Peer-reviewed article

Early maltreatment and interoceptive awareness in youth: Associations among age, sex and child sexual abuse

Theresa M. Petrenchik · 23 Sept 2025

Abstract

Early maltreatment negatively impacts interoceptive awareness (IA), particularly body trust, which is essential for emotional regulation and self-awareness. However, limited research has examined IA in clinical samples of maltreated youth. This study examined age and sex differences in interoceptive awareness and investigated the relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and body trust in maltreated youth. A clinical sample of 131 youth (ages 7-17) receiving trauma treatment. Mean age of 12, with 54% female and 80% in adoptive or guardian care. Secondary analysis of Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness-Youth (MAIA-Y) data. Two-way ANOVAs examined main and interaction effects for age and sex on five MAIA-Y scales. Linear regression analyzed the relationship between CSA and body trust. Attention Regulation (p = .03, η 2 p = .04) was significantly higher in the older age group (11-17). Significant age by sex interactions emerged for Attention Regulation (p = .025, η 2 p = .04), Self-Regulation (p = .02, η 2 p = .04), and Trusting (p < .001, η 2 p = .11). Adolescent females (11-17) scored significantly lower than males and younger females on all three measures. CSA uniquely explained a proportion of low body trust scores (p = .005, R 2 = .07). Adolescent females with early maltreatment demonstrate unique vulnerabilities in self-regulatory aspects of interoceptive awareness. These findings underscore the need for developmentally sensitive, gender-specific interventions that prioritize restoration of body trust and self-regulatory aspects of interoceptive awareness in trauma treatment. • Adolescent females with early maltreatment show unique interoceptive vulnerabilities. • Age and sex interact to create distinct interoceptive vulnerability patterns. • Child sexual abuse uniquely diminishes body trust in maltreated youth.