Lifetime exposure to interpersonal violence and socioeconomic status among mothers of maltreated children

Background A large proportion of non-offending mothers of children exposed to maltreatment may themselves have lifetime exposure to violence and abuse. However, there is limited knowledge about the prevalence of such experiences and their relationship to socioeconomic factors. Objective To examine the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of interpersonal victimization across childhood and adulthood among mothers of children exposed to maltreatment, and to investigate whether cumulative exposure across developmental periods was associated with perceived financial well-being, employment status, and educational attainment. Method The sample comprised 488 mothers of children with substantiated maltreatment. Participants were categorized into four mutually exclusive victimization profiles: (1) non-victimized, (2) victimized in adulthood only, (3) victimized in childhood only, and (4) victimized in both childhood and adulthood. Sociodemographic indicators were compared across groups using chi-square tests and age-adjusted logistic regression. Findings Childhood and adult victimization were both common in this sample, and a substantial proportion reported cumulative exposure across these developmental periods. Mothers with cumulative exposure showed the highest levels of socioeconomic vulnerability and were more likely to report financial hardship and the lowest rates of paid employment. Relative to non-victimized mothers, those exposed in both childhood and adulthood had substantially higher odds of financial hardship (adjusted OR = 3.75, 95% CI [2.04, 6.88]) and no paid employment (adjusted OR = 3.39, 95% CI [1.89, 5.99]). Educational attainment did not differ significantly across victimization groups. Conclusion Lifetime experiences of interpersonal violence were associated with financial hardship and reduced work participation among mothers of maltreated children. Support services may need to address both trauma histories and economic strain to help strengthen the caregiving environment and reduce the risk of continued adversity across generations.