Référence
Langevin, R., Ouellet-Morin, I., Kay, S., Chartrand, E., Castellanos-Ryan, N., Collin-Vézina, D., Geoffroy, M.C. (2025). Construct validity of probable child maltreatment indicators using prospectively recorded information in a longitudinal cohort of Canadian children. Child Abuse & Neglect, 125, 107300.
Résumé
Background
Officially reported and self-reported measures of child maltreatment show poor agreement and may differentially predict psychosocial problems in adulthood. However, research remains primarily based on retrospective self-reports, warranting examination of the validity of prospective assessments of maltreatment.
Objective
To assess the construct validity of prospective indicators of child maltreatment using a longitudinal cohort of Canadian children.
Participants and setting
The population-based cohort comprises 2120 participants born between 1997 and 1998 in Quebec, Canada.
Methods
Maternal and familial risk factors (maternal age, depressive symptoms, and antisocial behaviors, socioeconomic status, and single-parent home) and early adulthood functioning difficulties (depression, anxiety, suicidality, alcohol misuse, and unemployment status) were assessed across various time points (0–23 years). Associations between factors and prospective and retrospective maltreatment indicators were appraised.
Results
Most maternal and familial risk factors (80 %) showed associations with indicators of prospective maltreatment (ΔM = +/−0.04 to 0.72; p < 0.05). Several early adulthood functioning difficulties (30 %) showed associations with physical (ΔM = 0.05 to 0.22; p < 0.05) and sexual abuse (ΔM = 0.33 to 0.34; p < 0.05), while emotional, supervisory, and physical neglect were only associated with educational/employment status (ΔM = 0.04 to 0.10; p < 0.05). Cumulatively assessed maltreatment also showed a dose-response relationship with maternal and familial risk factors/functioning difficulties.
Conclusions
The strong construct validity exhibited by our prospective indicators highlights the need to assess child maltreatment multi-modally. Our findings further contribute to the wider discussion surrounding the measurement of child maltreatment.
