NCJ Number
165316
Date Published
1996
Length
154 pages
Annotation
A quasi-experimental, longitudinal prospective research design was used to examine the relationship between child abuse and juvenile delinquency.
Abstract
The research focused on the issues of whether abused and nonabused children differed in their referrals for delinquent behavior; the significance of the differences; variations by race, age, and gender; and the impacts of the severity of the abuse. Information came from 477 child abuse cases substantiated in Florida between January 1988 and December 1990. Followup data were collected between January 1988 and July 1993. Additional data came from a matched sample of 220 nonabuse cases in the same agency during the same period. Results revealed that child abuse is significantly associated with juvenile delinquency. In addition, the age of the child at the time of the study has a significant effect on the outcome of delinquency. Moreover, gender, race, and age are predictors of delinquency. Finally, the severity of the abuse experience does not significantly affect the outcome. However, findings cannot be generalized to cases of abuse in families of higher socioeconomic status. Overall, the findings confirmed previous research and indicate that delinquency may be an ultimate outcome of child abuse, but interim outcomes that exacerbate or mitigate the probability of delinquency need to be examined and understood. Tables, appended definitions, index, and approximately 150 references