Field Initiated Research Program

Project Summary for 1999-JN-FX-0007
This project examines the relationships among childhood abuse, juvenile delinquency and domestic violence. The distinguishing feature of the research is its application of residual difference methodologies to the question of race and poverty. Questions asked are: Does a history of childhood abuse significantly affect the future probability of becoming a juvenile victim or perpetrator of violence? Does childhood abuse and/or subsequent history of juvenile violence predict whether either one ultimately becomes a young adult victim or perpetrator of domestic violence? Does the experience of childhood abuse contribute to the development of attitudes toward violence that can lead to higher risks of becoming an adult victim or offender? And how do race and poverty intervene as predictors? A recursive model structure is estimated using the data from each wave of the National Youth Survey. Both structural and reduced form equations are estimated to measure the independent impacts of race and poverty on violence from youth to early adulthood.