The purpose of this study was to identify groups depending on the change trajectory of child maltreatment, and to test the effects of children and parents variables in determining these latent classes in childhood and early adolescence. For this stu ...
The purpose of this study was to identify groups depending on the change trajectory of child maltreatment, and to test the effects of children and parents variables in determining these latent classes in childhood and early adolescence. For this study, the data from waves 2~6 (2011~2015) of the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS) were used. Subjects of this study included 1st (n=2,300) and 4th (n=2,325) grade students of elementary school. A Latent Class Growth Model(LCGM) using Mplus 7.21 was adopted to classify the types of developmental trajectories of child maltreatment. Also, to determine the predicting variables of each type, a multinominal logistic model using SPSS 18.0 was performed.
The main results were as follows:
First, in the physical abuse, childhood from the 2nd to the 6th grade was classified into four groups: decreased, low maintenance, increased, and no maltreatment type. Also, early adolescence from the 5th grade of elementary school to the 3rd grade of middle school was also classified into the same types.
Second, in emotional abuse, childhood was classified into three groups: decreased, increased, and no maltreatment type. Early adolescence was classified into four groups: decreased, low maintenance, increased, and no maltreatment type.
Third, in neglect, childhood was classified into four groups: maintenance, low decreasing, low increasing, and no maltreatment type. Early adolescence was classified into three groups: maintenance, low increasing, and no maltreatment type.
Fourth, in children’s variables, predicting variables that affect each type were children’s gender, emotional problems, and school record. In parent’s variables, parenting style, health status, education level, and home economic levels were associated with the trajectory classes. In other words, they were more vulnerable to child maltreatment if they were boys, had emotional problems, and did not satisfy school records. In parent’s variables, parenting styles were found to be more important predictors than physical health, life satisfaction, and home economics.
This study is meaningful by classifying latent classes depending on maltreatment types. The predicting variables of maltreatment in childhood and early adolescence were shown similar tendency and we confirmed that the variables affect continuously from childhood to early adolescence.