Structural Model of the Influence of Family Problems and Child Abuse Factors on Serious Delinquency Among Youths Processed at a Juvenile Assessment Center

• NCJ Number: 186611
• Journal: Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Dated: 2000 Pages: 17-31
• Author(s): Richard Dembo Ph.D.; Werner Wothke Ph.D.; Marina Shemwell B.A.; Kimberly Pacheco B.A.; William Seeberger B.S.; Matthew Rollie B.A.; James Schmeidler Ph.D.; Stephen Livingston B.A.
• Editor(s): Vincent B. Van Hasselt Ph.D., Brad Donohue Ph.D.
• Date Published: 2000
• Length: 15 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1-R01-DA08707
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

The authors tested a model of the influence of arrested youth family problem factors, including their sexual victimization and physical abuse experiences, on drug use and frequency of involvement in index offenses using a sample of 277 youth processed at the Hillsborough County Juvenile Assessment Center in Tampa, Florida.

Abstract

The sample youth entered a service delivery project funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse called the Youth Support Project. Self-reported data were collected during confidential, in-depth, baseline interviews lasting an average of 2 hours. The hypothesized model was supported by overall data and for male youth; data for female youth suggested they used alcohol and marijuana for different reasons. The authors emphasize the importance of prevention and early intervention efforts involving at risk youth and their families to reduce the prevalence and adverse consequences of traumatic experiences. 39 references and 2 figures