The abuse and child delinquency link

Aug 30 2007

Studies show that abused or neglected children are more likely to be arrested for delinquency and violent crimes, both as juveniles and as adults.

They also commit more offences and are younger when they're first arrested. How closely is the abuse connected to the delinquency? Is the type of abuse or neglect related to the type of crime" How should professionals respond"

These questions are addressed in several studies published by SAGE in the current special issue of Child Maltreatment. The issue examines some of the moderating factors connecting child maltreatment to delinquent behavior in adolescence. In addition to issues such as how individual risk factors like gender, cumulative risk, public aid receipt, and school climate might be connected to maltreatment and delinquency, the publication looks at such key subjects as:

• The abused adolescent's personal relationships with parents and peers
• The stigma and internalization of sexual abuse
• The effects of physical abuse within the first 5 years of life
• The frequency of violent delinquency
• Weapon carrying in adolescence
• The roles of cognitive, emotional, and neurobiological development

"The articles for this special issue of Child Maltreatment make it clear that we need to modify the way we respond to child maltreatment if we hope to reduce the likelihood of violence in adolescence," write issue editors, Linda M. Williams and Veronica M. Herrera in the introduction. "This means focusing not only on the individual child but also on the family, peer, school, and community in an ecologically sound response to child maltreatment."

The special issue of Child Maltreatment is available for a limited time at http://cmx.sagepub.com/current.dtl. For inquiries about this special issue, please contact Editor, Steven Ondersma, at [email protected] or Guest Editor, Linda Williams at [email protected]