title: Child maltreatment and adult criminal behavior: does criminal thinking explain the association?
abstract: Criminal thinking styles were examined as mediational links between different forms of child maltreatment (i.e., sexual abuse, physical abuse, and physical neglect) and adult criminal behaviors in 338 recently adjudicated men. Analyses revealed positive associations between child sexual abuse and sexual offenses as an adult, and between child physical abuse/neglect and endorsing proactive and reactive criminal thinking styles. Mediation analyses showed that associations between overall maltreatment history and adult criminal behaviors were accounted for by general criminal thinking styles and both proactive and reactive criminal thinking. These findings suggest a potential psychological pathway to criminal behavior associated with child maltreatment. Limitations of the study as well as research and clinical implications of the results are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Lorraine E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Cuadra
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Anna E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Jaffe
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
authors.forename: Renu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: DiLillo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003071:Cognition; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009329:Nebraska; D011329:Prisoners; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Child maltreatment; Cognitive distortions; Criminal behavior; Criminal thinking