Ethnic differences in property, violent, and sex offending for abused and nonabused adolescents

This study examined the relationship between a history of maltreatment, spe cifically physical abuse and sexual victimization. and three measures of de linquency among a sample of 2,466 Mexican-American (MA) and non-Hispanic Wh ite (NHW) adolescents between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Responses fr om self-administered questionnaires were analyzed to determine (1) whether physical abuse and sexual victimization were related to different types of self-reported adolescent offending; and (2) whether these relationships var y by ethnicity. Findings indicated that a history of physical abuse or sexu al victimization significantly increased the likelihood of delinquent invol vement in property, violent, and sex offending. The research also demonstra ted that the effect of physical abuse on the three measures of delinquency was similar for both MA and NHW, but that the effect of sexual assault on v iolent offending was more pronounced among NHW adolescents. Directions for future research are discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights re served.