Children who are maltreated are likely to have poor health and living standards in the future, a new study shows.  They are also more likely to have time off work due to long-term sickness and less likely to own their own homes when they reach middle age than their peers.

People Who Were Abused As Children Are More Likely To Have Long-Term Illnesses

Researchers from the University College London tracked 8,076 people born in 1958 until the age of 50, and found that those ho had been abused were 70% more likely to have long-term illnesses and to not own their homes by the age of 50 than those who had not, they found.

Snehal M. Pinto Pereira, PhD, author of the study, said: "Maltreated children are more likely to grow up to face socioeconomic disadvantage in their adult lives, with an impact that may persist for decades. This is important because such disadvantage could in turn influence the health of individuals affected and also that of their children." 

Children Who Are Maltreated Are More Likely To Lead Poor Standard Of Living

The investigators also found that neglected children often had worse reading and maths skills in adolescence than their peers.  This means that their ability to find work and progress in the job market may be hampered.  However, this could not explain why those who experience child abuse have poorer standard of living. 

"As well as highlighting the importance of prevention of maltreatment in childhood, our research identified poor reading and mathematics skills as a likely connecting factor from child neglect to poor adult outcomes. This suggests that action is needed to improve and support these abilities in neglected children," Pereira added.

To summarize this recent study, child abuse victims experience a sad outcome.  They don't only suffer as children, but as adults as well, because the suffering continues even when they get older.