Prevalence and overlap of childhood and adult physical, sexual, and emotional abuse: a descriptive analysis of results from the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) survey

Violence Vict. 2013;28(3):381-402. doi: 10.1891/0886-6708.11-043.

Abstract

Abuse is associated with a wide variety of health problems, yet comprehensive population-based data are scant. Existing literature focuses on a single type of abuse, population, or lifestage. Using a racially/ethnically diverse community-based sample, we document the prevalence of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse by lifestage and gender, assess variation in abuse by sociodemographics; establish overlap of abuses; and examine childhood abuse relationships with abuse in adulthood. Prevalence of abuse ranges from 15% to 27%; women report more adulthood emotional abuse and lifetime sexual abuse than men; reports of abuse can vary by race/ethnicity and poverty status, particularly in women; there is overlap between types of abuse; and a history of childhood abuse is associated with a greater risk of abuse as an adult.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Boston
  • Child
  • Child Abuse / ethnology
  • Child Abuse / psychology
  • Child Abuse / statistics & numerical data*
  • Child Abuse, Sexual / ethnology
  • Child Abuse, Sexual / psychology*
  • Child Abuse, Sexual / statistics & numerical data*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Ethnicity / psychology
  • Ethnicity / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Life Style
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Risk Factors
  • Sex Factors
  • Sex Offenses / ethnology
  • Sex Offenses / psychology*
  • Sex Offenses / statistics & numerical data*
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Urban Population / statistics & numerical data*