Open AccessUnpacking the Associations Among Maltreatment, Disengagement Coping, and Behavioral Functioning in High-Risk Youth
Author(s) -
Helen M. Milojevich,
Michael A. Russell,
Jodi A. Quas
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
child maltreatment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1552-6119
pISSN - 1077-5595
DOI - 10.1177/1077559518778805
Subject(s) - psychology , disengagement theory , anger , aggression , poison control , suicide prevention , injury prevention , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , association (psychology) , coping (psychology) , mediation , human factors and ergonomics , sadness , moderated mediation , social psychology , medicine , psychotherapist , gerontology , environmental health , political science , law
Given the association between child maltreatment and a host of negative behavioral consequences, there remains a need to continue to identify mechanisms underlying this association as a means of improving intervention efforts. The present study examined one potential mechanism, namely, disengagement coping. We asked 6- to 17-year-old maltreated ( n = 249) and comparison ( n = 133) youth questions about emotional experiences that induced sadness and anger, strategies they used to cope with those emotions, and behavioral functioning (i.e., behavioral problems and aggression). Maltreated adolescents reported higher levels of behavioral problems and aggression relative to comparison adolescents, and adolescents who disengaged from emotional situations reported more behavioral problems relative to those who did not disengage. Tests of mediation suggested that, for adolescent-age youth, part of the association between maltreatment status and behavioral problems was explained by disengagement. In children, maltreatment was not associated with disengagement or behavioral problems. Results have implications for understanding age-related differences in the emotional and behavioral consequences of maltreatment.