NCJ Number
199905
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 17 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2002 Pages: 655-668
Date Published
December 2002
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the relationship between child maltreatment and other risk factors on violent offending.
Abstract
Studies using samples of delinquents have found support for a relationship between abuse and later violent behavior. Results from recent studies indicate increased support for the cycle of violence hypothesis. The present study examined two hypotheses. The first was that institutionalized youth that experienced child maltreatment would have significantly more violent offenses compared to institutionalized youth that were not maltreated as children. The second was that the effects of child maltreatment on violent offending will be mediated by other social learning and social control factors. The sample was drawn from 48 juvenile correctional institutions across the United States. A total of 3,694 male juveniles participated in the study. Results confirm the idea that child maltreatment is an important risk factor for violent offending. It appears that the effects of child maltreatment on the social production of violent offending is mediated by social learning and social control factors related to peers, family, and school. Association with delinquent peers and having family members engaged in criminal activity significantly increased a youth’s risk of engaging in frequent violent offending. The results confirm the relationship between alcohol abuse and violent offending. Child maltreatment increases a youth’s risk for violent offending through its co-occurrence with negative social relationships. The study provides an important contribution toward understanding the effects of child maltreatment on chronic violent offending and not just its prevalence. 3 tables, 6 notes, 40 references, appendix