Researchers in the department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom examined protective factors for academic achievement, self-esteem, and emotional well-being in adolescents who had experienced maltreatment during early childhood (prior to age 5 years). This was a longitudinal study of 1118 emotionally maltreated children and 375 physically maltreated children, identified from 14,062 live births in 1991-1992 (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children).

Maltreatment was based on maternal reports of physical or emotional maltreatment towards the child, which could havebeen perpetrated by either the mother or her partner. Of the 1118 emotionally maltreated children, information on educational attainment was based on a national exam taken at age 16 years (General Certificate of Secondary Education exam) by 904 participants and information on self-esteem (Rosenberg Self- Esteem Scale) and well-being (Warwick-Edinburg Mental Well- Being Scale) were assessed at age 17.5 years by 391; of the 375 children experiencing physical maltreatment, 280 had information on educational achievement assessed at age 16 and 145 had data on well-being and self-esteem at age 17.5. Outcomes were dichotomized into high vs. low educational achievement, high vs. low self-esteem, and high vs. low well-being. The resilience factors examined were male gender, high IQ, internal locus of control, less emotional temperament, good social communication, close attachment to a grandparent, positive sibling interaction, good school attendance, positive opinion of school, not being bullied, supportive friendships, regular participation in extracurricular activities, and engagement with religion (otherwise not defined). Adjusted for in all analyses were gender, maternal age at birth, level of parental education, family financial status, housing adequacy, maternal reports of persistent maltreatment from mother or her partner continuing into later childhood (up to 10 years of age), and exposure to interpersonal violence between parents in early childhood. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data.

Results: Among emotionally maltreated children, controlling for many factors, engagement with religion predicted a 42% increased likelihood of academic success (OR=1.42, 95% CI 0.99-2.03, p=0.058), but was unrelated to either well-being or self- esteem. Among physically maltreated children, engagement in religion was unrelated to any of the three outcomes. Researchers did not mention religion in either the abstract or the conclusions.

Citation: Khambati, N., Mahedy, L., Heron, J., & Emond, A. (2018). Educational and emotional health outcomes in adolescence following maltreatment in early childhood: a population-based study of protective factors. Child Abuse & Neglect, 81, 343-353.

Comment: Unfortunately, the methods are not clear on whether this was a longitudinal or a cross-sectional study, since no information was provided on when mothers were asked about religious engagement (or when in the child’s life that occurred).The focus of this study was not on religion, and the measurementof religion was quite superficial, i.e., “engagement with religion,” with no further information. The only reason to present the study here is that future studies of this type are needed, preferably longitudinal, although with more detailed measures of religious engagement and specification of when in the child’s life this occurs.