Open research questions in Child Abuse and Trauma

What the literature leaves open

• The relationship between childhood maltreatment and mortality risk is not fully understood. The indirect pathways linking childhood maltreatment and mortality risk are not well explored. The study aims to address this gap by examining the role of anger expression subtypes.

  Childhood maltreatment and anger expression during adulthood: an exploration of the impact on mortality risk across 15 years · 2026 · DOI

• the study only used data collected at the pre-test phase of the intervention study, - the sample size was limited to 88 mothers, - the study only included mothers who were the primary caregiver of the child

  Disrupted parental behaviors in maltreating and high-risk families: The roles of maternal childhood maltreatment, psychological distress, and child gender · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in understanding the relationship between childhood maltreatment and disrupted parental behaviors. The research highlights the need to investigate the indirect role of psychological distress and the moderating role of child gender.

  Disrupted parental behaviors in maltreating and high-risk families: The roles of maternal childhood maltreatment, psychological distress, and child gender · 2026 · DOI

• further research is needed to understand the prevalence and impacts of SSB/A, - research should focus on providing support for the child who was responsible for harm

  ‘Tell me your story’ a qualitative analysis of written narratives from individuals affected by sibling sexual abuse and behaviour: The perspective of parents · 2026 · DOI

• Exactly how many children are affected by SSB/A is not sufficiently understood. There is a lack of understanding of the experiences of parents whose families have been affected by SSB/A.

  ‘Tell me your story’ a qualitative analysis of written narratives from individuals affected by sibling sexual abuse and behaviour: The perspective of parents · 2026 · DOI

• The sample size was modest (N = 38). The data was not normally distributed for several variables. No power analysis was conducted prior to choosing the sample. The study was limited to participants who completed variables of interest: CM, past parental bonding, and present postpartum bonding.

  Intergenerational Effects of the Mother’s History of Neglect and Parental Bonding on Her Postpartum Bonding: A Pilot Study · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in understanding the relationship between childhood maltreatment and postpartum bonding. It highlights the need to explore the intergenerational effects of childhood experiences on maternal-infant bonding. The study aims to address this gap by examining the associations between childhood traumatic experiences and postpartum bonding.

  Intergenerational Effects of the Mother’s History of Neglect and Parental Bonding on Her Postpartum Bonding: A Pilot Study · 2026 · DOI

• Heterogeneity across study designs. High risk of bias. Limited evidence regarding TRD. Most studies included predominantly White samples. Few studies assessed emotional neglect and other less common ACEs

  The Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Development of Major Depressive Disorder and Treatment-Resistant Depression · 2026 · DOI

• Investigate the relationship between ACEs and TRD further. Examine the effects of cumulative ACE burden on MDD and TRD risk. Assess the impact of less common ACEs, such as emotional neglect and domestic violence, on MDD risk. Explore the neurodevelopmental and neurobiological mechanisms underlying the association between ACEs and depression

  The Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Development of Major Depressive Disorder and Treatment-Resistant Depression · 2026 · DOI

• Examining the distinct effects of different forms of CM is critical for understanding the mechanisms underlying depression, - Investigating the potential bidirectional interactions between resilience and depression in other populations, - Exploring the effects of CM on other psychological issues

  Bidirectional Association Between Psychological Resilience and Depression in Early Adolescents: the Predictive Role of Childhood Maltreatment · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of consensus regarding the specific impacts of each type of childhood abuse on depressive outcomes. The need to examine the distinct effects of different forms of childhood maltreatment on depression and resilience. The importance of considering childhood maltreatment in understanding adolescent depression.

  Bidirectional Association Between Psychological Resilience and Depression in Early Adolescents: the Predictive Role of Childhood Maltreatment · 2026 · DOI

• The study's sample size was limited to 351 participants, - The study relied on self-reported data, - The study did not control for all potential confounding variables

  Associations between Chronicity of Childhood Maltreatment and Late Adolescent Mental Health and Risk Behaviors · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of understanding of how various attributes of childhood maltreatment experiences, such as type and timing, relate to mental health and risk behaviors in late adolescence. Prior work has consistently demonstrated adverse outcomes for maltreated youth, but a more nuanced understanding is needed. The study aims to fill the gap in understanding how childhood maltreatment experiences relate to mental health and risk behaviors in late adolescence.

  Associations between Chronicity of Childhood Maltreatment and Late Adolescent Mental Health and Risk Behaviors · 2026 · DOI

• The challenge of analyzing online blog posts and testimonials, which may not provide a representative sample of the population. The difficulty of addressing the ethical implications of utilizing online media postings without consent. The need to recognize the nuanced ways in which intimate partner dynamics and societal expectations of gender roles can influence the psychological state of women in these situations.

  Voices Unheard: the Experiences of Women Whose Partners Have Sexually Abused Children – A Novel Exploration into Patriarchal Blaming Practices · 2026 · DOI

• The limited attention given to the experiences of women whose partners have sexually abused children. The lack of research examining the experiences of intimate partners of individuals who have sexually offended against a child. The need for a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of these women and the societal expectations that contribute to their stigmatization.

  Voices Unheard: the Experiences of Women Whose Partners Have Sexually Abused Children – A Novel Exploration into Patriarchal Blaming Practices · 2026 · DOI

• Future studies should examine the specific subtypes of child maltreatment and their effects on maternal perceptions of infant temperament. Research should use comprehensive measures of IPV, accounting for IPV experienced across pregnancy. Studies should investigate the role of maternal responsiveness in the relationship between maternal adverse experiences and perceptions of infant temperament.

  Maternal Child Maltreatment and Intimate Partner Violence: Effects on Perceptions of Infant Temperament and the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation and Responsiveness · 2026 · DOI

• Most research does not examine how maternal experiences of different subtypes of child maltreatment affect perceptions of infant temperament. The measurement of intimate partner violence during pregnancy is problematic, with most research failing to assess IPV throughout pregnancy or using unstandardized measures.

  Maternal Child Maltreatment and Intimate Partner Violence: Effects on Perceptions of Infant Temperament and the Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation and Responsiveness · 2026 · DOI

• There is a gap in understanding the gendered dimensions of childhood emotional abuse. The existing evidence suggests that women and individuals who are gender and sexually diverse experience higher levels of distress, but the reasons for this are not well understood.

  Gender and Sexuality in Childhood Emotional Abuse: An Exploration of Victim-survivor Experiences in Australia · 2026 · DOI

• Cross-sectional studies have a limited ability to capture the stability of depressive symptoms. There is a need to explore the mechanism explaining the association between childhood maltreatment and adolescent depressive symptoms.

  Longitudinal Association Between Childhood Maltreatment and Depressive Symptoms among Chinese Adolescents: a Joint Moderated Mediation Model · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of research comparing the mental health effects of SSH to other forms of CSA. The study aims to fill this gap by examining the differences in self-reported symptoms of mental health difficulties.

  Mental Health Following Sibling Sexual Harm: Are There Differences in Self-Reported Symptoms Compared to Those who Experience Other Intrafamilial and Extrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse? · 2026 · DOI

• Further research is needed to explore the effectiveness of culturally grounded prevention strategies - Research should examine the impact of prevention efforts on reducing DV/SA in AANHPI and SWANA communities

  Advancing Culturally Grounded Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention in AANHPI and SWANA Communities · 2026 · DOI

• Mainstream prevention and response efforts may not reflect culturally specific needs, particularly for underserved communities. Prior work has focused on discrete programs, but there is a need to understand how prevention is defined, operationalized, and sustained within culturally specific contexts.

  Advancing Culturally Grounded Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention in AANHPI and SWANA Communities · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of understanding of the process of disclosure of childhood abuse. Prior research has focused on initial disclosure or distinct types of disclosure, rather than the complexity of the process. The paper aims to address this gap by investigating the different moments that support the process of disclosure.

  Moments of Disclosure: A Temporal Approach to Children’s and Young People’s Disclosure of Abuse · 2026 · DOI

• The study relied on retrospective, self-report data derived from an MTurk sample and cross-sectional methodology. The accuracy of the participant accounts could not be verified, and the self-reported acts of victimization would have varied widely in their severity and impact. The study's findings may be limited by the use of a crowdsourcing sample, which may not be representative of the general population.

  Childhood Maltreatment and Subsequent Adult Reliance on Physical Child Discipline · 2026 · DOI

• The intergenerational contributors to subsequent parental violence warrant continued investigation. The study aims to investigate the link between childhood maltreatment and subsequent adult reliance on physical child discipline.

  Childhood Maltreatment and Subsequent Adult Reliance on Physical Child Discipline · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Child Abuse and Trauma

• Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · 1998 · 15,477 citations
• Development and validation of a brief screening version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire · Child Abuse & Neglect · 2003 · 5,536 citations
• Protecting adolescents from harm. Findings from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health · JAMA · 1997 · 4,100 citations
• Role of Genotype in the Cycle of Violence in Maltreated Children · Science · 2002 · 3,452 citations
• CONSEQUENCES OF ABUSIVE SUPERVISION. · Academy of Management Journal · 2000 · 3,211 citations
• Burden and consequences of child maltreatment in high-income countries · The Lancet · 2008 · 3,159 citations
• Current patterns of parental authority. · Developmental Psychology · 1971 · 2,935 citations
• Initial reliability and validity of a new retrospective measure of child abuse and neglect · American Journal of Psychiatry · 1994 · 2,577 citations
• Validity of adult retrospective reports of adverse childhood experiences: review of the evidence · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · 2004 · 2,293 citations
• Risky families: Family social environments and the mental and physical health of offspring. · Psychological Bulletin · 2002 · 2,255 citations

Most recent work

• Adverse childhood experiences and violence in adulthood: Exploring gendered patterns of victimization and perpetration · Child Abuse & Neglect · 2026
• Associations between five forms of child maltreatment and depression: a multilevel meta-analytic comparison · Psychological Medicine · 2026
• Sequelae of child maltreatment: Umbrella synthesis of 148 meta‐analyses on the mental health correlates · JCPP Advances · 2026
• Prevalence of child maltreatment types in Canada · Child Abuse & Neglect · 2026
• Psycho‐social factors associated with disagreement between prospective and retrospective measures of childhood maltreatment · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · 2026
• Assessing adverse childhood experiences and mental health status in diverse and underrepresented young people: advancing Inclusive research · medRxiv · 2026
• “Holding the badness”: Therapists’ experiences of treating incestuous abuse continuing into adulthood. · Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy · 2026
• The Capabilities, Opportunities and Motivations of Sport Volunteers to Respond to Child Abuse: Results From a National Survey in Australia · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · 2026
• Childhood emotional maltreatment predicts subsequent psychological distress in emerging adulthood through increased worry: Resilience conferred by self-compassion · Child Abuse & Neglect · 2026
• Child-reported violence, beliefs, and mental health: A cross-sectional quantitative study of 6–17-year-olds in South Africa · Child Abuse & Neglect · 2026

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