Childhood maltreatment had stronger effects on violence directed towards the self than on interpersonal violence in both genders, while impulsivity had a stronger effect on self-injury than on suicide attempt or interpersonal violence in men. This according to a recent study that examined the differential effects of childhood maltreatment and impulsivity on interpersonal violence, suicide attempts, and self-injury. Data were drawn from a nationally representative survey of 34,653 US adults, the 2004-2005 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Structural equation modeling was used to simultaneously examine the shared and specific effects of 5 types of childhood maltreatment and impulsivity on the risk of different violent behaviors (ie, interpersonal violence, suicide attempts, and self-injury). Analyses were stratified by gender and adjusted for age and ethnicity. Researchers found:

• Impulsivity and childhood maltreatment independently increased the risk of suicide attempt, self-injury, and interpersonal violence.
• These findings indicate that childhood maltreatment and impulsivity relate differently to the risk of different types of violence.