Abstract
The central role of family within the process of juvenile reentry from a term of incarceration has been well documented by researchers and practitioners alike. However, family violence among previously incarcerated youth remains alarmingly high across the United States. Drawing from differential coercion and social support theory, we examine how family dynamics may simultaneously promote and/or inhibit family violence perpetration among youth undergoing the process of reentry. Four waves of panel data from the male-only youth subsample of the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative are analyzed using a series of dynamic panel data models. Findings demonstrate that both pre- and post-release levels of family conflict are significantly associated with increased family violence during reintegration. Mechanisms of family support, however, are not associated with post-release family violence. Results from this study highlight the salience of family conflict in understanding family violence perpetration among recently released juveniles and their families.
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Notes
A subsample that included female youth was initially collected by SVORI researchers, but was not released due to the small sample size and concerns over anonymity.
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported in part by the Center for Family and Demographic Research, Bowling Green State University, which has core funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P2CHD050959).
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Mowen, T.J., Fisher, B.W. Youth Reentry from Prison and Family Violence Perpetration: the Salience of Family Dynamics. J Fam Viol 36, 51–62 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-019-00098-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-019-00098-4