NCJ Number
162019
Date Published
1995
Length
116 pages
Annotation
The mechanisms by which child abuse and neglect influence future juvenile delinquency were examined, with emphasis on the applicability of the hypothesis that abuse and neglect have their influence through the processes, particularly those that occur in school, by which children normally are socialized to adult roles and integrated into the adult society.
Abstract
The research compared the delinquency rate of abused and nonabused children, controlling for their school performance. The analysis used random samples from two groups of children from Mecklenburg County (N.C.). One group consisted of school children in general; the second, children receiving social services for any reason. The study included 2,219 children who had been reported as abused or neglected form 1983-89, 388 children who attended the county's public schools in the same period, and 280 children who had received any social services from 1986-89. Findings revealed that school performance had a role in the relationship between maltreatment and delinquency and indicated the potential of schools as intervention sites. However, the strong roots of many problems at school in problems at home mean that interventions in school, although promising, will be quite difficult. Findings suggested that departments of social services, juvenile courts, and schools should coordinate their efforts on behalf of maltreated children, including the sharing of information. They should also experiment with school-based interventions targeted on maltreated children to reduce absenteeism, raise grades, and reduce elementary school behavior problems. Tables and approximately 200 references