Assessed via self-report, exposure to childhood physical abuse in MOAFTS was coded dichotomously: an individual was coded as being exposed to childhood physical abuse if they reported either being “physically abused as a child” or “ever physically injured or hurt on purpose by any adult” or responded that they were often “hit with a belt or stick or something like that” or “physically punished so hard you hurt the next day” by a parent/parent figure. In CATS, 9 items assessing childhood physical abuse were drawn from a longitudinal cohort study from New Zealand.38 Items included being severely beaten, kicked, choked, throttled, burned with hot objects for punishment, or bruised, occurring prior to age 18, perpetrated by either parent. They were used to create a continuous factor which was used for analysis. In both studies, physical punishment, such as occasional spanking or slapping were excluded from the definition of abuse.
