NCJ Number
155916
Journal
Texas Youth Commission Journal Dated: (June 1995) Pages: 8-12
Editor(s)
J Timmons
Date Published
1995
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article, derived from a conference address, discusses the impact of child abuse and neglect on the correctional and criminal justice systems.
Abstract
In 1973, the predominant offenses for which children were committed to the Texas Youth Commission were stealing and disobedience; in 1995, nearly 40 percent of children committed to the Commission have been convicted of violent offenses. A recent longitudinal study compared the arrest records of a group of young adults who had suffered substantiated childhood abuse and neglect and a comparison group comprised of subjects who had not been abused. The findings showed that those who had been abused or neglected were 53 percent more likely to be arrested as juveniles, 38 percent more likely to be arrested as adults, and 38 percent more likely to have committed violent crimes. Statistics show that parental neglect is much more common than parental abuse and, over the long-term, exerts a more damaging effect on the child's development. Some of the solutions or approaches proposed here include treating children in the context of their family or environment, forging government and community relationships to prevent delinquency and its root causes, developing resources for parents at risk of abusing or neglecting their children, and creating effective preschool and school programs for at-risk children.