Research That Matters (January 17 - 20, 2008)

Purpose: There is persuasive evidence in both child welfare and criminology research establishing a causal relationship between child maltreatment and delinquent behaviors. A review of studies conducted over the past thirty years have increasingly sought to better understand the increase likelihoods that abused and neglected children will become involved in the juvenile justice system. However, only a limited number of studies have addressed these links with an exclusive sample of African American males. This study examines the extent that child maltreatment in low-income African American families is associated with delinquent behaviors for males. This study also controls for other community, family, and individual factors.

Methods: The sampling frame was taken from a parent study limited to children from families receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) between the years of 1991 and 1994. The parent study includes both children born from 1982 through 1994 with a first known report of child abuse and neglect (CAN) in 1993 or 1994 (n = 5,125) and a matched comparison sample without CAN reports or other child welfare involvement through 1994 (n = 5,125). The subsample used in this study was limited to all African American males born 1990 or before (N = 2332). The age limitation was to insure that all youth in the sample had passed through the high risk period for delinquent behaviors as of mid-year 2006. Data was included from several sources: adult corrections; birth records; census tract information; child welfare, family centered and preservation services; death records; income maintenance data; juvenile court and corrections; health and behavioral health, community crime records; and special education records. Multivariable models were estimated using mixed model logistic regression comparing those with a delinquency-based juvenile justice involvement to those without the same. Census area was entered as a random effect.

Results: Of the African American males (N = 2332) included in this analysis, 849 had prior juvenile justice involvement for a delinquent offense and 1483 did not. Participants with juvenile justice involvement were significantly more likely to have been neglected or physically abused and to have had three or more reports of maltreatment, had prior mental health treatment, hospital care for assault, and special education services. Multivariate models shows that those with a history of neglect (OR = 2.03; p<0.001), physical abuse (OR = 2.11; p<0.001) or other/mixed abuse (OR = 1.91; p<0.01) were more likely than those with no history of maltreatment to have experienced a delinquency-based juvenile justice involvement. Youths with multiple maltreatment reports (OR = 1.97; p<0.001), prior mental health treatment (OR = 1.89; p<0.001), and hospital-based care for a physical assault (OR = 3.16; p<0.001) were also significantly more likely to be involved in delinquent behaviors.

Conclusion: Results support the influence of various types of child maltreatment on delinquent involvement, but also indicate an impact of mental health services, violence, and parents' education for African American males. Implications for strengthening prevention and interventions programs across sectors will be discussed.