Validation and standardization of the Childhood Trauma Screener among Romanian children, adolescents, and college students

Childhood trauma, defined as violence against individuals under 18 years of age, affects 1,000,000,000 children globally, with neglect being the most common form. Such trauma is linked to various mental health issues and poor emotional regulation. This study aimed to validate the Childhood Trauma Screener (CTS) in a sample of Romanian children, adolescents, and college students, utilizing data from two separate samples: 1,221 first-year college students and 216 children and adolescents aged 8-16 years. We assessed validity using bivariate correlations, reliability using Cronbach's alpha (.63-.75), and structure using confirmatory factor analyses. In the college student sample, higher childhood trauma scores were associated with lower self-compassion, rs = -.24--.29, p < .001, and reappraisal use, rs = -.10--.22, p < .001; higher suppression use for exposure to neglect, r = .16, p < .001, and overall trauma, r = -.11, p < .001; and more mental health difficulties, rs = .29-.31, p < .001. In the child and adolescent sample, higher childhood trauma scores were associated with increased emotional and behavioral difficulties, rs = .28-.45, p < .001, and poorer emotion regulation abilities, particularly lower emotion control and reduced emotional self-awareness, rs = .16-.43, p < .001. The results from both samples supported a two-factor model of abuse and neglect.