Affiliation:
1. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
Abstract
This study assesses how different forms of abuse and neglect are associated with juvenile offending, with specific emphasis on whether youth commit offenses analogous to the illicit parental behaviors to which they were exposed. Using statewide child welfare system data linked with juvenile offending records, we assess rates and types of offending among a cohort of youth exposed to child maltreatment, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect ( N = 7,787). Findings suggest that the maltreatment-delinquency link is better characterized as a general rather than a specific cycle of violence, though sex abuse victims tend to specialize in sex offending. Youth exposed to physical abuse, moral neglect, and parent incarceration offend at high rates overall and should be prioritized for prevention and treatment services.
Funder
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Pennsylvania Department of Children, Youth, and Families
Pennsylvania Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission
Subject
Law,Pathology and Forensic Medicine