NCJ Number
196069
Journal
Criminology Volume: 40 Issue: 2 Dated: 05/2002 Pages: 359-400
Editor(s)
Robert J. Bursik Jr.
Date Published
May 2002
Length
42 pages
Annotation
This article presents a study of the impact of the timing of childhood maltreatment on life-course drug use or deviance.
Abstract
The authors studied the impact of childhood maltreatment on the later development of deviant behavior. For the purposes of this article, maltreatment is defined broadly and includes physical, sexual, neglect, and emotional maltreatment. Early models showing a relationship between the experience of such maltreatment and later deviance are discussed. Those models are the developmental model which posits that the earlier the maltreatment is experienced, the greater the life-long disruption will be, and the life-course model which posits that later life events may have a greater impact than early childhood maltreatment on later deviance. Study data were collected from the Rochester Youth Development Study. Data were stratified to achieve an overrepresentation of male subjects. The authors found that childhood-limited maltreatment resulted in an increased risk of violent behavior in early adolescence, but the impact was diminished in late adolescence. Adolescence-limited maltreatment and maltreatment beginning in childhood that continues to adolescence resulted in a continued increase in the risks of deviance. Figure, 5 tables, 18 notes, 88 references, 2 appendices