Typologies of child maltreatment and peer bullying victimization, and their associations with adolescent substance use: a latent class analysis
Loading...
Date
2021
Authors
Salmon, Samantha
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Every child has the right to live free from violence, yet many children worldwide are victimized in their home and among their peers. Child maltreatment and peer bullying are pervasive problems with serious and lifelong health, educational, and social consequences. Child maltreatment and peer bullying are also associated with substance use in adolescence, which may be used as a maladaptive strategy for coping with adversity. Substance use can be especially harmful during adolescence and may lead to substance use disorders. The purpose of this research was to improve understanding of 1) the patterns and typologies of multiple child maltreatment and peer bullying experiences among adolescents and 2) how the identified victimization typologies are associated with adolescent substance use.
The current study used secondary data analysis of the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study. Latent class analysis with a correction procedure for misclassification was conducted to first identify typologies of six types of self-reported child maltreatment and five types of self-reported peer bullying victimization among adolescents aged 14 to 17 years (n = 2,910), and subsequently examine the associations between the identified typologies and self-reported adolescent substance use. For comparison, cumulative victimization exposure was also assessed using logistic regression. All models were first examined unadjusted and then adjusting for parent-reported substance use and sociodemographic characteristics.
Findings from this research provide novel information about typologies of childhood victimization and the associations of these typologies with adolescent substance use. Four victimization typologies were identified: Low victimization (76.6%), Violent Home Environment (16.0%), High Verbal/Social Peer Bullying (5.3%), and High Polyvictimization (2.1%). Findings demonstrate that child maltreatment and peer bullying victimization experiences are interrelated and that their co-occurrence is common in the population. Polyvictimization exposure was found to be associated with increased odds of adolescent substance use (adjusted odds ratio range = 2.06 to 3.61). These findings have important implications to help adolescents exposed to polyvictimization. Implementation of trauma- and violence-informed care systems across all child- and adolescent-serving settings, including health, education, justice, and social services sectors, may be a necessary standard of care to protect children’s rights. Public health education on positive parenting practices along with legislated prohibition of corporal punishment is needed as an upstream strategy to prevent violence against children, which may also contribute to reductions in adolescent substance use.
Description
Keywords
Child maltreatment, Peer bullying victimization, Substance use, Latent class analysis, Adolescents