Child Abuse and Delinquency

Child abuse has emerged as a central theme in efforts to understand a wide variety of problems, including delinquency. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there are significant differences between abused and non-abused children in terms of their delinquency and whether these differences vary by racial group, gender and age. Using a quasi-experimental, prospective design, this study examined the effects of child abuse on an early onset of subsequent delinquency. It used a population of 477 verified dependency cases in the computerized records of Florida's Protective Services System's Department of Children, Youth and Families. In addition, a control group of 220 children matched on racial group, gender, age, and socioeconomic status was generated using the records of children who received non-abuse-related services. The results show that abuse and delinquency are related and gender, race and age have an effect on the final outcome.