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Genetic Vulnerability to Experiencing Child Maltreatment
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Description: Child maltreatment is a widespread problem, with potentially harmful consequences for victims. Previous research has mainly investigated its environmental risk factors, suggesting that children are most often victimized within their family environment. However, environmental exposures, especially involving genetically related individuals, may be subject to genetic influences. Therefore, possible genetic risk factors for child victimization should also be investigated. To this aim, we estimated, in a large population-based Finnish twin sample, the genetic and environmental influences on retrospective self-reports of experienced child abuse and neglect. Our results indicated that genes might influence the risk of child victimization. More specifically, genes and environmental exposures that are shared between children raised together, might increase the risk of multiple victimization. However, environmental exposures unique to a child might increase the risk of unique forms of victimization, especially occurring outside of the household. We also found that specific risk pathways might underlie the risk of sexual abuse. Substantial sex differences emerged in the impact of genetic and environmental factors, markedly for emotional and sexual abuse. Altogether, our study informs child protection strategies, by indicating risk profiles that account for personal and contextual characteristics of potential victims and perpetrators of child maltreatment.
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