Childhood Maltreatment and Revictimization in Young Adulthood: Is Problematic Substance Use a Mediator? A Linked Survey–Register Data Study

Abstract

Victims of childhood maltreatment often experience revictimization later in life. However, there is scant knowledge of the explanatory mechanisms that generate this phenomenon. Problematic substance use is a maladaptive coping strategy that may increase the risk of revictimization after maltreatment. We used linear regressions and mediation analyses to investigate the explanatory role of problematic substance use in the association between childhood maltreatment and violent revictimization in young adulthood. We analyzed linked survey-register data on a sample of senior high school graduates in Norway (n = 3,156) who were followed longitudinally until ages 32 to 33 (2021). Ordinary least squares regression analyses showed that childhood maltreatment was associated with both problematic substance use and violent revictimization, adjusted for a wide range of covariates. Moreover, problematic substance use was associated with an increased risk of violent revictimization in young adulthood. Mediation analyses showed that about one eighth (12.0%) of the association between childhood maltreatment and violent revictimization was mediated by problematic substance use. Sensitivity tests indicated that the mediation may be susceptible to unmeasured confounding. Thus, it is unclear whether the mediating role of problematic substance use can be interpreted causally within a counterfactual framework. In conclusion, reducing problematic substance use among victims of childhood maltreatment may mitigate the risk of violent revictimization later in life. Early detection and tailored treatment of problematic substance use could be one way to prevent violent revictimization following childhood maltreatment. Therefore, equitable access to primary and specialized healthcare services is essential, both for victims of maltreatment and individuals with habits of (borderline) problematic substance use. However, the majority of the maltreatment-revictimization pathway (88.0%) is not statistically explained by substance use, which implies that other mechanisms are also at play.