Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
closed access
Child maltreatment is highly prevalent among juvenile delinquents and can result in numerous negative life outcomes, one of which could be violent delinquency. The current study aimed to provide...Show moreChild maltreatment is highly prevalent among juvenile delinquents and can result in numerous negative life outcomes, one of which could be violent delinquency. The current study aimed to provide new insights into the relation between child maltreatment and violent delinquency, as well as the mediating roles of working memory (WM) and three aspects of social information processing (SIP) on this relation. This was done using a cross-sectional design with a questionnaire, WM task, SIP task and file analysis. In total, 58 Dutch juvenile delinquents were included in the study. No relation was found between child maltreatment and violent delinquency in a juvenile delinquent population. In addition, WM and SIP did not mediate the relation between child maltreatment and violent delinquency. Child maltreatment was however related with more hostile attribution bias and more aggressive response evaluation, indicating that juvenile delinquents who have experienced child maltreatment have more hostile attributions in social situations and see aggressive responses as more appropriate than their non-maltreated peers. Furthermore, all three aspects of SIP were related to each other, and WM was related to more hostile attributions. This study highlights the fact that hostile attributions and aggressive response evaluations can be targeted in interventions that aim to improve social skills and reduce recidivism for maltreated juvenile delinquents. Further research is needed to unravel the consequences and underlying mechanisms of child maltreatment and violent delinquency in juvenile delinquent populations.Show less
A Dutch study indicated that young people who experienced child abuse exhibit significantly more violent delinquent behavior, and that this did not decline over time. This can have harmful...Show moreA Dutch study indicated that young people who experienced child abuse exhibit significantly more violent delinquent behavior, and that this did not decline over time. This can have harmful consequences for both the individual and society. Child abuse has been identified as a cause of risk factors of delinquent behavior, possibly due to the disruption of social, emotional, and cognitive development. Recent literature suggests that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may play a role in the link between child abuse and delinquent behavior. This study aims to investigate whether PTSD moderates the relationship between the seriousness of delinquent behavior and severity of exposure to child abuse in the same sample as the Dutch study. Surveys were conducted among 127 Dutch youths aged 12 to 20 years who have experienced physical and emotional abuse. The severity of child maltreatment is measured using the Child Parent Conflict Tactics Scale (CPCTS) around the time of the official CPS report. PTSD and delinquent behavior are measured 1,5 years later, using the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) and the International Self Report Delinquency (ISRD). The results show no significant relationship between the severity of child maltreatment and the seriousness of delinquent behavior, nor identifies any direct or moderating effect of PTSD on delinquent behavior in maltreated youth. However, gender and age are significantly related to the seriousness of delinquent behavior, implying older teenagers and males have a higher likelihood of showing delinquent behavior to a more serious extent. This study finds no relationship between the severity of child maltreatment, PTSD, and the seriousness of juvenile delinquency. Other factors than child maltreatment or PTSD may play a role in predicting delinquent behavior, such as the youth’s social environment. Professionals should focus on identifying and addressing the various factors that influence youth’s behavior.Show less
It is estimated that between 89.160 and 127.190 children in the Netherlands experience maltreatment every year, which can cause long term effects such as medical problems, trauma, depression and...Show moreIt is estimated that between 89.160 and 127.190 children in the Netherlands experience maltreatment every year, which can cause long term effects such as medical problems, trauma, depression and anxiety. Research has shown that social support is a protective factor for experiencing behavior problems in maltreated individuals. This study examined whether social support moderates the relationship between maltreatment and anxiety by questioning 39 Dutch adolescents between 12 and 17 years old. During lab visits the participants filled out an informed consent and multiple questionnaires like the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS-PC) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Social Support Scales for Children and Adolescents SSSC/SSSA and the Youth Self Report (YSR). A PROCESS-analysis was conducted to determine whether social support moderated the relationship between experienced maltreatment and anxiety. The relationship between child maltreatment and anxiety was found to be non-significant. Results also showed a non-significant negative relationship between social support and anxiety. Furthermore, social support did not moderate the relationship between experienced maltreatment and anxiety. These results may be partially explained by the small sample and the limited number of maltreated children in the sample. Furthermore, the group that experienced anxiety was also lower than expected due to a restriction of range. These results are not as expected, as other research has shown the buffering role of social support in relation to maltreatment and anxiety. Due to previous research and the limitations of this study it is important to implement social support for people who experience anxiety in society. Examples like reading books and school curricula are discussed. Upcoming research should be conducted with a larger and representative sample and ways to diminish social desirability should be taken into consideration.Show less
Background Many children are being maltreated; this causes a lot of psychological problems, such as low self-esteem. A low self-esteem can cause lifelong negative consequences. Goal This study...Show moreBackground Many children are being maltreated; this causes a lot of psychological problems, such as low self-esteem. A low self-esteem can cause lifelong negative consequences. Goal This study examined the relation between different types of child maltreatment and self-esteem in adolescence and the effect of gender. Methods The data is acquired from a Dutch multi-method two-generation research called RE-PAIR (Janssen et al., 2021). The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short Form (Bernstein & Fink, 1997) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Avison & Rosenberg, 1981) are completed by 115 respondents (78 girls and 37 boys), of which 80 non-clinical adolescents and 35 adolescents with depression. The relations and moderation are researched via regression analyses. Results Child maltreatment accounts a significant part of the variance in self-esteem (R2=.130; p < .05). Emotional abuse is the strongest negative predictor of self-esteem (β = -.293; t(86) = -2,287; p < .05). In addition, there was an interaction-effect of gender (t(88) = - 2,554; p < .05). In girls, emotional maltreatment is significant negative related to self-esteem (β = -.443; t(61) = -3.856; p = < .001), but not in boys (β = .048; t(27) = .249; p = .805). Discussion Child maltreatment has a negative relation with self-esteem, in which emotional maltreatment in particular plays a key role. Girls’ self-esteem decreases when they have experienced maltreatment. As a next step, we should try to reduce or prevent low self-esteem in maltreated populations.Show less
BACKGROUND: Child maltreatment is a global health problem affecting children across the globe, that can result in serious impairments in later life, taking the form of serious psychological...Show moreBACKGROUND: Child maltreatment is a global health problem affecting children across the globe, that can result in serious impairments in later life, taking the form of serious psychological disorders or impoverished social skills. Empathy belongs to one of these fundamental skills. The current study aims to replicate previous findings that childhood maltreatment history is associated with lower empathy levels. Generally, research distinguishes between affective and cognitive empathy. Hence, this study explores possible differences in impact of child maltreatment history on cognitive versus affective empathy. METHOD: This cross-sectional design involved 218 healthy participants between 18 and 79 years of age. To assess child maltreatment, the Dutch version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) was used. The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET) were used to assess both cognitive and affective empathy. The sample was divided into maltreated and non-maltreated participants, by applying cut-off scores, and where compared with multivariate ANOVAs on MET mean arousal level, MET total accuracy, perspective taking (PT), empathic concern (EC), fantasy (FS) and personal distress (PD). RESULTS: The present study failed to replicate previous findings of associations between child maltreatment and lowered empathy. Furthermore, a difference in impact on the two forms of empathy was not identified. However, after the exclusion of outliers, an indication was found for impaired cognitive empathy in individuals with maltreatment history. DISCUSSION: The present study shows that possible selective effects of child maltreatment on either cognitive or affective empathy may exist. Knowing how maltreatment differentially affects individuals in later adulthood, can help to optimize both prevention measures as well as treatments dealing with the consequence of child maltreatment, e.g. individual training focusing on either type of empathy. Limitations of the present study are discussed.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
open access
2016-01-01T00:00:00Z
Methylation of the serotonin transporter gene (5HTTLPR) might be one of the underlying molecular mechanisms of epigenetics through which effects of child maltreatment persist into adulthood. We...Show moreMethylation of the serotonin transporter gene (5HTTLPR) might be one of the underlying molecular mechanisms of epigenetics through which effects of child maltreatment persist into adulthood. We investigated how the experience of child maltreatment is associated with methylation density of 5HTTLPR and whether 5HTT genotype moderates this relation. The sample consisted of 22 females selected from the larger TwinPAD study (Out, Pieper, Bakermans-Kranenburg & Van IJzendoorn, 2010). DNA was obtained from buccal cells. The percentage of methylation in the first 245 bps was assessed using quantitative mass spectroscopy. Experiences of child maltreatment were established using the Adult Attachment Interview, coded with the Modified Maltreatment Classification System. We found that maltreatment severity was not significantly related to higher methylation density of 5HTTLPR, but the interaction of genotype with maltreatment severity significantly predicted methylation density. For carriers of the ss and sl genotype, more severe maltreatment was associated with higher methylation density, while for carriers of the ll genotype more severe maltreatment was associated with lower methylation density. We conclude that the relation between maltreatment severity and methylation density of 5HTTLPR is moderated by genotype, with ll carriers being protected against the methylating effects associated with maltreatment experiences. This study suggests that DNA methylation may be one of the molecular mechanism by which child maltreatment affects current and long-term functioning.Show less
