The income gap contributes to child maltreatment

A study published in the current issue of Pediatrics helps to identify that the growing income gap in the world has an impact on child maltreatment. There may be many reasons to be concerned about the increasing concentration of wealth in a small pool of people, but this study concludes that child maltreatment is one of the reasons to be concerned.

The study concludes:

Higher income inequality across US counties was significantly associated with higher county-level rates of child maltreatment. The findings contribute to the growing literature linking greater income inequality to a range of poor health and well-being outcomes in infants and children.

This is a very real issue for larger society that will be expected to pick up the costs of this growing problem through health care, child protection and the criminal justice and mental health systems. Child maltreatment has life long implications.  One of the authors, John J. Eckenrode stated:

"Child maltreatment is a toxic stressor in the lives of children that may result in childhood mortality and morbidities and have lifelong effects on leading causes of death in adults," they wrote. "This is in addition to long-term effects on mental health, substance use, risky sexual behavior and criminal behavior … increased rates of unemployment, poverty and Medicaid use in adulthood." (Science Daily February 12, 2014).

When one links this research with what is known from the Adverse Childhood Experiences research, we can see that there is growing data that child maltreatment creates emotions, physical, social and economic impacts across the lifespan. This is just more data that shows it is a big deal.

Reference:

J. Eckenrode, E. G. Smith, M. E. McCarthy, M. Dineen. Income Inequality and Child Maltreatment in the United States. PEDIATRICS, 2014; DOI:10.1542/peds.2013-1707

 

Harsh physical punishment creates long term problems

Many may be familiar with the Adverse Childhood Experiences research. This powerful, robust work helps us to see that negative events in childhood have long term implications for physical and emotional health. A new study published in Paediatrics online this week adds to the data that what goes on in childhood has significant implications for our health as adults.

Drawing on data from the US National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, which has a sample size of 34,226 people, the researchers were able to conclude:

Harsh physical punishment was associated with higher odds of cardiovascular disease (borderline significance), arthritis, and obesity after adjusting for sociodemographic variables, family history of dysfunction, and Axis I and II mental disorders (adjusted odds ratios ranged from 1.20 to 1.30).

This is important as we really come to understand that even in the absence of childhood maltreatment, harsh physical discipline does not lead to the desired outcome of better adults. This is important data in the ongoing debate about the use of corporal punishment. Consistently we see little objective data that supports its use.

Reference:

Harsh Physical Punishment in Childhood and Adult Physical Health

1. Tracie O. Afifi
, PhD, 
2. Natalie Mota, MA, 
3. Harriet L. MacMillan, MD, FRCPC, and 
4. Jitender Sareen, MD, FRCPC.