Gender differences in the risk for delinquency among youth exposed to family violence

Objective: The purpose of this research was to illuminate gender difference s in adolescent delinquency against a backdrop of childhood exposure to bot h marital violence and physical child abuse. Specifically, analyses were pe rformed to trace the unique effects of exposure to either form of family vi olence (marital or child) on the violent and nonviolent delinquency of boys and girls. Method: This is a prospective study of 299 children who were interviewed wi th their mothers in 1991 about forms of abuse in the family. Approximately 5 years later a search of juvenile court records was performed for these sa me children. Details on the nature of the crimes were collected. Outcome va riables included: (1) whether there was ever an arrest; and (2) whether the re was ever an arrest for a violent crime. Results: Preliminary analyses indicated no gender differences in overall re ferral rates to juvenile court, although boys were more likely than girls t o be referred for property, felony, and violent offenses. Exposure to marit al violence in childhood predicted referral to juvenile court. Girls with a history of physical child abuse were arrested for violent offenses more th an boys with similar histories, but the context of violent offenses differe d dramatically by gender: Nearly all referrals for a violent offense for gi rls were for domestic violence. Conclusions: Although boys and girls share similar family risk factors for delinquency, girls are more likely than boys to be arrested for violent off enses in the aftermath of child physical abuse. These findings suggest that it takes more severe abuse to prompt violence in girls than is necessary t o explain boys' violent offending. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All right s reserved.