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The Cycle of Violence #11. Cathy Spatz Widom. Study. The study followed 1575 cases from child hood through young adulthood, comparing the arrest record of two groups. Study Group. 908 substantiated cases of childhood abuse processed by the courts from 1967-1971 and tracked for 15-20 years.
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The Cycle of Violence#11 Cathy Spatz Widom
Study • The study followed 1575 cases from child hood through young adulthood, comparing the arrest record of two groups
Study Group • 908 substantiated cases of childhood abuse processed by the courts from 1967-1971 and tracked for 15-20 years
Comparison Group • 667 children, not officially recorded as abused, and matched to the study group according to sex, age, race and approximate family socioeconomic status
Study Findings • Being abused increase chances of being arrested as a juvenile by 53%, as an adult by 38%, and for a violent crime by 38%
Study Design • This study was able to examine the long-term consequences of abuse. • The sample was from a mid-west metropolitan area and were children under eleven years old • Juvenile records were checked between the ages of 20 and 30. The average age was 25 • Two thirds white, one third black • 50% were male, 50% were female • Juvenile court and probation records were the source of the information for neglect and the status of the family • Arrest data was taken from the Federal, State and local law enforcement
Definition of Abuse • Physical Abuse • Cases that injuries were documented • Sexual Abuse • fondling • touching in an obscene manner • Neglect • failure to provide food, clothing, shelter
Findings by Sex • In the case of females, being abused increased their chances of committing crime by 77% over the control group.
Findings By Race • Both black and white children were more likely to be arrested who were abused when they were a child compared to the Control Group. However abused black children had more of a chance of getting arrested than compared to white children in the same category.
Does Physical Abuse Produce Violent Criminals? • Those who were physically abused were more likely to be arrested later for violent crimes • Neglected children were a close second • Neglect produces more damaging effects than physical • Early malnutrition had attention deficit, reduced social skill and poorer stability than a comparison group • These have a greater risk of violence
Findings By Juvenile Record • Abused children started a life of crime at a younger age. • In both groups, roughly the same amount of juveniles arrested also had an arrest as an adult. • Those with violent juvenile arrests also had violent arrests as an adult • Childhood abuse did not seem to effect the movement of juvenile offenders to adult offenders.
Out of Home Placement and Criminal Consequences • Foster homes, guardian homes, and specialized schools • Did not prove to be effective in reducing the arrests for children • Those who were moved three or four times had a much higher arrest rate for criminal behavior • They also had behavior problems such as fighting, fire setting and destructiveness • It is not advantageous to remove a child from their natural parents
Problems With Study • Comparison Group • Can not be sure if children were actually abused or not. They were not documented • 2/3 White, 1/3 black. • These are not equal samples • Study determined the black children had a higher risk of being arrested later in life if abused as a child
Conclusion • Being abused increase chances of being arrested as a juvenile by 53%, as an adult by 38%, and for a violent crime by 38% • Abused Females had a greater chance of being arrested • Black children had a greater chance of being arrested of a crime. • Out of home placement did not decrease juvenile crime.