NCJ Number
191755
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 29 Issue: 5 Dated: September/October 2001 Pages: 407-417
Date Published
2001
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relationship between a history of maltreatment, specifically physical abuse and sexual victimization, and three measures of delinquency among a sample of 2,466 Mexican-American (MA) and non-Hispanic White (NHW) adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18.
Abstract
Responses from self-administered questionnaires were analyzed to determine whether physical abuse and sexual victimization were related to different types of self-reported adolescent offending, as well as whether these relationships varied by ethnicity. Findings indicate that a history of physical abuse or sexual victimization significantly increased the likelihood of delinquent involvement in property, violent, and sex offending. The research also shows that the effect of physical abuse on the three measures of delinquency was similar for both MA and NHW, but that the effect of sexual assault on violent offending was more pronounced among NHW adolescents. Suggestions are offered for future research. 4 tables, 6 notes, and 56 references