Examining the Effects of Child Abuse and Neglect on School Readiness: Does Maltreatment Type Matter?

Child abuse and neglect (CAN) is linked to poorer cognitive and socioemotional development. This study examined the impact of CAN and its subtypes on school readiness, considering different school socioeconomic status (SES) contexts. We analyzed records of 868 preschoolers (Mage = 5.0 years) from child protection services databases who were also assessed using the School Readiness-Child Development Inventory and matched them with a control sample (n = 868). Results show that CAN significantly affects school readiness. The strongest effect was for internalizing behaviors in sexually abused children. Neglected children showed moderate effects, particularly within the cognitive domain. The findings highlight the need for early intervention policies tailored to CAN subtypes to address developmental and school readiness delays, especially in vulnerable populations.