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Unraveling the Link Between Trauma and Delinquency

The Mediating Role of Negative Affect and Delinquent Peer Exposure

Fordham University, maschi{at}fordham.edu

Carolyn A. Bradley

Monmouth University

Keith Morgen

Monmouth University

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of negative affect and delinquent peer exposure on the link between trauma and juvenile delinquency. Using a nationally representative sample of 2,065 males, a secondary data analysis was conducted to test a mediation model based on general strain theory. Mediation analyses revealed that negative affect (i.e., anger) and delinquent peer exposure exerted an intervening influence on the pathway between trauma and delinquency. These findings have important implications for collaboration efforts among the child welfare, social service, mental health, and criminal justice fields. Understanding the multiple pathways that connect trauma to delinquency can help to develop or improve prevention, assessment, and intervention efforts geared toward helping at-risk youth, their families, and their communities.

Key Words: anger • delinquent peer exposure • juvenile delinquency • mediation • negative affect • trauma • youth violence

Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, Vol. 6, No. 2, 136-157 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1541204007305527


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