The intersection of formal labeling and child maltreatment in young adult offending

IF 3.3 1区社会学 Q1 CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY

Journal of Criminal Justice Pub Date : 2025-04-03 DOI:10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2025.102404

Anne C. Wingert, Peter S. Lehmann, Andia M. Azimi

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose

Corresponding with the expectations of labeling theory, much scholarship has observed that justice system contact and exclusionary school punishments can have long-term criminogenic consequences. However, limited work has examined family-related factors that might moderate the effects of formal labeling events. Specifically, exposure to abuse and neglect during childhood represents a key risk factor for offending, but it also is theoretically plausible that child maltreatment can operate as an informal label that further amplifies the crime-producing effects of official interventions.

Methods

We use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 14,078) to assess (1) the independent effects of formal labeling in adolescence and child maltreatment on self-reported offending in young adulthood and (2) whether child maltreatment moderates the effects of formal labels.

Results

We find that arrest, juvenile court adjudication, expulsion from school, and child maltreatment are independently and positively related to young adult offending. Additionally, the effects of arrest and adjudication, but not school discipline, are strengthened by exposure to child maltreatment.

Conclusions

Through the lens of labeling theory, the results suggest that child maltreatment may operate as a type of informal labeling mechanism that aggravates the disadvantages associated with justice system contact.

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青少年犯罪中正式标签与儿童虐待的交集

与标签理论的预期相对应，许多学者观察到司法系统接触和排他性学校惩罚可以产生长期的犯罪后果。然而，有限的工作已经检查了与家庭有关的因素，可能会缓和正式标签事件的影响。具体来说，童年时期遭受虐待和忽视是犯罪的一个关键风险因素，但从理论上讲，虐待儿童可以作为一种非正式的标签，进一步放大官方干预的犯罪效果，这也是合理的。方法我们使用国家青少年到成人健康纵向研究（N = 14,078）的数据来评估(1)青春期正式标签和儿童虐待对青年自我报告犯罪的独立影响；(2)儿童虐待是否会调节正式标签的影响。结果拘捕、少年法院判决、开除学籍、儿童虐待与青少年犯罪呈独立正相关。此外，逮捕和裁决的效果，而不是学校纪律，会因儿童遭受虐待而得到加强。结论通过标签理论的视角，研究结果表明，儿童虐待可能是一种非正式的标签机制，加剧了与司法系统接触相关的不利因素。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Criminal Justice CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY-

CiteScore

6.90

自引率

9.10%

发文量

审稿时长

23 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Criminal Justice is an international journal intended to fill the present need for the dissemination of new information, ideas and methods, to both practitioners and academicians in the criminal justice area. The Journal is concerned with all aspects of the criminal justice system in terms of their relationships to each other. Although materials are presented relating to crime and the individual elements of the criminal justice system, the emphasis of the Journal is to tie together the functioning of these elements and to illustrate the effects of their interactions. Articles that reflect the application of new disciplines or analytical methodologies to the problems of criminal justice are of special interest. Since the purpose of the Journal is to provide a forum for the dissemination of new ideas, new information, and the application of new methods to the problems and functions of the criminal justice system, the Journal emphasizes innovation and creative thought of the highest quality.