The Maltreatment Experience: A Cluster Analysis Approach
Restricted (Penn State Only)
- Author:
- Doucette, Carly
- Graduate Program:
- School Psychology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- July 11, 2023
- Committee Members:
- James Diperna, Major Field Member
Koraly Perez-Edgar, Outside Unit & Field Member
Cristin Hall, Chair & Dissertation Advisor
Carlomagno Panlilio, Co-Chair of Committee
James Diperna, Professor in Charge/Director of Graduate Studies - Keywords:
- Child Maltreatment
Cluster Analysis
Social Ecological Theory
Poverty
Academic Achievement - Abstract:
- Guided by a social ecological framework, this study investigated the presence of heterogenous groups representing distinct maltreatment experiences using cluster analyses. The study included factors at the individual, family, and neighborhood levels, as well as alleged maltreatment indicators utilizing the LONGSCAN dataset. This study also examined whether these clusters impacted academic achievement scores. Results varied across the sites within the dataset, which may indicate that the differing entrance criteria were related to the presence of maltreatment experiences. The clusters that were present among the sites represented “high-risk” experiences that were characterized by varying levels of child maltreatment, poverty, caregiver depression, and, to a lesser extent, externalizing behaviors in children. The clusters characterized as “child maltreatment” or “poverty” significantly differed in their academic achievement. Future directions are discussed, including inclusion of outcome measures related to behavioral and emotional health within the school setting. This line of research may further the field of psychology’s implementation of trauma-informed multi-tiered systems of support.