Stephanie D. Block

Internalizing problems: A potential pathway from childhood maltreatment to adolescent smoking

PURPOSE This study examines the association between childhood maltreatment and adolescent smoking and the extent to which internalizing behavioral problems mediate this hypothesized link. METHODS Data from 522 youth at ages 12, 14, and 16 and from their caregivers were obtained as part of a prospective, longitudinal study of child abuse and neglect (LONGSCAN). Official Child Protective Services (CPS) reports of maltreatment and self-reported abusive experiences of children aged 12 were obtained for this study. Internalizing behavioral problems were reported by caregivers for the adolescents at age 14. Cigarette use was self-reported by adolescents at age 16. RESULTS A significantly higher proportion of maltreated youth (19%) reported having smoked in the last 30 days compared with nonmaltreated youth (7%). A history of childhood maltreatment predicted smoking at the age of 16. Maltreatment history was associated with internalizing problems at the age of 14, and internalizing problems were associated with smoking. Finally, internalizing behaviors partially mediated the link between childhood maltreatment by the age of 12 years and adolescent smoking at 16. CONCLUSIONS Internalizing problems are one mediating pathway by which adolescents with a history of childhood maltreatment may initiate smoking behavior during mid-adolescence. Given the elevated rate of smoking among maltreated adolescents, it is important to identify potential pathways to better guide prevention strategies. These finding suggest that youth with a history of maltreatment should be identified as a high-risk group, and that efforts to identify and address internalizing problems in this population may be an important area of intervention to reduce smoking among adolescents.

Abused and neglected children in court: Knowledge and attitudes

OBJECTIVE After maltreated children are taken into protective custody, dependency courts determine the childrens placements. Many, if not most, maltreated children never attend their dependency court hearings. We had the rare opportunity to interview children in a jurisdiction where children regularly attend their detention hearings in dependency court. Our main goals were to assess maltreated childrens knowledge and attitudes about their court experiences and identify predictors thereof. We also examined if the maltreated children desired greater participation in dependency court decisions. METHODS Immediately after attending their dependency court hearings, 7- to 10-year-olds were interviewed about their knowledge of, attitudes concerning, and participation in dependency court. Information was also extracted from the childrens dependency court files. RESULTS Lack of understanding and negative attitudes were common. Age predicted court knowledge, and age, anxiety, court knowledge, abuse type, and criminal court referral predicted attitudes. Qualitative findings included that a substantial minority of children did not feel believed or listened to, and most children wanted to return home. CONCLUSIONS This research is relevant to current debates about the extent to which children should be involved in legal decisions. The results suggest that maltreated children may profit from greater understanding of dependency court. Moreover, the findings indicate that children often wish to have greater influence in dependency court decisions. POLICY IMPLICATIONS Professionals should consider providing children involved in dependency court hearings with age-appropriate information about the legal proceedings. Children may also benefit in dependency hearings from the opportunity, directly or indirectly (through their attorneys), to give voice to their wishes and needs.

Autobiographical Memory Specificity in Child Sexual Abuse Victims

The present study examined the specificity of autobiographical memory in adolescents and adults with versus without child sexual abuse (CSA) histories. Eighty-five participants, approximately half of whom per age group had experienced CSA, were tested on the autobiographical memory interview. Individual difference measures, including those for trauma-related psychopathology, were also administered. Findings revealed developmental differences in the relation between autobiographical memory specificity and CSA. Even with depression statistically controlled, reduced memory specificity in CSA victims relative to controls was observed among adolescents but not among adults. A higher number of posttraumatic stress disorder criteria met predicted more specific childhood memories in participants who reported CSA as their most traumatic life event. These findings contribute to the scientific understanding of childhood trauma and autobiographical memory functioning and underscore the importance of considering the role of age and degree of traumatization within the study of autobiographical memory.

Multiple Forensic Interviews During Investigations of Child Sexual Abuse: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis

In suspected child sexual abuse some professionals recommend multiple child interviews to increase the likelihood of disclosure or more details to improve decision-making and increase convictions. We modeled the yield of a policy of routinely conducting multiple child interviews and increased convictions. Our decision tree reflected the path of a case through the health care, welfare, and legal systems and estimated the increased probability of conviction with additional interviews. We populated our decision analysis model using literature-based estimates. We simulated the experiences of 1,000 cases at 250 sets of plausible parameter values representing different hypothetical communities. Multiple interviews increase by 6.1% the likelihood that an offender will be convicted in the average community. We estimate that one additional conviction will follow if 17 additional children are multiple interviewed. Implications for the children, costs of care, protection of other children, and the risk of false prosecution are discussed.

Coping style and memory specificity in adolescents and adults with histories of child sexual abuse

ABSTRACT Individuals with histories of childhood trauma may adopt a nonspecific memory retrieval strategy to avoid unpleasant and intrusive memories. In a sample of 93 adolescents and adults with or without histories of child sexual abuse (CSA), we tested the hypothesis that nonspecific memory retrieval is related to an individuals general tendency to use avoidant (i.e., distancing) coping as a personal problem-solving or coping strategy, especially in victims of CSA. We also examined age differences and other individual differences (e.g., trauma-related psychopathology) as predictors of nonspecific memories. Distancing coping was significantly associated with less specific autobiographical memory. Younger age, lower vocabulary scores, and non-CSA childhood maltreatment (i.e., physical and emotional abuse) also uniquely predicted less autobiographical memory specificity, whereas trauma-related psychopathology was associated with more specific memory. Implications for the development of autobiographical memory retrieval in the context of coping with childhood maltreatment are discussed.

“I Didn’t Do That!” Event Valence and Child Age Influence Adults’ Discernment of Preschoolers’ True and False Statements:

Justice can hinge on adults’ abilities to distinguish accurate from inaccurate child testimony. Yet relatively little is known about factors that affect adults’ abilities to determine the accuracy of children’s eyewitness reports. In this study, adults (N = 108) viewed videoclips of 3- and 5-year-olds answering open-ended and leading questions about positive and negative actually experienced (“true”) events or never experienced (“false”) events that the children either affirmed or denied. Analyses revealed that adults were more accurate at determining the veracity of negative compared with positive incidents, particularly when children said that they had experienced the event. Moreover, adults’ accuracy was at chance for older children’s false denials. Psycholegal implications are discussed.