The Experts below are selected from a list of 94869 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Xiaojia Ge - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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associations between early life stress child maltreatment and pubertal development among girls in foster care
Journal of Research on Adolescence, 2011Co-Authors: Jane Mendle, Leslie D Leve, Mark J Van Ryzin, Misaki N Natsuaki, Xiaojia GeAbstract:As a developmental stage, puberty represents a time of personal, biological, social, and emotional transformation. There is considerable individual variability in both the timing and rate of physical development (Marshall & Tanner, 1969), and it is a well-replicated phenomenon that physical maturation is accelerated in girls whose early life experiences are marked by social risks and disadvantages. This has triggered considerable interest in the role of early childhood stress in pubertal development; it is of particular salience as early physical maturation compared to peers serves as a harbinger for a wide variety of psychological and medical difficulties later in life (see Costenbader, Feskanich, Stampfer & Karlson, 2007; Laitinen, Power, & Jarvel, 2001; Mendle, Turkheimer, & Emery, 2007). The present paper investigates the timing and rate of pubertal maturation in a sample of girls in foster care. Three separate bodies of research literature suggest this sample might provide a unique opportunity to bolster our understanding of the relation of early life stress with physical maturation. The first relevant literature is the research on childhood maltreatment. Girls who experience child sexual abuse (CSA) tend to have earlier ages of menarche than girls who have not experienced sexual abuse (Bergevin, Bukowski, & Karavasilis, 2003; Romans, Martin, Gendall, & Herbison, 2003; Turner, Runz, & Galambos, 1999; Wise, Palmer, Rothman, & Rosenberg, 2009). In a seminal paper, Trickett and Putnam (1993) proposed that the trauma of CSA introduces physiological as well as psychological consequences for children, accelerating maturation by activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes prematurely. The resulting stress-induced alterations in hormones explain not only timing of maturation, but some of the aggressive and Sexualized Behavior that tends to emerge in CSA victims. In accordance with this, a number of studies have confirmed dysregulation of the HPA axis in women with a history of sexual abuse (e.g., Heim et al., 2000; Heim & Nemeroff, 2001; Putnam & Trickett, 1997). A relation between childhood physical abuse and early maturation has also been observed, though less robustly and less consistently than for sexual abuse (Bergevin et al., 2003; Wise et al., 2009), and studies do not always control for the possibility of concurrent sexual abuse (e.g., Romans et al., 2003). Second, sociobiological models of maturation seek to explain individual differences in pubertal timing in terms of an evolved, psychophysiological response to stressful family environments (e.g., Belsky, Steinberg & Draper, 1991, Ellis, 2004; Surbey, 1990). Children whose early social environments are characterized by high levels of conflict, absent parents, poverty, harsh or inconsistent discipline, and poor parent-child relationships learn that the world is precarious, resources scarce, and relationships untrustworthy. Under such conditions, an earlier physical development is – evolutionarily speaking – reproductively advantageous. Children therefore mature in such a way that speeds puberty and the onset of child-bearing, tending to be oriented towards mating and erratic romantic partnerships rather than high-quality investments in their own relationships and offspring. Lastly, the concept of “weathering” has been proposed to understand why some populations age more swiftly and detrimentally than others (Geronimus, 1994; Geronimus et al., 2001). “Weathering” is a type of premature aging believed to be a consequence of racial/ethnic or socioeconomic group disadvantages, which constrain health care and create daily environments that demand considerable physical and emotional resources. Although much of the research on weathering concentrates on health disparities among groups later in life, it has been suggested that early menarche in girls from disadvantaged backgrounds may reflect one of the earliest signals that weathering begins in childhood (Foster, Hagan, & Brooks-Gunn, 2008). Collectively, these three bodies of literature provide convergent evidence that children with stressful life experiences are likely to have an earlier timing of maturation than those who do not. While each posits a different pathway by which acceleration is believed to occur, the goal of the present paper is not to examine or contrast these pathways. Rather, we aim to deepen understanding of the relation between early life stress and pubertal development by examining pubertal maturation in an unusual and under-researched sample: girls with histories of child maltreatment and placement in foster care. This sample provides a rich lens for considering stress and puberty, as the girls have been subject to severe and diverse risks during childhood. In fact, the stress history of these girls far exceeds that of participants in all previous studies of timing of puberty and early life experiences. Our work additionally extends prior research by utilizing documented histories of childhood maltreatment drawn from child welfare records; virtually all of the extant literature in this field relies on retrospective self-reports, which have been critiqued for their differing interpretations of abuse (Bergevin et al., 2003). We are therefore able to examine multiple forms of documented maltreatment within a single sample. Because of the dearth of research examining pubertal maturation in maltreated populations, the present study is primarily exploratory in nature. Analyses are guided by three main aims. First, we aim to establish a basic understanding of the timing and tempo of pubertal development in this population. We utilize a continuous measure of maturation representing changes in skin, body hair, and breast development collected at four time points. Second, we distinguish among a variety of different stressful early life experiences, to clarify whether the magnitude of the stress-puberty association varies according to the type of risk. Third, we estimate the relation of these different stressors with age at menarche. This allows for a cross-validation of findings with a different measure of pubertal timing.
Russell Hawkins - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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assessing parental understanding of Sexualized Behavior in children and adolescents
Child Abuse & Neglect, 2017Co-Authors: Nathan D Marriage, Anika S Blackley, Karlina Panagiotaros, Soraya A Seklaoui, Jed Van Den Bergh, Russell HawkinsAbstract:The current study assessed parents' ability to identify normal, concerning and harmful Sexualized Behaviors in children and adolescents, as well as the parents' ability to identify and select an appropriate level of intervention. The influence of a parent's relationship with the victim or the perpetrator on the level of action taken was also examined. A cross-sectional survey incorporating a randomized experimental vignette condition determined that parents (N=244) were not able to consistently identify Sexualized Behaviors accurately, and they provided lower-than-recommended levels of intervention responses. Parents were best able to identify and respond to Behaviors considered normal and age-appropriate, but had greater difficulty with Behaviors considered concerning or harmful. Parents were significantly less able to accurately identify and respond to Behaviors exhibited by very young children (in the 0-4 year-old age-bracket). In three vignette comparisons, no significant difference in the level of intervention responses was found between parents who viewed the victim as their own child and parents who viewed the perpetrator as their child; while parents who viewed both the victim and perpetrator as being their children (siblings) reported lower intervention response levels. Because a lack of accurate knowledge around risks and indicators of child sexual abuse negatively affects the ability to prevent and detect abuse, the results have implications for a shift from a forensic model of child protection towards a public health model, which emphasizes parent and community education.
Jane Mendle - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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associations between early life stress child maltreatment and pubertal development among girls in foster care
Journal of Research on Adolescence, 2011Co-Authors: Jane Mendle, Leslie D Leve, Mark J Van Ryzin, Misaki N Natsuaki, Xiaojia GeAbstract:As a developmental stage, puberty represents a time of personal, biological, social, and emotional transformation. There is considerable individual variability in both the timing and rate of physical development (Marshall & Tanner, 1969), and it is a well-replicated phenomenon that physical maturation is accelerated in girls whose early life experiences are marked by social risks and disadvantages. This has triggered considerable interest in the role of early childhood stress in pubertal development; it is of particular salience as early physical maturation compared to peers serves as a harbinger for a wide variety of psychological and medical difficulties later in life (see Costenbader, Feskanich, Stampfer & Karlson, 2007; Laitinen, Power, & Jarvel, 2001; Mendle, Turkheimer, & Emery, 2007). The present paper investigates the timing and rate of pubertal maturation in a sample of girls in foster care. Three separate bodies of research literature suggest this sample might provide a unique opportunity to bolster our understanding of the relation of early life stress with physical maturation. The first relevant literature is the research on childhood maltreatment. Girls who experience child sexual abuse (CSA) tend to have earlier ages of menarche than girls who have not experienced sexual abuse (Bergevin, Bukowski, & Karavasilis, 2003; Romans, Martin, Gendall, & Herbison, 2003; Turner, Runz, & Galambos, 1999; Wise, Palmer, Rothman, & Rosenberg, 2009). In a seminal paper, Trickett and Putnam (1993) proposed that the trauma of CSA introduces physiological as well as psychological consequences for children, accelerating maturation by activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes prematurely. The resulting stress-induced alterations in hormones explain not only timing of maturation, but some of the aggressive and Sexualized Behavior that tends to emerge in CSA victims. In accordance with this, a number of studies have confirmed dysregulation of the HPA axis in women with a history of sexual abuse (e.g., Heim et al., 2000; Heim & Nemeroff, 2001; Putnam & Trickett, 1997). A relation between childhood physical abuse and early maturation has also been observed, though less robustly and less consistently than for sexual abuse (Bergevin et al., 2003; Wise et al., 2009), and studies do not always control for the possibility of concurrent sexual abuse (e.g., Romans et al., 2003). Second, sociobiological models of maturation seek to explain individual differences in pubertal timing in terms of an evolved, psychophysiological response to stressful family environments (e.g., Belsky, Steinberg & Draper, 1991, Ellis, 2004; Surbey, 1990). Children whose early social environments are characterized by high levels of conflict, absent parents, poverty, harsh or inconsistent discipline, and poor parent-child relationships learn that the world is precarious, resources scarce, and relationships untrustworthy. Under such conditions, an earlier physical development is – evolutionarily speaking – reproductively advantageous. Children therefore mature in such a way that speeds puberty and the onset of child-bearing, tending to be oriented towards mating and erratic romantic partnerships rather than high-quality investments in their own relationships and offspring. Lastly, the concept of “weathering” has been proposed to understand why some populations age more swiftly and detrimentally than others (Geronimus, 1994; Geronimus et al., 2001). “Weathering” is a type of premature aging believed to be a consequence of racial/ethnic or socioeconomic group disadvantages, which constrain health care and create daily environments that demand considerable physical and emotional resources. Although much of the research on weathering concentrates on health disparities among groups later in life, it has been suggested that early menarche in girls from disadvantaged backgrounds may reflect one of the earliest signals that weathering begins in childhood (Foster, Hagan, & Brooks-Gunn, 2008). Collectively, these three bodies of literature provide convergent evidence that children with stressful life experiences are likely to have an earlier timing of maturation than those who do not. While each posits a different pathway by which acceleration is believed to occur, the goal of the present paper is not to examine or contrast these pathways. Rather, we aim to deepen understanding of the relation between early life stress and pubertal development by examining pubertal maturation in an unusual and under-researched sample: girls with histories of child maltreatment and placement in foster care. This sample provides a rich lens for considering stress and puberty, as the girls have been subject to severe and diverse risks during childhood. In fact, the stress history of these girls far exceeds that of participants in all previous studies of timing of puberty and early life experiences. Our work additionally extends prior research by utilizing documented histories of childhood maltreatment drawn from child welfare records; virtually all of the extant literature in this field relies on retrospective self-reports, which have been critiqued for their differing interpretations of abuse (Bergevin et al., 2003). We are therefore able to examine multiple forms of documented maltreatment within a single sample. Because of the dearth of research examining pubertal maturation in maltreated populations, the present study is primarily exploratory in nature. Analyses are guided by three main aims. First, we aim to establish a basic understanding of the timing and tempo of pubertal development in this population. We utilize a continuous measure of maturation representing changes in skin, body hair, and breast development collected at four time points. Second, we distinguish among a variety of different stressful early life experiences, to clarify whether the magnitude of the stress-puberty association varies according to the type of risk. Third, we estimate the relation of these different stressors with age at menarche. This allows for a cross-validation of findings with a different measure of pubertal timing.
Donna Akman - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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a review of the short term effects of child sexual abuse
Child Abuse & Neglect, 1991Co-Authors: Joseph H Beitchman, Kenneth J Zucker, Jane Hood, Granville A Dacosta, Donna AkmanAbstract:Abstract This is the first of a two-part report that critically evaluates empirical studies on the short- and long-term effects of child sexual abuse. With the exception of Sexualized Behavior, the majority of short-term effects noted in the literature are symptoms that characterize child clinical samples in general. Among adolescents, commonly reported sequelae include sexual dissatisfaction, promiscuity, homosexuality, and an increased risk for revictimization. Depression and suicidal ideation or Behavior also appear to be more common among victims of sexual abuse compared to normal and psychiatric nonabused controls. Frequency and duration of abuse, abuse involving penetration, force, or violence, and a close relationship to the perpetrator appear to be the most harmful in terms of long-lasting effects on the child. The high prevalence of marital breakdown and psychopathology among parents of children who are sexually abused makes it difficult to determine the specific impact of sexual abuse over and above the effects of a disturbed home environment. Given the broad range of outcome among sexual abuse victims, as well as the methodological weaknesses present in many of the studies reviewed, it is not possible at this time to postulate the existence of a “post-sexual-abuse-syndrome” with a specific course or outcome.
Nathan D Marriage - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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assessing parental understanding of Sexualized Behavior in children and adolescents
Child Abuse & Neglect, 2017Co-Authors: Nathan D Marriage, Anika S Blackley, Karlina Panagiotaros, Soraya A Seklaoui, Jed Van Den Bergh, Russell HawkinsAbstract:The current study assessed parents' ability to identify normal, concerning and harmful Sexualized Behaviors in children and adolescents, as well as the parents' ability to identify and select an appropriate level of intervention. The influence of a parent's relationship with the victim or the perpetrator on the level of action taken was also examined. A cross-sectional survey incorporating a randomized experimental vignette condition determined that parents (N=244) were not able to consistently identify Sexualized Behaviors accurately, and they provided lower-than-recommended levels of intervention responses. Parents were best able to identify and respond to Behaviors considered normal and age-appropriate, but had greater difficulty with Behaviors considered concerning or harmful. Parents were significantly less able to accurately identify and respond to Behaviors exhibited by very young children (in the 0-4 year-old age-bracket). In three vignette comparisons, no significant difference in the level of intervention responses was found between parents who viewed the victim as their own child and parents who viewed the perpetrator as their child; while parents who viewed both the victim and perpetrator as being their children (siblings) reported lower intervention response levels. Because a lack of accurate knowledge around risks and indicators of child sexual abuse negatively affects the ability to prevent and detect abuse, the results have implications for a shift from a forensic model of child protection towards a public health model, which emphasizes parent and community education.