Unraveling the link between maltreatment and juvenile antisocial behavior: a meta-analysis of prospective longitudinal studies

Abstract

The maltreatment-antisocial behavior relationship has been a focus of research for decades. However, understanding this association has been largely based on individual empirical studies or on reviews of maltreatments' broad consequences or of delinquency's diverse risk factors. To thoroughly examine the relationship between maltreatment and juvenile antisocial behaviors, we conducted a meta-analysis exclusively of prospective longitudinal studies and explored moderator effects. Overall maltreatment, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, and neglect were included, and general and aggressive antisocial behaviors were considered. The final data set consisted of 33 studies, including 23,973 youth, and 69 correlations. Results showed that maltreatment is associated with higher rates of general antisocial behaviors (r = 0.11; 95% CI [0.08, 0.14]) and aggressive antisocial behaviors (r = 0.11; 95% CI [0.07, 0.14]), and the relationship holds in the presence of potential confounders, as common risk factors and methodological variations. Furthermore, sexual and physical abuse were more strongly linked to aggressive rather than general antisocial behaviors, while neglected youth had an increased risk of general antisocial involvement. The causal mechanisms underlying these dissimilar relationships warrant further research to prevent the adverse antisocial consequences of maltreatment.