PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

Child maltreatment is a pervasive public health problem. Evidence from numerous studies suggests that child maltreatment leads to both short-term and long-term detrimental effects. However, only few studies investigated the differential effects of specific child maltreatment types on mental health. In the current study, we aimed to detect the frequency of child maltreatment and determine specific associations of different types of child maltreatment with risk-taking behavior and self-esteem among college students. A total of 421 university students from Turkey aged between 18 and 26 years (M-age = 21.16, SD = 1.79) participated in the study. Among the participants, 323 (76.7%) were females. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, the Risk-taking Behavior Scale, and the Self-Esteem Scale were used to assess childhood maltreatment, risk-taking behavior, and self-esteem, respectively. In total, 58.7% (n = 247) of the participants reported experiencing at least one type of child maltreatment throughout their childhood. Moreover, a path analysis showed that emotional abuse (beta = -0.23, p < .001) and emotional neglect (beta = -0.28, p < .001) were negatively associated with self-esteem, whereas sexual abuse (beta = 0.16, t = 3.37, p < .001) was positively linked with risk-taking behavior after controlling for other types of childhood maltreatment and sociodemographic variables. The findings emphasize the importance of understanding the unique associations and effects of childhood maltreatment on self-esteem and risk-taking behavior. Prevention and intervention efforts should consider these potential impacts of specific childhood maltreatment types.