Famularo R, Kinscherff R, Fenton T, Bolduc S M
Boston Juvenile Court Clinic, MA 02108.
Clin Pediatr (Phila). 1990 Dec;29(12):713-8. doi: 10.1177/000992289002901207.
The records of 378 children presenting to a juvenile court were reviewed for histories of child maltreatment, based on evidence from a formal investigative process by the Department of Social Services. The children came from two groups: delinquents, who had engaged in criminal activity, and status offenders, whose legal involvement was due to non-criminal behavior, such as running away and truancy. Fifty-five percent of the status offenders and 45% of the delinquents had substantiated histories of maltreatment. The percent of status offenders who had been sexually abused was seven times higher among runaways (35%) than among the other members of the group (5%). The percent of delinquents who had been physically maltreated was significantly greater among those convicted of committing violent crimes (27%) than among the non-violent delinquents (14%). Thus, maltreatment may contribute significantly to delinquent behavior.
根据社会服务部正式调查程序的证据，对378名少年法庭儿童的记录进行了审查，以了解虐待儿童的历史。这些儿童来自两组：有犯罪行为的少年犯，以及因离家出走和逃学等非犯罪行为而涉及法律问题的身份犯罪者。55%的身份犯罪者和45%的少年犯有确凿的虐待历史。在离家出走者中，遭受性虐待的身份犯罪者比例（35%）比该群体其他成员（5%）高七倍。在被判暴力犯罪的少年犯中，遭受身体虐待的比例（27%）明显高于非暴力少年犯（14%）。因此，虐待可能是导致犯罪行为的一个重要因素。
