NCJ Number
219697
Journal
Child Maltreatment Volume: 12 Issue: 3 Dated: August 2007 Pages: 203-207
Date Published
August 2007
Length
5 pages
Annotation
After offering explanations for inconsistent associations between child maltreatment and violence by abuse victims as adolescents, this article summarizes the articles in this journal special issue on this subject.
Abstract
In reviewing explanations for the inconsistent and complex connections between child maltreatment and subsequent violence by abuse victims as adolescents, this article notes that the association between subtypes of maltreatment and various types of adolescent violence and other delinquent/problem behaviors must be considered. Also, a range of child characteristics at the time of the abuse can moderate associations between maltreatment and subsequent delinquency. In addition, variability in the maltreatment-delinquency association could be due to inconsistency in research methods. There is a need to develop and test more complex models and examine a wider variety of intervening variables that may moderate or mediate the relationship between child maltreatment and delinquency. This special issue includes an examination of some of the moderating factors in the connection between child maltreatment and adolescent violence, and it provides a more nuanced assessment of these relationships. Several articles rely on a more complex understanding of child maltreatment and focus on the effects of various types of maltreatment or examine the cumulative effects of multiple victimizations. The research presented also examines community or social factors that influence how maltreatment impacts the developing child. All of the studies presented used longitudinal and prospective study data as well as advanced methods and measures. All articles focus on implications for interventions with abused children and delinquent youth. 21 references