Looking forward in records of youth abused as children: risks for homicidal, violent, and delinquent offenses.
To study risks of abuse, violence, and homicide, 181 Abused Children (M age = 12.85 yr., SD = 2.74; 58 girls, 123 boys) were matched with 181 clinic-referred Controls. Data analysis was Shao's bootstrapped logistic regression with area under curve (AUC) and odds ratios (OR). Predictors of abused status were court contacts (OR = 2.04e+22) and poorer executive function (OR = .81; AUC = .99; 95% CI = .97-.99). Groups were tracked forward in records for 9 years (M = 8.78 yr., SD = 1.41). Looking forward, youth (M age = 21.63 yr., SD = 2.07) were classified into Abused Children Later Homicidal (5%, n = 10), Abused Children Later Violent (23%, n = 41), Abused Children Later Delinquent (28%, n = 50), Abused Children Later Nondelinquent (44%, n = 80), and Controls (n = 181). Data were analyzed with two more logistic regressions. Predictors of Abused Children Later Homicidal compared with Controls were number of court contacts (OR = 50,398.78) and poorer executive function (OR = 79.72; AUC = .91; 95% CI = .80-.95). The predictor of Abused Children Later Homicidal contrasted with Abused Children Later Nondelinquent was court contacts (OR = 2,077,089,352; AUC = .87; 95% CI = .65-.95). The common predictor for Abused Children and Abused Children Later Homicidal groups was court contacts.
Hughes
John Russell
JR
University of Illinois Chicago School of Medicine, USA.
Zagar
Robert John
RJ
Busch
Kenneth G
KG
Grove
William M
WM
Arbit
Jack
J
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*