Family Trauma and the Cycle of C"rime 19938% more likely to be arrested for a violent crime, and 77% more likely to be
arrested if they were females. Abuse and neglect cases on average were nearly 1 year
younger at first arrest, committed twice as many crimes, and were arrested 89%
more frequently than the control group. A noteworthy conclusion was that a child
who was neglected was just as likely as a child who was abused to be arrested for a
violent crime. 'The aforementioned study further exemplifies how childhood abuse
and neglect can precipitate violent behavior in adolescence and adulthood.
Researchers have also explored the familial and communal backgrounds of crim-
inal offenders. Briscoe (1997) examined the familial histories ot youths who were
committed to the Texas Youth Commission (TYC). The TYC is a state agency
which is responsible for the most seriously delinquent and disturbed youths. The
findings indicated that the vast majority of the youths in TYC had histories of abuse
and neglect. A majority of youth offenders had family members with histories of vi-
olence, substance abuse, criminal behavior, and mental impairments. Approximately
71%) of these delinquent youths came from chaotic environments and 80% of the
subject's parental figures lacked adequate disciplinary skills. This youth offender
study further highlights the relationship between traumatic childhood experiences
and the likelihood of engaging in delinquent behavior.
A similar study (A. Levinson & Fonagy, 1999) examined 22 male patients in a
prison sample and matched them with a group of psychiatric controls. Their crimes
included attempted burglary, theft, property damage, car theft, gross indecency,
importation of drugs, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, and murder. They were
interviewed with a structured clinical interview for Diagnotic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders (1983), Third Edition, Revised (DSM-III-R) disorders. They
all had at least one clinical disorder and 91% had at least one personality disorder;
50%) had a DSM-III-R diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder. The average
Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score for the group was 47. The GAP
was generally indicative of serious symptoms or serious impairments in social and
occupational functioning. A number of striking findings indicated that among this
group of 22 criminals, extreme deprivations in childhood, severe physical abuse,
and neglect were commonly and convincingly reported. Although this was only a
pilot investigation, the results are promising to the extent that they link histories of
abuse with the perpetuation of criminal behavior and psychopathology.
Forensic Psychology and Policy Implications
The crisis of family trauma and the perpetuation of violence affects tens of thousands
of families nationwide. Increasingly, children are not only witnessing but experi-
encing varying degrees of violence in their homes and communities. This exposure
to violence changes the way children view the world and may change the value they
place on life itself (Groves, Zuckerman, Marans, & Cohen, 1993). It can certainly
affect their ability to learn, to establish and sustain relationships with others, and to