Study Links Abused Children and Criminality

WASHINGTON — A study based in Sacramento County has found a “smoking gun” relationship between child abuse and criminal behavior, reporting that abused children are 67 times more likely than non-abused ones to run afoul of the law.

Based on the results of its study, released Thursday, the Child Welfare League of America challenged President Clinton to veto bills pending in Congress that would earmark federal funds for new juvenile prison facilities.

Instead, the league--a private, nonprofit children’s advocacy group based in Washington--urged the federal government to funnel more money to such programs as preschool for low-income kids, home visits for teenage mothers, enrichment and mentoring programs in high school and family counseling for first-time juvenile offenders.

Deanna Maher Scallen, a children’s advocate not associated with the league, said the link between child abuse and criminal behavior is common sense but that having statistics to prove the relationship is necessary to crafting effective policy.

“You can’t get anyone’s attention, especially the policymakers, unless you can back it up with facts,” said Scallen, chairwoman of the Youth At-Risk Advocacy Coalition based in Detroit. “Otherwise, people call you a bleeding heart.”

The league’s study used arrest records of 75,000 children in Sacramento County who were ages 9 to 12 in 1996. It found the arrest rate for abused children was 60 children per 1,000, compared with a rate of .89 per 1,000 for non-abused children.

In light of these findings, Michael Petit, deputy director for the league, said Congress’ response to juvenile crime is “ineffective and needlessly expensive.”

The House recently voted to spend $1.5 billion to combat juvenile crime, with constructing prisons for youths a top priority. A Senate bill, which is pending, would allocate more than $2.5 billion over five years for, among other items, new juvenile prison facilities and prevention programs targeting youths.

Supporters of these bills have defended the prison component as fundamental to fighting juvenile crime.

“Building additional juvenile detention facilities will give judges the ability to command respect from young criminals and will mean that violent juvenile criminals will receive swift and certain punishment,” Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) said recently.

Among those questioning such assertions was Buffalo, N.Y., Police Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske, who joined Child Welfare League officials at a news conference Thursday.

“If Congress is serious about fighting crime, it won’t pretend that just building more jails is going to solve the problem,” Kerlikowske said. “Those of us on the front lines know we’ll win the war on crime when Congress boosts investment in early childhood programs and Head Start, health care for kids, after-school and mentoring and recreational programs. We’ll win the war on crime when we invest tax dollars in America’s most vulnerable kids instead of waiting until they become America’s most wanted adults.”