Early childhood maltreatment, abuse and neglect suffered by individuals aged 3-5years old within relationships of responsibility, trust, or authority, is estimated by the World Health Organization to be regularly experienced by about 60% of children below 5 years from their parents. These events are linked to a range of adverse outcomes including poor physical health, internalising and externalising mental health symptoms, social dysfunction, and difficult interpersonal relationships. A positive association between early childhood maltreatment and becoming a victim of interpersonal violence is well established, however most studies are limited by cross-sectional, single informant design and a reliance on recall of childhood maltreatment.
Unpacking the Association Further
Gan et. al. (2025) undertook a longitudinal study from childhood to adulthood to better understand the processes which account for negative relationship consequences that result from early childhood maltreatment. The study collected data from 1,032 children at ages 3,5, 9,15 and 22 years. In addition, key information using relevant scales, was collected from a range of people including caregivers, teachers, and the children to provide more accurate data.
What Did They Find?
Two cascading pathways were identified. Firstly, they discovered that the more maltreatment suffered in early childhood the more disrupted social skills appeared in middle childhood and later behavioural issues in adolescence. This heightened the risk of becoming a victim of interpersonal violence in young adulthood. A second finding identified the consequences of internalizing as opposed to externalizing behaviours with the latter putting the young person at greater risk of violence in their later intimate relationships.
What are the Implications for Practitioners?
Those who work with children and their families are always alert to the possibility of child maltreatment. However, these findings sharpen attention to key life phases and intervention that could be offered to ‘make a difference’ and break transgenerational cycles. Working with families of young children provides the opportunity to offer support, parent training and address unhelpful repetitive patterns appearing from the family of origin. This is particularly important for those who are economically or socially disadvantaged and isolated.
In middle childhood, recognition of the importance of good social skills as a buffer against difficulties in adolescence can mean a focus on working with children and their families to develop skills in communication, cooperation, assertion, and problem-solving.
Finally, the relationship between adolescent externalizing difficulties and later partner violence alerts practitioners to address these often-difficult problems that appear both in the family and the wider world. This requires collaboration, respect and shared pathways between family, school, and individual and family practitioners to map a path that reflects the adolescent’s need for autonomy while creating opportunities for reciprocity and mature responsibility.
While services will still be required for those whose early intimate relationship are violent, this is a situation where prevention is preferable to ‘cure.’
Life Gan,J.,Zhou,N.,1 Wang, S. Cao, H. (2025) Experiences of Maltreatment in Early Childhood Foreshadow Intimate Partner Violence in Young Adulthood: A Cascading Process Model Spanning 20 Years of Life Family Process, 2025; 64:e70052 1 of 13 https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.70052
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