Anti-Poverty Interventions and Their Importance in Childhood Abuse Prevention

The impact of child abuse on the life course can be devastating and have intergenerational, multifaceted consequences that limit life potential. In this issue of Pediatrics, the article by Domond et al¹  affirms the far-reaching impact of child abuse, demonstrating that it is associated with poor economic outcomes in adulthood. By linking government administrative databases in their prospective study, Domond et al¹  showed that even when adjusting for socioeconomic background (parental ages at childbirth, parental education, income, and mother’s employment status during the child’s preschool years); concurrent parental mental health problems; and/or child IQ or disruptive behaviors, abuse is linked to a 2- to 3-fold increase in social welfare receipt from early-to-mid adulthood (23–37 years). This effect is most pronounced when participants reported both childhood abuse and intimate partner violence, leading Domond et al¹  to conclude there is a dose-dependent response of abuse on economic outcomes....