From Child Maltreatment to Adolescent Substance Use: Different Pathways for Males and Females?

This study uses data from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) project to assess the relationships between childhood physical abuse/sexual abuse and adolescent substance use. Whether these relationships are mediated by externalizing problems, internalizing problems, parent-child attachment, or anger and gender differences in these direct and indirect relationships is also addressed. Results indicate that there is a direct relationship between physical abuse and substance use and that mediating pathways between maltreatment and substance use are different for males and females. These results suggest that gender-responsive services should be provided to prevent and address adolescent substance use.