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Uncovering behavioral clues to childhood maltreatment

Researchers use a non-self-rating questionnaire for identifying children at risk and understanding their difficulties to guide early intervention

2025-07-11
(Press-News.org)

Childhood maltreatment leaves deep and lasting marks that have far-reaching consequences, extending beyond immediate trauma and affecting survivors in ways that are often invisible and misunderstood. Many survivors often face a complex mix of challenges that have an impact not only on their mental well-being but also on their physical health, social development, and overall quality of life. Studies have shown that the consequences of childhood maltreatment can be truly profound, influencing the risk of chronic health conditions and hindering educational and employment opportunities and lifelong relationships.

However, despite the severity of its effects, most studies on childhood maltreatment have been retrospective, focusing on adults looking back on their childhood experiences. This leaves significant gaps in our understanding of how maltreatment impacts children as it unfolds. Moreover, traditional trauma assessments often involve directly questioning children about their painful experiences, which can add to the psychological stress of these already vulnerable individuals. As a result, healthcare professionals often struggle to fully detect and address the wide-ranging effects of maltreatment in real time.

Using a more comprehensive way to understand the consequences of childhood maltreatment, a research team from Japan’s United Graduate School of Child Development, which includes the University of Osaka, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and the University of Fukui, have now used a less psychologically invasive questionnaire to find answers. This study was led by graduate student Takuya Makino and included researchers Dr. Shota Nishitani, Dr. Shinichiro Takiguchi, Ms. Akiko Yao, Dr. Takashi X. Fujisawa, and Dr. Akemi Tomoda from the University of Fukui. In this study, the team showcased how a widely used behavioral assessment tool can accurately identify maltreatment without directly questioning children about traumatic experiences. Their findings were published in Volume 4 of Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry on May 8, 2025.

Explaining the rationale behind this, Mr. Makino, the main author of this study, says, “We often deal with people who have been diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder, or autism spectrum disorder, but when we carefully review their medical histories, we find that they were once maltreated children.” Adding further, he says, “The difficulties they present are multi-layered and often confusing to us ourselves. In this context, we set out to identify their difficulties more comprehensively, while at the same time elaborating on them.”

The team used the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), a non-invasive questionnaire completed by caregivers not involved in maltreatment, to assess children’s behavioral and emotional problems across eight categories. The CBCL measures issues like withdrawal, anxiety, attention difficulties, and aggression based on caregivers’ everyday observations. They compared 32 children with confirmed maltreatment histories to 29 typically developing peers assessed using the CBCL 4-18 questionnaire.

This approach allowed the team to pinpoint specific behavioral and emotional challenges linked to childhood maltreatment and to develop mathematical models that could predict a child’s exposure to maltreatment. They also investigated how the timing and type of maltreatment affected specific behavioral outcomes.

Results revealed that maltreated children scored significantly higher in seven out of eight behavioral problem areas compared to their peers, particularly in obsessive thoughts, attention difficulties, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Using CBCL scores, the researchers developed a predictive model that identified maltreated children with 90.6% accuracy and 96.6% specificity.

The study also uncovered critical timing patterns. For instance, abuse or neglect at the age of five was particularly linked to withdrawal and thought problems, while maltreatment between ages five and seven was more associated with somatic complaints—physical symptoms like headaches or stomach-aches without medical cause. Notably, the type of abuse also mattered; physical abuse was more connected to behavioral problems and somatic complaints, while emotional abuse was linked to anxiety, depression, and obsessive thoughts.

These findings have the potential to reshape how healthcare providers identify and support maltreated children. Since the CBCL does not require children to discuss traumatic experiences directly, it offers a less intrusive yet comprehensive tool for recognizing those in need. “Our study is a wake-up call for clinicians to look beyond trauma-specific symptoms,” says Mr. Makino, “Because different types of maltreatment give rise to different issues; this perspective can guide more sophisticated and targeted interventions.”

Hopefully, continued research in this area will better equip professionals to provide appropriate support that addresses each child’s specific needs. Over time, this could help break the cycle of long-term consequences that often extend into adulthood for survivors.

 

***

 

Reference
DOI: 10.3389/frcha.2025.1493432

 

About University of Fukui, Japan
The University of Fukui is a preeminent research institution with robust undergraduate and graduate schools focusing on education, medical and science, engineering, and global and community studies. The university conducts cutting-edge research and strives to nurture human resources capable of contributing to society on the local, national, and global level.

Website: https://www.u-fukui.ac.jp/eng/

 

About graduate student Takuya Makino from University of Fukui, Japan
Takuya Makino is a clinical psychologist, certified behavioral therapist, and graduate student at the Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Fukui Hospital. He specializes in anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents. He currently holds 13 scientific publications to his name. His research interests include child and adolescent, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

 

Funding information
All phases of this study were supported by AMED under Grant Number JP20gk0110052, JSPS KAKENHI Scientific Research (A) (19H00617 and 22H00492), Scientific Research (C) (20K02700 and 18K02480), Young Scientists, and Early-Career Scientists (15K21026 and 18K13109), Grant-in-Aid for “Creating a Safe and Secure Living Environment in the Changing Public and Private Spheres” from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)/Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society (RISTEX) a research grant from Japan-United States Brain Research Cooperative Program, research grant from the Strategic Budget to Realize University Missions, research grants from the University of Fukui (FY 2019 and 2020), Grant-in-Aid for Translational Research from the Life Science Innovation Center, University of Fukui (LSI20305 and LSI22202), and Grant for Life Cycle Medicine from Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui.

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[Press-News.org] Uncovering behavioral clues to childhood maltreatment
Researchers use a non-self-rating questionnaire for identifying children at risk and understanding their difficulties to guide early intervention