NCJ Number
77722
Date Published
1981
Length
45 pages
Annotation
This longitudinal study of the relationship between child abuse and neglect and subsequent socially deviant behavior was based on official records of child protective agencies and courts in eight New York counties.
Abstract
The groups studied were (1) 5,136 children from 1,423 families reported for suspected child abuse or neglect in 1952 and 1953 and (2) 1,963 children reported as delinquent or ungovernable in 1971 and 1972. The children and families in the study were compared with those in the general population or in other groups experiencing difficulties. Major findings revealed that as many as 50 percent of the families reported for child abuse or neglect had at least one child who was later taken into court as delinquent or ungovernable; in one county, the rate of juvenile delinquency and ungovernability among the study children was 5 times greater than among the general population. Among the 1950's group, some counties reported that 25 percent of the boys and 17 percent of the girls with at least one founded maltreatment contact were later reported as delinquent or ungovernable. In addition, a significant percentage of the children reported as delinquent or ungovernable in the early 1970's had been reported as abused or neglected. Delinquent children who were reported as abused or neglected tended to be more violent than other delinquents, although maltreatment was not closely related to a particular type of misbehavior. Few services were provided to abused and neglected children or their families, and most of the founded child protective contacts ended in no action. Furthermore, the children reported as abused, neglected, delinquent, or ungovernable came from similar families, which were significantly different from those in the general population. The implications of these and other findings for State policies are suggested. Data tables, footnotes, and a 17-item reference list are included.