Chronicity of Maltreatment and Sexual Offending Outcomes

Background. Maltreatment is a risk factor for both sexual and non-sexual delinquency. Though maltreatment has been shown to increase the likelihood of delinquency, and the types of abuse experienced are associated with different offending outcomes, the role of duration for each type of maltreatment on adverse outcomes is less understood. The goal of the present study was to determine whether there is a relationship between number of years each form of maltreatment was experienced and delinquency type, trauma expression, and other negative outcomes among adjudicated youth. Methods. Data were collected via paper and pencil surveys from 136 incarcerated youth at 7 residential treatment and community corrections facilities in a Midwestern state. Binary logistic regression was used to explore the relationship between duration of each form of maltreatment (in years) and offending outcome (non-sexual vs. sexual delinquency). Linear regression was used to assess the relationships between duration of each form of maltreatment and trauma symptoms, overall delinquency, executive functioning, and duration of incarceration (in months). Results. Incarcerated youth in the sample had experienced a mean of 9.3 years of maltreatment across their lifetime, with a range of 0-18 years of total maltreatment. Maltreatment was classified into three forms: 1) physical abuse (mean=7.10 years), 2) sexual abuse (mean=0.88 years), and 3) negative family dynamics (encompassing neglect and emotional abuse; mean=7.58 years). Binary logistic regression revealed that for a 1 year increase in duration of sexual abuse, youth had greater odds of disclosing a sexual offense (B = 1.486, p = .002); the duration of other forms of maltreatment was not significantly related to offending type. OLS linear regression further showed that youth with longer durations of sexual abuse reported more severe trauma symptoms and specifically greater symptoms of sexual problems (B = 2.37, p = .026 and B = 0.56, p = .009, respectively). Though duration of the forms of maltreatment were not significantly related to callous traits, executive function, or duration of incarceration, longer durations of physical abuse were associated with frequency of delinquent offending (B = 0.03, p = .05). Conclusions. The current study reveals that despite having the lowest average duration, experiencing sexual abuse had the most profound associations with offending outcomes and development of trauma symptoms, highlighting it as uniquely related to sexual delinquency and sexual dysfunction among incarcerated adolescents. Interestingly, even youth with long durations of maltreatment reported having positive and supportive caregivers, which may act protectively against some adverse outcomes. Future research should explore maltreatment duration in tandem with other characteristics of maltreatment to gain a holistic perspective on critical elements that place children at higher risk for sexual offending. Moreover, the protective aspects of supportive caregiving should be studied longitudinally to better understand whether positive family dynamics mitigate the effects of maltreatment duration on subsequent delinquency outcomes.