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Childhood abuse and neglect and adult intimate relationships: a prospective study
Abstract
Objective The present study extends prior research on childhood maltreatment and social functioning by examining the impact of early childhood physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect on rates of involvement in adult intimate relationships and relationship functioning. Method Substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect from 1967 to 1971 were matched on gender, age, race, and approximate family class with non-abused and non-neglected children and followed prospectively into adulthood. Between 1989 and 1995, 1,196 participants (676 abused and neglected and 520 controls) were administered a 2-hour in-person interview, including a psychiatric assessment and a variety of standardized rating scales. Results Male and female abuse and neglect victims reported higher rates of cohabitation, walking out, and divorce than controls. Abused and neglected females were also less likely than female controls to have positive perceptions of current romantic partners and to be sexually faithful. Conclusions Although previous research on childhood maltreatment and adult intimate relationships has emphasized outcomes for female victims of childhood sexual abuse, present findings suggest that other forms of early maltreatment (physical abuse and neglect) also have a negative effect on both males' and females' ability to establish and maintain healthy intimate relationships in adulthood.
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“CM encompasses relational traumas, whereby the betrayal, powerlessness, or disregard experienced have the potential to disturb future romantic relationships (Briere, 2002; Colman & Widom, 2004).”
From Partner Effects of Childhood Maltreatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2024) · cites this paper as Colman & Widom, 2004
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Metadata
- Authors
- Colman, R. A., & Widom, C. S.
- Affiliations
- University at Albany, State University of New York (US)
- Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (US)
- Corresponding author
- Widom, Cathy Spatz
- ORCID
- Widom, Cathy Spatz
- Venue
- Child Abuse & Neglect
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-11
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1133-1151
- ISSN
- 0145-2134 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2026419621
- Cited by
- 443
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 47 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 30 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 6.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Child Abuse & Neglect (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH-49467, R01MH049467)
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD 40774, R01HD040774)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Child Welfare and Adoption
- Social Sciences › Health › Intimate Partner and Family Violence
- Keywords
- childhood abuse, child neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, intimate relationships, relationship functioning, cohabitation, divorce, sexual fidelity, romantic partners, social functioning
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Child, Child Abuse, Divorce, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Marriage, Prospective Studies, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sexual Behavior, Cohort Studies, Crime Victims
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