Multiple Types of Child Maltreatment, Posttraumatic Stress, Dissociative Symptoms, and Reactive Aggression among Adolescent Criminal Offenders

Abstract

This study focused on psychological correlates of child maltreatment histories among male adolescent offenders (N = 123). Four assessment strategies employed to assess four types of maltreatment revealed that approximately 81.9% of offenders had been exposed to at least one type of maltreatment; the majority had experienced multiple types. Multiple maltreatment positively predicted reactive aggression and dissociative symptoms; these relationships were stronger than relationships with traditional Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The significant relationship between multiple maltreatment and reactive aggression was fully mediated by dissociative symptoms and partially mediated by PTSD symptoms. We discussed the use of complex trauma models to guide assessments of and interventions with adolescent offenders who had been traumatized by multiple types of maltreatment.

Keywords:

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• juvenile delinquents
• child abuse
• complex trauma
• Developmental Trauma Disorder

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the invaluable assistance of personnel at the Colorado 19th Judicial District, especially Mr. Greg Brown; personnel at the Center for High Risk Youth, Denver, Colorado, especially Mr. James Smith, Mr. Phil Tedeschi, and Mr. Jeffrey Kisicki; students at the University of Colorado who gave generously of their time and caring, Shanna Grant, PhD, Tanya Peters, PhD, Kristen Scherrer, MA, Jay Schulz-Heik, PhD, and Kyrill Gurtovenko, BA.