NCJ Number
210811
Journal
Violence and Victims Volume: 20 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2005 Pages: 39-53
Date Published
February 2005
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the way in which child neglect impacts adolescent violence through its effects on self-control and peer rejection.
Abstract
Previous research has suggested that child neglect can have long term deleterious consequences, particularly on an individual’s self-control, peer relations, and involvement in delinquency. The current study sought to discover whether child neglect predicts adolescent violence and, further, whether the relationship between child neglect and adolescent violence is affected by the developmental processes of self-control and peer rejection. Data were drawn from the Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY-Child), which contains longitudinal information about children and their mothers, including employment, training, education, and family experiences. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the direct and indirect effects of self-control and peer rejection on adolescent violence. Results suggested support for the proposition that child neglect, particularly physical neglect, increases the likelihood of later adolescent violence. However, there was no evidence to indicate that child neglect predicts self-control and, moreover, self-control did not mediate the relationship between neglect and violence. On the other hand, peer rejection may mediate the relationship between physical neglect and violence. Future research on child neglect should more carefully measure community and structural context as important predictors of adolescent development among maltreated children. Tables, figures, notes, references, appendix