NCJ Number
113041
Journal
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Dated: (July-September 1986) Pages: 215-220
Date Published
1986
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between child abuse and delinquency in data for 99 male and 51 female residents of a New Hampshire therapeutic community.
Abstract
Of residents, 98 (66 percent) had histories of child maltreatment, primarily physical abuse by a parent. Of abused subjects, almost half came from families where parents were violent with each other. Moreover, 83 percent of subjects had engaged in 3 or more types of illegal activity; with theft, burglary, and assault being the most common. No relationship was found between the specific type of delinquency and type of abuse. An analysis of case histories of 10 abused delinquents revealed multiproblem family environments, typically with a passive mother and a brutalizing father. The youth revealed confusion over nurturance and violence in interpersonal relationships. Most of the 10 had matricidal and/or patricidal feelings; and 3 cases involving sexual abuse also involved later prostitution. Results suggest that child abuse is probably a complicating or contributing factor to delinquency, rather than a cause. Because identification and remediation of child abuse histories may be necessary to the rehabilitation of delinquents, child abuse probes should be included in predispositional social history investigations. 3 notes and 13 references.