (identity, interaction process) and intersubjective experience (expression, care ethics). Model fit was acceptable (χ²/df = 2.763, CFI = 0.923, TLI = 0.907, RMSEA = 0.059, SRMR = 0.052). The scale showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α &gt; 0.70 for most factors), satisfactory composite reliability (CR &gt; 0.70), and strong measurement invariance across subgroups (ΔCFI &lt;0.01).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The results demonstrate that the CSSES is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing children's subjective experiences, specifically within the context of school-based psychosocial interventions. It offers a practical tool for improving service responsiveness, promoting child agency, and informing child-centered intervention design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 107881"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-term exposure to intimate partner violence and adolescents' internalizing symptoms: A repeated measures latent profile analysis","authors":"Yafan Chen ,&nbsp;Lauren Manley-Sayin ,&nbsp;Susan Yoon","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107880","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107880","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Prior research shows that exposure to intimate partner violence (eIPV) impedes child well-being throughout the lifespan. However, it has often failed to capture the timing and chronicity of eIPV in adolescents.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study explored the longitudinal profiles of children's eIPV from the prenatal stage to age 9 and the associations between the profiles and adolescent internalizing symptoms at age 15.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>The sample was 1495 adolescents from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a national longitudinal birth cohort study investigating the well-being of unmarried parents and their children in the US.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Repeated measures latent profile analysis was employed to identify the longitudinal profiles of children's eIPV. Then, pairwise comparisons of three internalizing outcomes were conducted to examine the associations between adolescents' eIPV patterns and internalizing symptoms.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Three profiles were identified: 89.8 % stable low eIPV, 6.2 % early eIPV with a peak in toddlerhood, and 4.0 % frequent eIPV at school age. Adolescents who were exposed to IPV in childhood reported worse internalizing symptoms than those having low eIPV over time, with small effect sizes (ranging from 0.23 to 0.31).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study employed a person-centered approach to explore children's longitudinal profile of eIPV, considering both the timing and chronicity of exposure. The findings highlight the necessity of prevention efforts to reduce eIPV, particularly in early childhood. Interventions targeting internalizing symptoms among adolescents should assess the youth's history of eIPV and incorporate strategies to address associated trauma.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 107880"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145928786","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Childhood emotional maltreatment predicts subsequent psychological distress in emerging adulthood through increased worry: Resilience conferred by self-compassion","authors":"Qinglu Wu ,&nbsp;Nan Zhou ,&nbsp;Hongjian Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107879","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107879","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Associations between childhood emotional maltreatment (CEM) and psychological distress (e.g., depressive and anxiety symptoms) have been widely demonstrated. However, the underlying mechanisms for such associations involving adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation (ER) strategies are still underexplored.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Based on the Emotion Regulation Theory, the present study investigated the potential mediating roles of the avoidance-based (i.e., worry) and the acceptance-based (i.e., self-compassion) ER strategies in the associations of two types of CEM (threat: emotional abuse; deprivation: emotional neglect) with depressive and anxiety symptoms and the potential moderating role of self-compassion in such associations.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Three-wave, self-report survey data were collected from 668 Chinese college students (66.8 % female, <em>M</em>_age = 19.96 years old, <em>SD</em> = 1.25) with a 6-month between-wave interval.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Childhood emotional abuse was positively associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms through increased worry. Self-compassion moderated the associations of worry with depressive and anxiety symptoms and these positive associations were identified only when self-compassion was low. Further, the indirect pathways from emotional abuse to depressive and anxiety symptoms through increased worry were significant only when self-compassion was low. No medaiting effects involving emotional neglect or self-compassion were identified.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Cognitive avoidance-based ER strategy served as a mediator to transmit the deterimental effect of early emotional abuse on later mental health, whereas acceptance-based ER strategy moderated the negative effect. Accordingly, interventions aimed at reducing psychological distress among individuals with experiences of childhood emotional abuse should consider incoporating components that enhacne self-compassion and reduce worry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 107879"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145908675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}