| This dissertation had two major goals: (1) to examine the impact of neighborhood structural characteristics on the long-term criminal outcomes for maltreated children; and (2) to examine neighborhood social mobility as one possible process through which neighborhood factors may influence the long-term criminal consequences for maltreated children. Drawing on a broad-based, ecological model for understanding the consequences of child abuse and neglect, this project utilized a conceptual framework from community social organization theory and research. The research tested propositions regarding the role of neighborhood structural characteristics in the development of two negative long-term outcomes for maltreated children—criminal offending and violence. First, it was hypothesized that victims of early child maltreatment residing in neighborhoods characterized by structural characteristics hypothesized to be related to crime, such as concentrated disadvantage, residential instability, ethnic heterogeneity and low concentrated advantage, would be more likely to develop criminal and violent behavior than those who did not reside in such conditions. Second, it was hypothesized that neighborhood social mobility was one potential mechanism linking neighborhood factors to individual outcomes. The study linked data from documented cases of child maltreatment (physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, (N = 908) and matched controls, (N = 667), from the years 1967–1971) with area data from the 1970 and 1990 censuses. Hierarchical generalized linear modeling (HGLM) was used to examine the interactions between variables at multiple ecological levels. Models revealed that child maltreatment, neighborhood concentrated disadvantage, and residential stability exerted an independent influence on criminal and violent offending. In addition, consistent with the ecological framework, the results revealed that neighborhood concentrated disadvantage and residential stability intensify negative criminal consequences of child maltreatment. While the results did not provide support for the mediation effect of neighborhood social mobility, the findings did suggest that criminal offending might be indirectly influenced by child maltreatment through reduced upward neighborhood social mobility. In addition to policies that focus on the individual, policies to address the long-term criminal consequences of child maltreatment must be part of a broader initiative focused on economic disadvantage in communities. |
