Intergenerational maltreatment in parent–child dyads from Burundi, Africa: Associations among parental depression and connectedness, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and aggression in children

Studies investigating the associations between histories of childhood maltreatment in parent–child dyads have primarily involved samples from high-income countries; however, childhood maltreatment rates are higher in low- and middle-income countries. The present study aimed to examine the a) association between maltreatment in parents and maltreatment of their children through risk (i.e., parent depression) and protective (i.e., parent–child connectedness) factors and b) associations between childhood maltreatment in children with aggression through posttraumatic stress symptoms and peer/sibling victimisation. Continued efforts to improve childhood maltreatment-related preventive strategies and the accessibility of prevention services are needed to reduce childhood maltreatment in low-income countries such as Burundi.

Read the full article (open access). This work was supported by The Government of the Netherlands through the UNICEF Peacebuilding, Education, and Advocacy Program in Burundi.

This article appeared in Journal of Traumatic Stress, Volume 34, Issue 5, Special issue: The mental health burden of disproportionate exposure to trauma and adversity among disenfranchised groups, October 2021, Pages 943-954.