The goal of the second model was to evaluate the rank-order developmental stability of internalizing and externalizing problem across four developmental periods when child maltreatment status (vs. nonmaltreatment) was an independent variable. Thus, by adding child maltreatment status as an exogenous variable the second model examined how child maltreatment sets off diverse maladaptive developmental processes and whether these maladaptive outcomes were stable over time. Results supported the maladaptive effect child maltreatment shows across all of the examined levels: internalizing, externalizing, and social competence.
