Lessons Learned from LONGSCAN: Findings from a 23-yr prospective study of maltreatment antecedents and consequences Desmond K. Runyan, MD, DrPH The Kempe Center The University of Colorado School of Medicine 1 Introduction • LONGSCAN Consortium • LONGitudinal Studies in Child Abuse and Neglect • Completed 20 year prospective study • Website <http://www.iprc.unc.edu/longscan> • Age 4-18 data currently available (Data Archive: Cornell University) Overview of LONGSCAN • • • • • • • Planning grant funded in 1989 Congressionally mandated Intended to address antecedents and consequences Planning grants to UNC and JPA of Chicago Solution to which type of sample: yes LONGitudinal Studies of Child Abuse & Neglect 5 distinct studies (East, South, Midwest, Northwest , & Southwest) 3 •Each site has integrity as an independent study •Collective efforts magnify impact •Measurement & data coordinated at UNC coordinating center •Common measures, coding, training, data entry •Committees for governance, measurement, analysis, and publications/dissemination For more information, see Runyan et al. 1998 Violence & Aggression LONGSCAN Ecological Model Current Status • • - Data collection on-going for participants in their 20’s - Youth now 23 - 29 years old Data archived with the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN) - Age 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, & 18 interviews Including CPS record reviews Over 130 scientific papers Over 25 dissertations 6 Measurement • Guided by Social-Developmental-Ecological Theory (NRC, 1993; Bronfenbrenner, 1989; Hawkins & Catalano, 1996). • Domains assessed: • Child/Youth: Characteristics, functioning • Caregiver: Characteristic, functioning • Family microsystem: Home environment, functioning • Macrosystem: Neighborhood, school, support 8 Measurement • Multiple sources & methods • Developed “just-in-time measurement batteries developed at 2 year intervals since age 6 • Reports/ratings/questionnaires (Child/Youth, • • • • Caregiver, and Teacher) Performance (Child/Youth) Situational tests/samples Official records (CPS) • Presentation of measures • Interview & Audio-Computer Assisted Self Interview (A-CASI) began at age 12 for child 9 Lesson 1: • Children reported to CPS don’t look good early in life Development Cognition Behavior problems 10 Battelle Screener at Age 4 • Battelle Screener at Age 4 Percentages of Children with Total Battelle Scores By Ranges (N= 1180) Age 4 Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Revised - PPVT-R (N = 951) % of Kids in the Normal/Borderline/Clinical Range for CBCL T Scores (at Baseline, age 4 or 6) Age 4, N = 1220 Age 6, N = 1218 % in Average, Moderately Low, or Very Low Ranges on Vineland Screener Age 6, N = 1208 Age 8, N = 1129 Age12, N = 952 Lesson 2: • • • A multi-site, multi-jurisdictional study has measurement problems for abuse Most maltreatment is of low severity Majority of reported maltreatment happens in early years 15 LONGSCAN Maltreatment Coding Scheme * Physical Abuse 9 subtypes Choking Head Burns Torso Shaking Buttocks Nondescript Limbs Violent handling Sex Abuse Subtypes Neglect Emotional Abuse Moral / Legal / Educational Neglect Failure to Provide Lack of Supervision Food Hygiene Clothing Shelter Medical Environment Substitute Care Severity Codes 27 Detail Types * Modified Barnett, Manly, Cicchetti Coding Scheme 1993 LONGSCAN Maltreatment Coding* For Severity • Severity is Coded on a Scale of 1 (low) through 6 (high) • Each severity code has specific meaning • Example: Physical Abuse to the Head/Face/Neck • Severity 1 = • Severity 2 = • Severity 3 = • Severity 4 = • Severity 5 = • Severity 6 = No marks indicated Minor marks Numerous or non-minor marks Emergency Room or medical treatment Hospitalization for more than 24 Hours Permanent Disability or Death * Modified Barnett, Manly, Cicchetti Coding Scheme 1993 # of Allegations (Official Reports) by Maltreatment Type (birth through age 18) # of Allegations Based on Baseline Sample (N = 1354) Age # of Substantiations # of Substantiations (Official Reports) by Maltreatment Type (birth through age 18) Based on Baseline Sample (N = 1354) Age Number of Allegations by Severity, Birth through Age 18 Level of Severity Low (% of rows) Types of Allegations 1/2 Physical Abuse 1165 (77) 282 (19) 71 (5) 1,518(25) Sexual Abuse 78 (19) 138 (34) 190 (47) 406 (7) Neglect: Failure to Provide 1645 (65) 512 (19) 425 (16) 2,642 (43) Neglect: Lack of Supervision 757 (50) 244 (16) 520 (34) 1,521(25) Total (percents of rows) 3,645 (60) 1,333 (22) 1049 (17) (%) 3 (%) High 4/5 Total (% of col.) (%) 6,087 Lesson 3: • You have to ask the children to learn what happened. 21 % of Children Self-Reporting Physical Abuse Interviews Age 12 (N = 881) Age 16 (N = 717) Age 18 (N = 756) % Concordance between Self-Reports and MMCS Substantiations of Physical Abuse % of Children Self-Reporting Sexual Abuse Interviews Age 12 (N = 874) Age 16 (N = 709) Age 18 (N = 756) % Concordance between Self-Reports and MMCS Substantiations of Sexual Abuse % of Children Self-Reporting Psychological Abuse Interviews Age 12 (N = 883) Age 16 (N = 705) Age 18 (N = 751) % Concordance between Self-Reports and MMCS Substantiations of Psychological Abuse Lesson 3: • • ACEs matter but maltreated children are off the charts ACEs have a different impact by age IPV explains 4% of depression & behavior problems in 4-8 year olds while sexual abuse & neglect explain less than 2% At age 12, psychological victimization explains more distress Not until age 14 does sexual abuse or physical abuse explain more of the problems 28 Types of Life Events • • • • • • Family Transitions Family Stress Exposure to Violence Family Transitions (Living Environments) Legal/Justice Involvement Neutral/Positive Mean # of Stressful Life Events In Preceding 12 Months and Mean Cumulative # of Stressful Life Events At Each Assessment Mean number of stressful life events in preceding 12 months + Cumulative mean number of stressful life events Adverse childhood experiences • Categories of childhood adversity (ages 4, 6, 8 and 12) 1. psychological maltreatment 2. physical abuse 3. sexual abuse 4. child neglect 5. caregiver’s substance/alcohol use 6. caregiver’s depressive symptoms 7. caregiver’s being treated violently 8. criminal behavior in the household • Child health at age 12 (both child and caregiver report) Adversity’s effects • Greater adversities during before age 6 associated with the age 12 reports of • somatic complaints • any poor health outcome • Childhood adverse exposures after age 6 associated with • any health complaint • child reports of poor health • child & caregiver reports of child somatic complaints • illness requiring medical attention Lesson 4: • Foster care impact is complicated More placements = more behavior problems More behavior problems= more placements Adopted children had caregivers with more resources, then kin care, then reunified families 33 Multiple Placements • • • • 415 children (2 to 16 at removal) CBCL: Time 1 (6-mos) - Time 2 (18 mos) DSS record review (# placements 18 mos) Findings: • 1 to 15 placements (mean=4.23) • Child BPs predicted # subsequent placements • # placements predicted subsequent BPs for those who did not have them initially (Newton, Litrownik, & Landsverk, 2000) • Children reunified by age 4 have more internalizing problems at age 6 than children in foster care • Reunified children reported being more connected to their social environment (e.g., peers, adults) than those who stayed in foster care • Reunified children exposed to: • More violence • More caregiver mental health problems • Worse family functioning • Lower levels of parental support • More stressful live events • Reunified children are less likely to receive mental health services Maltreatment’s effect on risky sexual behavior • • Maltreatment before age 12 is significantly associated with early initiation of sexual intercourse at ages 14 and 16. • Same results for sexual abuse alone, and for all maltreatment other than sexual abuse combined Gender differences • These relationships are the same for males and females for sexual abuse, psychological abuse and neglect. • The relationship between physical abuse before age 12 and sexual intercourse at ages 14 and 16 is less strong for boys. Lesson 5: Sexual Abuse may or may not be the most destructive form of abuse • • • Sexual abuse, physical abuse, and psychological abuse all linked to risky behavior Externalizing behaviors less prominent over time Internalizing behavior problems become more prominent 38 Maltreatment’s effect on risky sexual behavior at 16 • • • History of sexual abuse associated with risky behavior. Physical & emotional abuse, but not neglect or witnessed violence, each contributed to risky behavior (alcohol use & sexual intercourse combined) over sexual abuse. Child gender did not moderate the findings. Health and risky behaviors (age) Maltreated (%) 7.5 Not maltreated (%) 2.6 Delinquency (18) 5.7 3.9 Substance use (14) 8.7 7.0 Any criminal behavior (16) 46.9 37.1 Weapon (18) 25.5 16.9 Serious health problem (16) 34.8 27.1 Aggression (18) CBCL Externalizing Scores by Age & Abuse Status 19 17 S C O R E 15 Sex Abuse 13 CPS (no sex abuse) No CPS Reports 11 9 7 5 6 8 10 12 14 16 Age 41 CBCL Internalizing Scores by Age & Abuse Status 12 11 10 9 Sex Abuse CPS (no sex abuse) No CPS Reports 8 7 6 5 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 42 Lesson 6: Adult evidence for GI disease associated with abuse is already present in childhood 43 Maltreatment and GI symptoms • • CPS sexual abuse allegations associated with abdominal pain at age 12 years. • Sexual abuse occurred before or with abdominal pain significantly more than after it. Youth report of ever having been psychologically, physically, or sexually abused significantly associated with both abdominal pain and nausea/vomiting. Lesson 7 • • Child abuse does predict mental health issues Most maltreated children look normal later in life 45 Early maltreatment strongly predicts depression/anxiety symptoms through age 12. • Children with early maltreatment get worse over time. • By age 10, dramatic differences between the groups. • % of Kids in the Normal/Borderline/Clinical Range for Child Behavior Checklist T Scores Age 4, N = 1220 Age 6, N = 1218 Age 8, N = 1124 Lesson 8: Suicide • 12-21% of age 8 maltreated youth express suicidal thoughts Witnessing family violence, neglect, physical abuse, & residential instability predict age 8 suicidal thoughts (not sexual abuse) • Proportions similar at age 16 Physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, & witnessing community violence predict suicidal thoughts (not family violence) 48 LONGSCAN was a remarkable experience with multiple findings – most previously documented in cross-sectional or retrospective studies but confirmed -major lessons about scope of risk and harm Major lessons about measurement of exposure -major lessons about social capital, networks and fathers Most of our data are still untapped
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