Abuse-Resistant Youth: Some Factors That May Inhibit Violent Criminal Behavior

Family Transitions and Juvenile Delinquency*

“…Parents considering such a family transition should, therefore, focus on building and sustaining positive bonds with their children prior to entering a new cohabitation or marriage. Although the factors that condition the impact of family transitions on offending is an area of study that needs more attention from sociological researchers, this finding is consistent with a wider body of literature that promotes social support, including close relationships with parents, as a significant buffer to the negative outcomes following other traumatic events for adolescents (Kaniasty and Norris 1992; Kessler and McLeod 1985; Kruttschnitt, Ward, and Ann Sheble 1987; Runtz and Schallow 1997). Future research should address other factors that might buffer or exacerbate the problems that follow a family transition, such as religiosity, peer deviance, or even neighborhood disorganization.…”

Long-Term Impact of Childhood Abuse and Neglect on Crime and Violence

“…One factor is the existence of extrafamilial support (Heller, Larrieu, D'Imperio, & Boris, 1999;Muller, Goh, Lemieux, & Fish, 2000). In one retrospective study of 106 physically abused males, the presence of a social support system, in the form of a close relationship with siblings or involvement in a large number of team sports, decreased the probability of future violent criminal behavior (Kruttschnitt, Ward, & Sheble, 1987). Egeland et al (1988) found that abused mothers who did not repeat the cycle of abuse were more likely to have received emotional support from a nonabusive adult during childhood.…”

Child Neglect and Adolescent Violence: Examining the Effects of Self-Control and Peer Rejection

“…Research on child maltreatment and delinquency often finds that abused and/ or neglected children are more likely to be serious delinquents (Smith & Thornberry, 1995;Stouthamer-Loeber et al, 2002), engage in violence (Benda & Corwyn, 2002;Kruttschnitt, Ward, & Sheble, 1987;Raskin White & Spatz Widom, 2003), or be arrested (Smith & Thornberry, 1995;Zingraff et al, 1993) than nonmaltreated youths. These delinquent outcomes are more likely among children who have been chronically maltreated (Ireland et al, 2002).…”

“…Research also suggests that delinquency varies by types of maltreatment. Although the trend is that types of maltreatment generally overlap (e.g., neglected children are often physically abused), research that does distinguish between types of maltreatment finds that physically abused and/or neglected children are often most seriously delinquent (Kruttschnitt et al, 1987;Smith & Thornberry, 1995;Zingraff et al, 1993). Researchers have investigated potential explanations for the connection between maltreatment and delinquency.…”