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Childhood Victimization, Running Away, and Delinquency

CATHY SPATZ WIDOM

This study examines the interrelationship among childhood victimization, running away, and delinquency, and whether running away serves to mediate or moderate this relationship. Data are from a prospective cohorts design study in which documented cases of childhood abuse and neglect were compared to matched controls, and followed-up and interviewed between 1989 and 1995. Results indicate that being abused or neglected in childhood increases the likelihood that a youth will run away from home, both childhood victimization and running away increase the risk of juvenile arrest, and chronic runaways were at greater risk of arrest as juveniles. Furthermore, running away does not mediate the relationship between childhood victimization and delinquency, because running away increases the risk of juvenile arrest for both childhood victims and nonvictims. The effect of running away is stronger for non-abused and nonneglected youths than for abused and neglected children. Implications of these findings for research and policy are discussed.

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