A Correlation Between Abuse and Negative Life Outcomes

Child abuse is a terrible thing, but to what extent is it related to negative outcomes later in life? The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between abuse and negative life outcomes. In order to evaluate this relationship, we located 10 studies (total sample size N = 61,239) that reported correlations between abuse and various indicators of negative life outcomes. We coded these articles and recorded the effect sizes (correlations) for the relationship. The result of this study showed a small effect size between abuse and substance abuse later in life (r = 0.15), a moderate effect size between abuse and mood disorders (r = 0.35), and a large effect size between abuse and violent behavior (r = 0.67). This study provides insight into how abuse can affect and damage individuals in various ways.https://encompass.eku.edu/swps_undergraduategallery/1065/thumbnail.jp