Alcohol abuse in abused and neglected children followed-up: are they at increased risk?

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether childhood victimization leads to increased risk of alcohol abuse in young adulthood and whether there are differential responses by gender and type of abuse.

METHOD: Substantiated cases of child abuse and/or neglect from 1967 to 1971 in a midwestern metropolitan county area were matched on the basis of age, race, sex and approximate family social class with a group of nonabused and nonneglected children and followed prospectively into young adulthood. Subjects were located and administered a 2-hour interview consisting of a series of structured and semistructured questions, rating scales and a psychiatric assessment using the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Findings are based on completed interviews with 1,068 subjects (611 abused and/or neglected and 457 controls).

RESULTS: No relationship between childhood victimization and subsequent alcohol abuse in men. A significant bivariate relationship for women was found, and the relationship persists when controlling for parental alcohol and/or drug problems, childhood poverty, race and age.

CONCLUSIONS: The connection between early childhood victimization and subsequent alcohol abuse seems less robust and more complex than hypothesized.