Gendered Social Chains of Risk: Pathways of Childhood Maltreatment, Adolescent Peer Networks, and Depressive Symptoms

Childhood maltreatment is a serious stressor affecting mental health directly and indirectly through relationships, creating social chains of risk. Adolescent peers are one key relationship in the early life course, but whether peer networks mediate associations between maltreatment and mental health or if such pathways differ by gender remains unclear. We conduct path analysis on survey data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 9,118) to examine gendered chains of risk linking childhood maltreatment, adolescent peer networks, and depressive symptoms. Results show that emotional abuse and physical neglect are associated with depressive symptoms through lower popularity (avoidance) and lower cohesion (fragmentation) for girls. For boys, sexual abuse and physical neglect are associated with depressive symptoms through lower sociality (withdrawal). Results indicate gendered social chains of risk through peer networks, contributing to our understanding of gender, childhood maltreatment, adolescent social networks, and early life course mental health.