Youth violence and victimization: exploring the cycle of violence

During the last 20 years, there has been considerable debate about the relationship between early childhood maltreatment and later antisocial behaviour in adolescence. This study focuses on incarcerated serious and violent youth in B.C., Canada. Based primarily on the literature from life-course theories and the cycle of violence concept, several hypotheses are examined asserting that different types of childhood maltreatment are associated with aggressive, defiant, or compliant behaviours in adolescents. Bi-variate correlations, principle component analysis, and sequential multiple regressions are used to examine the hypothesised relationships. While the majority of previous research indicated that childhood maltreatment was related to increased levels of aggression and defiance, this study also found a positive relationship with compliance. From a policy perspective, an assessment of these hypotheses can assist in understanding the needs of incarcerated young offenders who experience victimization by reducing their vulnerability to future re-victimization.