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Sexualized Behaviors Partially Mediate the Link between Maltreatment and Delinquent Behaviors

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Abstract

The link between child maltreatment and juvenile delinquency has been well established, yet the underlying mechanisms through which the relationship may be explained are not very well understood. Although sexualized behaviors have been most studied in the context of sexual abuse, increasing evidence suggests that a broader conceptualization is warranted. Therefore, the current study tested sexualized behaviors as a mediator in the relation between child maltreatment of any type and delinquent behaviors using structural equation modeling. This study used a multi-site prospective sample of 804 children who were at high-risk for experiencing maltreatment and part of the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect consortium. This study found that reported maltreatment was related to delinquency, and sexualized behaviors partially mediated the relationship between child maltreatment and juvenile delinquency. Specifically, children with more maltreatment reports before age 8 had increased sexualized behaviors at age 8, which in turn predicted greater delinquent behaviors at age 12. These results suggest that in addition to maltreatment experiences, early sexualized behaviors (i.e., at age 8) may also be markers for subsequent delinquent behaviors (i.e., at age 12). Researchers and clinicians should work to further clarify the connections among child maltreatment, sexualized behaviors, and delinquency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Violence Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Melissa T. Merrick

  2. Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA

    Alan J. Litrownik

  3. Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, Rockville, MD, USA

    Benyamin Margolis

  4. Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Tisha R. A. Wiley

  5. Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Mark D. Everson

  6. Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    Howard Dubowitz

  7. School of Social Work, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Diana English

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  1. Melissa T. Merrick
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  2. Alan J. Litrownik
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  3. Benyamin Margolis
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  4. Tisha R. A. Wiley
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  6. Howard Dubowitz
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  7. Diana English
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Correspondence to Melissa T. Merrick.

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Merrick, M.T., Litrownik, A.J., Margolis, B. et al. Sexualized Behaviors Partially Mediate the Link between Maltreatment and Delinquent Behaviors. J Child Fam Stud 24, 2217–2228 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-014-0024-3

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