Posttreatment Victimization and Violence Among Adolescents Following Residential Drug Treatment

• NCJ Number: 199136
• Journal: Child Maltreatment Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2003 Pages: 58-71
• Author(s): Josephine M. Hawke; Nancy Jainchill; George De Leon
• Editor(s): Mark Chaffin
• Date Published: February 2003
• Length: 14 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated the long-term relationship between childhood maltreatment and post-treatment violence and explored gender differences among adolescence.

Abstract

Adolescents entering residential drug treatment are at high risk of violent behavior and they often enter treatment with previous involvement in violent crime and histories of child maltreatment. In addition, empirical evidence supports the cycle of violence hypothesis that survivors of childhood abuse may be more predisposed to later violence. This article examines the relationships among experiences of childhood abuse, psychiatric disorders, self-reported victimization, and violent behavior, with a focus on gender differences. Baseline interviewing of new admissions occurred during the first 10 days of treatment, during several sessions, and required approximately 7 hours to complete. The findings were based on 5-year post-treatment follow-up data on a sample of 938 adolescents who were admitted to residential therapeutic community (TC) treatment between April 1992 and April 1994. Self-report measures were utilized from interviews conducted at entry to treatment and 5 years following separation from treatment. The study illustrates the critical links among victimization, participation in drug-involved lifestyles, psychosocial functioning, and violence. Post-treatment victimization is strongly associated with violent behavior. Participation in drug dealing during the follow-up period is significantly correlated with post-treatment violence and with self-reported victimization for males and females. The findings emphasize the importance of designing violence prevention efforts that target adolescent treatment populations. The study suggests that many of the factors associated with violence are amenable to intervention during treatment. The findings underscore the need to develop treatment-based violence prevention strategies for male and female clients that seek to change values and behaviors associated with criminal lifestyles that involve drug dealing and continued drug use. Tables and references