Estimating the Heritability of Experiencing Child Maltreatment in an Extended Family Design.

ABSTRACT: Child-driven genetic factors can contribute to negative parenting and may increase the risk of being maltreated. Experiencing childhood maltreatment may be partly heritable, but results of twin studies are mixed. In the current study, we used a cross-sectional extended family design to estimate genetic and environmental effects on experiencing child maltreatment. The sample consisted of 395 individuals (225 women; M _age = 38.85 years, range_age = 7-88 years) from 63 families with two or three participating generations. Participants were oversampled for experienced maltreatment. Self-reported experienced child maltreatment was measured using a questionnaire assessing physical and emotional abuse, and physical and emotional neglect. All maltreatment phenotypes wer

SUBMITTER: Pittner K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7370654 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature