The effects of maltreatment and family structure on minor and serious delinquency

This study explores the influence of maltreatment an serious violent and pr operty delinquency as well as on minor misbehavior offenses among a sample of White male delinquents. A recent influential study concluded that this r elationship has been exaggerated and found it to be nonexistent for serious offending after the effects of family structure were factored in. This art icle points out some after deficiencies in that research and demonstrates t hat when both delinquency and maltreatment are measured comprehensively, th e relationship, is robust controlling for type of family structure, verbal le,family size, and birth order: Although it was found that the variables i mpact differentially according to the type of delinquency being examined, i n every case, maltreatment was found to account for significant independent variance. It was also found that delinquents from homes broken by desertio n were the most maltreated and the mast delinquent.