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Impact of Childhood Maltreatment on Criminal Behavior

Impact of Childhood Maltreatment on Criminal Behavior

Background

The quality of upbringing a child experiences is related to the behavior the individual exhibits during the latter stages of life. Physician reports show that childhood victimization nurtures a negative attitude, which increases the chances of criminal involvement. Many research findings have associated maltreatment of children with antisocialism during childhood, which extends to adolescence. The antisocial state increases the chances of contemplating criminal involvement to seek revenge for their mistreatment. Moreover, the rate of crime-involvement behavior varies depending on sexual orientation. Behaviorists assert that any maltreatment inserted upon minors under 18 has far-reaching consequences. According to a report by Child Protective Services, approximately 681,000 minors in America suffered child abuse in 2011( Agnew & Brezina 2019). The likelihood of a victimized child landing in a juvenile is 4.8 times that of a non-victimized child. They are further 3.1 times more likely to be involved in criminal offenses than their counterparts. Children who record weak and unfriendly relationships with their parents have higher chances of committing crimes. Weak parental bonds have high associations with maltreatment. These victims adopt a reckless attitude during the early stages of development, which extends to adult life. The common types of childhood maltreatment include physical torture, child labor, sexual abuse, negligence, and verbal abuse. The current research examines the relationship between childhood maltreatment and criminal behavior.

1.
Problem statement

The crime rate has taken an upward trajectory during the present era. From juveniles to adult prisons, the record of criminals increases every day. Societies have become highly insecure due to the high rates of crimes experienced. Picketing has become a norm everywhere. Robbery with violence is no longer news. Smuggling and intentional trickery behaviors are happening everywhere. Many lives have been lost in the hands of violent individuals with inhumane character. Given this reality, the urgency with which a long-lasting solution to end criminal activities in society is required cannot be overlooked. Though a rise in criminal involvement can be solved through tightening safety measures, understanding the root cause of the behavior can be a more noble solution. In the search for this solution, existing reports from physicians guide us in exploring the relationship between childhood victimization and criminal behavior.

Digging deep to discover the factors that led an individual to commit a crime goes far beyond the norm of religiously punishing an offense. With a clear knowledge of the reasons that inspired an individual to commit a crime, helping them overcome the struggle is easy and possible. It also counters the possibility of criminal behavior repetition. Establishing the nature of the relationship between maltreatment and criminal behavior will also assist in educating parents on the impacts of how they treat children. Children rights activists can also use the findings of crime behavior causes to advocate for healthy ways of raising children.

The aspect of male criminals held in prisons exceeding that of their female counterparts also raises concerns. Understanding the main factors that lead these males to contemplate criminal behavior will be useful for taking the relevant precautionary measures. Tracking the childhood experiences of criminal victims will help arrive at the real-time causes of the behavior. Additional remedies to criminal behavior, such as offering counseling services to victims of childhood victimatimization, will reduce crime rates and disrupt the flow of violent attitudes from childhood to the later days of life.

2.
Literature Review

General Strain Theory

According to the General Strain Theory, strains in life evoke negative emotions. The theory focuses on strains emanating from negative experiences with people to express results. When an individual encounters unkind treatment at the hands of certain persons, an inner feeling of frustration and sadness is inevitable (Agnew & Brezina 2019). Other likely emotions include anger and depression. As a result, they experience internal pressures to act in the same spirit and, in so doing, achieve the justice they felt denied. These victims assume that forwarding the violence experienced to other persons achieves justice for them. Turning to criminal activities, therefore, unfolds as therapy for their frustrations.

According to GST, a negative relationship increases the chances of criminal involvement. Children who have encountered violent relationships, therefore, turn to criminal activities. Maltreatment by parents and guardians may provoke children to develop pressures of passing the same feelings` to other persons. The theory defines strain as any experience that evokes a high dislike for the victim. The theory predicts the specific type of crime an individual will likely commit using the type of maltreatment experienced and the emotion evoked. If an act angered the child, they are likely to commit violent offenses. Maltreatment that evokes envy in children increases the chances of engaging in property crimes. These victims view engaging in crime as a cheap way of resolving injustices in life (Brezina 2017).

Social Control Theory

According to this theory, an individual’s relationship with their networks affects their likelihood of committing crimes. Otherwise, the choice of whether or not to engage in crime is affected by existing society bonds. Children share close bonds with their families, schools, and neighborhoods. When this bond is strong and healthy, the likelihood of engaging in crime is low (Agnew 1985). If the bonds in these close networks weaken, the individual may turn to delinquent behavior. The theory suggests that a healthy attachment builds responsible behavior. When these bonds are destroyed through acts of physical harm, abuse, or negligence, the victim feels neglected and disapproved. They feel disowned by the people they care about. The effect weakens existing bonds. As a side effect, victims lose reasons for avoiding engaging in crime and feel free. The feeling of suffering no loss after committing crimes due to toxic relations justifies their activities.

Empirical Review

According to Kim et al (2016), different types of childhood abuse generate certain criminal behavior. The researchers suggest that the recidivism rate varies depending on the maltreatment experienced by the victim. They examined independent types of childhood abuse and their impact on adulthood criminal behavior. The sample size for the research was 183 adult offenders on probation. Their average age was 40, and a childhood Trauma Questionnaire was used to collect information on childhood maltreatment. The existence of psychiatric disorders was also tested on the victims to confirm the rate at which psychological state affects criminal behavior. The study’s findings revealed that maltreated children who also live with mental illnesses are more likely to engage in crime. Recidivism in adults showed close links with physical negligence. They concluded that maltreatment in children increases recidivism. Childhood maltreatment also increases the rate of psychiatric morbidity. The study recommends a closer evaluation of childhood strains on adult probationers.

A correlational research design has been used in this study. The extent of the relationship between maltreatment and recidivism is measured without any alterations. Two groups were used to compare the differences. An advantage of the design is that the effects of the condition under study are observed due to the presence of a control group. A disadvantage is that the results are prone to biases. The design is appropriate for this study because comparing the behavior of maltreated and unabused children provides comprehensive details about sources of risk behaviors associated with criminal behavior.

According to Yao et al. (2022), maltreated children are more likely to be arrested for criminal offenses. They researched to explore how maltreatment relates to chronic offenses. The research participants were 695 convicted males and juveniles. Data analysis was conducted via descriptive statistical analysis and multinomial logistic regression. Findings associated physical abuse with an increased likelihood of engaging in chronic offending. The study used quantitative and explanatory designs. Diverse designs were advantageous in customizing the research to context for better results. Through descriptive analysis, the child maltreatment variable was described clearly.

Jung et al. (2015) explores the link between child abuse and future manifestations of criminal behavior. Three hundred fifty-six adults were used to make a longitudinal study. They separated the maltreatment variable into physical abuse and emotional abuse. Findings revealed indirect associations between physical abuse and criminal behavior. Emotionally, abuse, however, affected future behavior both directly and indirectly.

Further, chronicity in physical abuse affected future crime, while it did not affect emotional abuse. Encounters of early childhood negligence and physical abuse may nurture burglary, property damage, physical assault, and threat behaviors. A prospective study is advantageous for assessing long-term developmental attributes in mistreated children.

Alkhuta & Abdihaq (2018) investigated childhood abuse as a predictor of thinking during adulthood. Seventy-five juvenile convicts were compared against 75 normal persons. The objective was to identify how criminal thinking in adults is affected by childhood experiences. The participants were between 12 and 18 years old. The likelihood of crime participation and the styles of criminal thinking variables were measured. The maltreatment variable was different between mother-related and father-related abuse. Results showed that maltreatment in children affects their manner of criminal thinking. Maltreatment in children is considered a future threat to society’s safety. These researchers used a chill treatment scale to quantify variables of physical, emotional, and sexual maltreatment. A descriptive correlation design was used to carry out the study, increasing the results.

‘ Precision.

The extent to which childhood maltreatment affects criminal behavior remains unknown from existing studies. Previous researchers have identified relationships that still need exact levels (Mallet et al. 2009). The studies are also silent about the effects of parental negligence and verbal abuse on children and their relation to criminal behavior. Different studies have utilized clear analysis techniques by APA requirement. Data collected from participants is regressed using SPSS, and the study’s objectives are reviewed to identify statistical techniques. Results are presented using tables and comparison charts.

3. Research Question and Hypothesis

Does childhood maltreatment affect criminal behavior?

Hypothesis

What is the relationship between childhood maltreatment and crime involvement?

The findings of this research support a direct relationship between maltreatment and crime. As revealed by the literature review, other researchers also agree with the results.

Variables

Robbery with violence, fights, sexual assault, and picketing are the dependent variables. Independent variables are maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual assault, verbal abuse, and parental negligence. Robbery with violence will be identified by a positive response to using weapons to snatch property from owners. Sexual assault is identified by a positive response to forced sexual engagements, and negligence is insufficient levels of parenting. Physical abuse will be identified using physical scars and bruises. Subjects will also respond to a question about ‘extremely abusive words from parents’ to assess verbal abuse.

Proposed Methodology

Participants

The study will use one hundred forty students from Southern New Hampshire University. Seventy will have answered yes to the question of having experienced childhood maltreatment, and 70 have a no response on experience with physical assault, and participation will be optional. The two groups will be engaged, and differences in their behavior about crime will be observed. A comprehensive explanation of the maltreatment will be used to justify the responses.

Materials

Structured questionnaires with open and closed questionnaires will collect the data. The Qualtrics platform will be utilized because of its simplicity. The students can respond from any location within the designated 48 hours.

Procedures

The first step will be setting the questions using the online platform. Questions will seek to identify real experiences with maltreatment during childhood and later experiences with crime. Attitude towards crime will also be questioned. Invitations for participation in the study will be shared using the social groups of university students. A detailed explanation of the kind of research in progress and how the results will be used will be shared with the groups. Interested participants will be provided with an online link where they can join. Training will be performed on the participant’s platform before issuing questionnaires. The respondents will have 48 hours to submit back completed forms. The information collected will be used to establish the relationship between the harassment experienced and the criminal behavior manifested.

Ethical Concerns

The researchers will seek the consent of the university before administering the study. The participants come on board out of their own will instead of being coerced (Schultz 1969). The mental stability of participants will be considered while deciding whether or not to participate. Sensitive questions will be left optional, such that responding will be voluntary. Counseling sessions will be available for participants who may suffer the negative effects of recalling the bad experiences. Information disclosed via the questionnaires will be considered confidential and for use only on mentioned in the study.

5. Data Analysis Plan

The hypothesis examined whether childhood maltreatment increases the occurrence of criminal behavior. Criminal behavior was differentiated into armed robbery, physical fights, picketing, and sexual assault. Whether the victim experienced maltreatment had a yes or no response. Codes 0 and 1, respectively, were used. A table was used to visualize the prevalence of criminal behavior by sexual abuse, verbal abuse, physical abuse, and negligence. The responses are expressed in percentages for easy analysis.

6. Analytical Procedures

The relationship between maltreatment and criminal behavior was computed using Pearson’s Product Correlation. The concept shows the nature of the existing relationship using the strength and direction of continuous variables (Mallet et al. 2009). The P value, which shows a significant level of coefficient correlation, will be p < 0.5

Descriptive Statistics

After collecting data from the subjects, a regression analysis will be conducted using SPSS packages. Descriptive statistics of mean, median, and standard deviation will be measured for control variable age and percentages used to describe maltreatment variables. Multivariate analysis through logistic regression is used to analyze the original presentations further.

Ethical Considerations

The aspect of transparency in using data as collected has been observed. The privacy of subjects is also observed because their identities are hidden. Biases of all forms have been avoided, meaning the results are dependable. The results are further used to establish the relationship between childhood maltreatment and criminal behavior by the primary reason behind the research.

Anticipated results.

From the findings of previous researchers and theoretical analysis, there is a high chance of childhood maltreatment being a major cause of criminal behavior. The relationship will be positive, symbolizing a direct relationship between these variables. The physical abuse variable will project the highest level of relationship between the two variables. Robbery with violence will show high associations with physical abuse due to the emotion of anger involved. Sexual abuse produces emotional torture, likely to show associations with property crime. Verbal abuse will not have any significant relationship with criminal behavior. Generally, the study will conform with findings from other researchers and reports from clinicians that childhood maltreatment is directly related to criminal behavior.

Conclusion

This final module presents a research proposal on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and criminal behavior. The study is motivated by the concern of increased crime rates. Theories of social control and GST are reviewed alongside previous empirical studies. Findings from existing literature show that childhood maltreatment threatens future security. Predictions of this research are likely to agree with the relationship between childhood strain and criminal behavior.

References

Agnew, R. (1985). Social control theory and delinquency: A longitudinal test.
Criminology,
23(1), 47-61.

Agnew, R., & Brezina, T. (2019). General strain theory.
Handbook on crime and deviance, 145-160.

Alkhutaba, M. Y., & Abdihaq, Z. I. (2018). Child Maltreatment as Predictors of Criminal Thinking Styles among Adolescents.
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
6(11), 1-14.

Brezina, T. (2017). General strain theory. In
Oxford research encyclopedia of criminology and criminal justice.

Jung, H., Herrenkohl, T. I., Lee, J. O., Klika, J. B., & Skinner, M. L. (2015). Effects of physical and emotional child abuse and its chronicity on crime into adulthood.
Violence and Victims,
30(6), 1004-1018.

Kim, E. Y., Park, J., & Kim, B. (2016). Type of childhood maltreatment and the risk of criminal recidivism in adult probationers: a cross-sectional study.
BMC Psychiatry,
16(1), 1-9.

Mallett, C. A., Stoddard Dare, P., & Seck, M. M. (2009). Predicting juvenile delinquency: The nexus of childhood maltreatment, depression, and bipolar disorder.
Criminal behavior and mental health,
19(4), 235-246.

Schultz, D. P. (1969). The human subject in psychological research.
Psychological bulletin,
72(3), 214.

Yao, X., Zhang, H., & Zhao, R. (2022). Does trauma exacerbate criminal behavior? An exploratory study of child maltreatment and chronic offending in a sample of Chinese juvenile offenders.
International journal of environmental research and public health,
19(18), 11197.