NCJ Number
144484
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 17 Issue: 4 Dated: (July-August 1993) Pages: 487-494
Date Published
1993
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A sample of 287 Greek youths between the ages of 11 and 21, incarcerated on convictions for crimes including stealing, bodily harm, robbery, drug use, property damage, and rape, was used to examine the differentiating family and social characteristics of delinquents who reported maltreatment and those who did not.
Abstract
Maternal abuse was associated with place of birth and growing up; a higher percentage of maltreated delinquents had been born and raised in large cities, or had been born in towns and then moved to a city at least 3 years before being incarcerated. In the abused group, a higher percentage of parents were divorced, and usually when the child was very young; parental quarreling was also associated with parental abuse. Paternal abuse was strongly associated with problems in the adolescent's relationships with the father, with peers, and with teachers. While many adolescents blamed themselves, their parents, their peer groups, and spontaneity for their delinquency, more abused delinquents blamed their parents than did nonabused subjects. While parental abuse was not associated with a specific type of offense, it was correlated with juvenile drug use; parental neglect was associated with early onset of delinquency, but also not with any specific type of offense. 2 tables and 20 references