Abstract
The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II) has followed children from Child Protective Service (CPS) investigation into emerging adulthood. How these emerging adults compare to national peers in measures of well-being and criminal victimization are of major interest in determining whether CPS-investigated youth are more vulnerable than the general population. Methods used included a subsample of 311 young adults aged 18–21 who were surveyed 36 months following a CPS investigation when they were adolescents. This study focuses on adult self-reported past-year robbery and physical assault victimization. The data were presented with descriptive statistics and bivariate comparisons to provide a brief examination of current well-being, along with a logistic regression analysis that examined the odds of past-year victimization by a variety of demographic and environmental characteristics. Findings indicate that more than 1-in-10 emerging adults (12 %) reported being robbed in the previous year, and 8 % reported being physically assaulted. This is 3 and 24 times greater odds than the national average for physical assault and robbery respectively. Odds of past-year robbery and assault were greater if the respondent lacked a high school diploma, was living with a romantic partner or roommate compared to living with parents, or expressed difficulty making ends meet financially. These findings demonstrate that emerging adults with a history of child welfare involvement are reporting high rates of robbery and physical assault victimization. Although previous studies have only focused on youth aging out of foster care, these rates indicate that any youth from a family with a history of child welfare involvement may be at risk for future victimization after they turn 18.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barth, R. P., & Jonson-Reid, M. (2000). Outcomes after child welfare services: Implications for the design of performance measures. Children and Youth Services Review, 22(9–10), 763–787.
Beaver, K. M., Mancini, C., DeLisi, M., & Vaughn, M. G. (2011). Resiliency to victimization: The role of genetic factors. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26(5), 874–898.
Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice. (2016). Number of violent victimizations, rape/sexual assaults, robberies, aggravated assaults, and simple assaults by age, 2008 [Data file]. Available from www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=nvat
Collins, M. E. (2001). Transition to adulthood for vulnerable youths: A review of research and implications for policy. Social Service Review, 75(2), 271–291.
Courtney, M. E., & Dworsky, A. (2006). Early outcomes for young adults transitioning from out-of-home care in the USA. Child & Family Social Work, 11(3), 209–219.
Courtney, M. E., Dworsky, A. L., Cusick, G. R., Havlicek, J., Perez, A., & Keller, T. E. (2007a). Executive summary Midwest evaluation of the adult functioning of former foster Youth: Outcomes at age 21. Chicago: Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago.
Courtney, M. E., Dworsky, A. L., Cusick, G. R., Havlicek, J., Perez, A., & Keller, T. E. (2007b). Midwest evaluation of the adult functioning of former foster youth: Outcomes at age 21. Chicago: Chapin Hall Center for Children.
Courtney, M. E., Terao, S., & Bost, N. (2004). Midwest evaluation of the adult functioning of former foster youth: Conditions of youth preparing to leave state care: Citeseer.
DeLisi, M., & Vaughn, M. G. (2014). Foundations of a temperament-based theory of life-course antisocial behavior and criminal justice system involvement. Journal of Criminal Justice, 42, 10–25.
Dube, S. R., Anda, R. F., Whitfield, C. L., Brown, D. W., Felitti, V. J., Dong, M., & Giles, W. H. (2005). Long-term consequences of childhood sexual abuse by gender of victim. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 38(5), 430–438.
Dworsky, A., & Courtney, M. E. (2009). Homelessness and the transition from foster care to adulthood. Child Welfare, 88(4), 23.
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. (2014). America’s young adults: Special Issue, 2014. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Finkelhor, D., & Asdigian, N. L. (1996). Risk factors for youth victimization: Beyond a lifestyles/routine activities theory approach. Violence and Victims, 11(1), 3–19.
Furstenberg, F. F, Jr., & Hughes, M. E. (1995). Social capital and successful development among at-risk youth. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57, 580–592.
Gidycz, C. A., Coble, C. N., Latham, L., & Layman, M. J. (1993). Sexual assault experience in adulthood and prior victimization experiences. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 17(2), 151–168. doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.1993.tb00441.x.
Glomb, T. M., & Liao, H. (2003). Interpersonal aggression in work groups: Social influence, reciprocal, and individual effects. Academy of Management Journal, 46(4), 486–496.
Halpern, C. T., Spriggs, A. L., Martin, S. L., & Kupper, L. L. (2009). Patterns of intimate partner violence victimization from adolescence to young adulthood in a nationally representative sample. Journal of Adolescent Health, 45(5), 508–516. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.03.011.
Herts, K., McLaughlin, K., & Hatzenbuehler, M. (2012). Emotion dysregulation as a mechanism linking stress exposure to adolescent aggressive behavior. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 40(7), 1111–1122. doi:10.1007/s10802-012-9629-4.
Hetzel, M. D., & McCanne, T. R. (2005). The roles of peritraumatic dissociation, child physical abuse, and child sexual abuse in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder and adult victimization. Child Abuse and Neglect, 29(8), 915–930. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2004.11.008.
Kessler, B. L., & Bieschke, K. J. (1999). A retrospective analysis of shame, dissociation, and adult victimization in survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 46(3), 335–341.
Messman-Moore, T. L., & Brown, A. L. (2004). Child maltreatment and perceived family environment as risk factors for adult rape: Is child sexual abuse the most salient experience? Child Abuse and Neglect, 28, 1019–1034.
Ornduff, S. R., Kelsey, R. M., & O’Leary, K. Daniel. (2001). Childhood physical abuse, personality, and adult relationship violence: A model of vulnerability to victimization. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 71(3), 322–331.
Ramiro, L. S., Madrid, B. J., & Brown, D. W. (2010). Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and health-risk behaviors among adults in a developing country setting. Child Abuse and Neglect, 34(11), 842–855.
Ringeisen, H., Casanueva, C. E., Urato, M., & Stambaugh, L. F. (2015). Mental health service use during the transition to adulthood for adolescents reported to the child welfare system. Psychiatric Services.
Schaaf, K. K., & McCanne, T. R. (1998). Relationship of childhood sexual, physical, and combined sexual and physical abuse to adult victimization and posttraumatic stress disorder. Child Abuse and Neglect, 22(11), 1119–1133. doi:10.1016/S0145-2134(98)00090-8.
Smith, C. A., Ireland, T. O., & Thornberry, T. P. (2005). Adolescent maltreatment and its impact on young adult antisocial behavior. Child Abuse and Neglect, 29(2005), 1099–1119.
Southerland, D., Casanueva, C. E., & Ringeisen, H. (2009). Young adult outcomes and mental health problems among transition age youth investigated for maltreatment during adolescence. Children and Youth Services Review, 31(9), 947–956.
Stagner, M, & Kuehn, D. (2010). The social capital of youth in foster care: An assessment and policy implications. Child welfare and child well-being: New perspectives from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, Oxford University Press, New York.
Vinnerljung, B., Hjern, A., & Lindblad, F. (2006). Suicide attempts and severe psychiatric morbidity among former child welfare clients—A national cohort study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47(7), 723–733.
Vinnerljung, B., Öman, M., & Gunnarson, T. (2005). Educational attainments of former child welfare clients—A Swedish national cohort study. International Journal of Social Welfare, 14(4), 265–276.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Financial Disclosure
The authors have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gochez-Kerr, T., Helton, J.J. Victimization of Emerging Adults with Histories of Child Maltreatment Allegations: A National Study. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 34, 205–211 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-016-0461-5
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-016-0461-5