Multi-type maltreatment in childhood and psychological adjustment in adolescence: questionnaire study among adolescents in Western Herzegovina Canton

To determine the prevalence and intercorrelation of different forms of childhood maltreatment and psychological problems in adolescents in Western Herzegovina Canton. A questionnaire study was conducted in March 2003 on a convenient sample of 458 third-grade high-school students (39% boys) aged between 15 and 20 (median age, 17). Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales III, Child Maltreatment Questionnaire, Youth Self-Report, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Sociodemographic and family characteristics and exposure to maltreatment were analyzed as possible predictors of exposure to a particular type of abuse and subsequent psychological adjustment problems. Out of 458 students, 77% were emotionally abused, 52% physically abused, 30% neglected, 20% witnessed family violence, and 13% of girls and 21% of boys were sexually abused before the age of 14. Significant association between the maltreatment by a mother, father, and other adults were found for emotional and physical abuse and for neglect and witnessing family violence (r=0.413-0.541, P