A prospective longitudinal design was employed to assess risks associa
ted with maltreatment in a representative community sample of 107 malt
reated children and an equal number of nonmaltreated comparison childr
en. Heightened difficulties in peer relationships and self-esteem were
associated with greater severity and chronicity of maltreatment. For
example, children who experienced chronic maltreatment were less well-
liked by peers. Type of maltreatment was also related to specific aspe
cts of children's adjustment. For instance, sexual abuse predicted low
self-esteem, but not problems in peer relationships. Emotional maltre
atment, on the other hand, was related to difficulties in peer relatio
nships, but not to low self-esteem. Thus, the best predictions of spec
ific aspects of children's adjustment were provided by considering tim
ing, type, and severity of maltreatment. For some groups of maltreated
children, having a good friend was associated with improvement over t
ime in self-esteem.