Family Violence and Delinquency

Abstract

In this chapter we strive to summarize the state of research that pertains to two specific dimensions of family violence—child maltreatment and domestic violence. We provide definitions of each dimension of child maltreatment, which includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and psychological abuse. We also define each dimension of domestic violence—physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, and psychological violence. In addition, we provide updated information on prevalence rates in the US of child maltreatment and domestic violence. We also discuss research related to the co-occurrence of child maltreatment and domestic violence. Next, we summarize the empirical literature that considers whether child maltreatment and domestic violence are linked to delinquency in adolescence and crime in adulthood. A topic of growing research explores whether the inter-generational transmission of family violence occurs. Importantly, the utilization of longitudinal data has expanded in the last decade, so too has the conceptualization of polyvictimization. The final sections of the chapter link family violence research findings to evolving theories of crime and concludes with suggestions for next steps in the research agenda.