Citation
Kotch, Jonathan B.; Lewis, Terri L.; Hussey, Jon M.; English, Diana J.; Thompson, Richard; Litrownik, Alan J.; Runyan, Desmond K.; Bangdiwala, Shrikant I.; Margolis, Benyamin; & Dubowitz, Howard O. (2008). The Importance of Early Neglect for Childhood Aggression. Pediatrics, 121(4), 725-731.Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The goal was to examine the association between early childhood neglect (birth to age 2 years) and later childhood aggression at ages 4, 6, and 8 years, compared with aggression's associations with early childhood abuse and later abuse and neglect.METHODS: A prospective cohort of 1318 predominantly at-risk children, recruited from 4 US cities and 1 southern state, were monitored from birth to 8 years of age. Maltreatment was determined through review of local child protective services records. A hierarchical, linear model approach, a special case of general, linear, mixed modeling, was used to predict aggressive behavior scores, as reported by the child's primary caregiver at ages 4, 6, and 8 years.
RESULTS: Only early neglect significantly predicted aggression scores. Early abuse, later abuse, and later neglect were not significantly predictive in a controlled model with all 4 predictors.
CONCLUSION: This longitudinal study suggests that child neglect in the first 2 years of life may be a more-important precursor of childhood aggression than later neglect or physical abuse at any age.
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2006-3622Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2008Journal Title
PediatricsAuthor(s)
Kotch, Jonathan B.Lewis, Terri L.
Hussey, Jon M.
English, Diana J.
Thompson, Richard
Litrownik, Alan J.
Runyan, Desmond K.
Bangdiwala, Shrikant I.
Margolis, Benyamin
Dubowitz, Howard O.