Do maltreated children think of suicide more? Evidence from South Korea

Despite extensive research on adolescent mental health, the effects of maltreatment by parents on suicidal thoughts in children remain underexplored. This study aims to fill this gap using data from the Korean Youth Panel Survey and a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences methodology with a staggered treatment design and individual fixed effects. Our results indicate that self-reported child maltreatment is associated with an average increase of nearly 6 percentage points in the probability of reporting suicidal thoughts. Notably, self-reported verbal maltreatment has a larger estimated effect than self-reported physical maltreatment. These findings underscore the need for early identification and intervention strategies that address both verbal and physical maltreatment. • Maltreatment by parents increases the likelihood of suicidal thoughts in children. • Verbal maltreatment has a larger estimated effect than physical maltreatment. • Socioeconomic disadvantage worsens the mental health consequences of maltreatment. • Maltreatment’s link to suicidal ideation strengthens with age.