NCJ Number
113703
Date Published
1988
Length
24 pages
Annotation
This paper examines research into the role of family violence and neglect in delinquency and adult criminality.
Abstract
Of 14 studies examining the relationship between child abuse and aggressive behavior of children, 6 found a positive correlation, and 5 found an association under limited conditions. Females often accounted for exceptions to the abuse-aggression relationship. Similarly, an association has been found between abuse and nonaggressive delinquency, girls again often accounting for exceptions. Studies using other measures of deviance also generally support an association between family violence and deviance. A 30-year longitudinal study, while showing a positive association between punitive child-rearing practices and adult crime, also found that males raised by aggressive parents were more expressive of affection toward their wives and more altruistic. Several studies using measures of parental rejection or neglect also have shown associations between this factor and delinquency. Findings of studies examining the effects of parent-parent and parent-sibling violence have produced mixed findings, with some showing slight associations with delinquency or aggressive behavior and others finding no or negative correlations. Additional factors that may influence the family violence-deviance relationship include differences in maternal and paternal parenting styles, age, gender, socioeconomic status, and the total family context. 6 notes and 37 references.