OBJECTIVE:

The purpose of the study was to determine whether a history of physical or sexual abuse is more common in children with borderline personality disorder than in other children evaluated in the same outpatient psychiatric clinic.

METHOD:

The authors contrasted rates of abuse in 44 children diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and in 100 comparison children.

RESULTS:

The borderline personality disorder group had a significantly greater prevalence of physical and combined physical/sexual abuse. Sexual abuse rates alone did not differ significantly between groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

The finding of greater abuse in the group with borderline personality disorder supports the hypothesis that a history of trauma is associated with the disorder.