Childhood Victimization and Violent Offending

Abstract

The relationship between childhood victimization and violent offending is examined using a prospective cohorts design. Official criminal histories for a large sample of substantiated and validated cases of physical and sexual abuse and neglect (N = 908) from the years 1967 through 1971 were compared to those of a matched control group (N = 667) of individuals with no official record of abuse or neglect. Sex-specific and race-specific effects of childhood victimization and other characteristics of violent offending (chronicity, age of onset, temporal patterns, and continuity) are assessed. Childhood victimization increased overall risk for violent offending and particularly increased risk for males and blacks. In comparison to controls, abused and neglected children began delinquent careers earlier. Temporal patterns of violent offending were examined and childhood victims did not differ in age of arrest for first violent offense, nor were they more likely to continue offending. The findings and their limitations are discussed, as well as directions for future research.