The study found that repeated maltreatment was a significant predictor of the beginning of delinquent behavior, and it was significant in explaining increases in chronic and violent offending. The relationship between repeated maltreatment and the continuity and severity (violence) of offending followed a strong, positive linear pattern. Also, the relationship continued in the presence of other risk factors for delinquency. Race had no effect on any of the delinquent behavior in this cohort representative of the underclass. Child welfare placement services reduced the effects of repeated maltreatment on chronic and violent offending. The link between repeated maltreatment and delinquency followed a linear pattern among youths who received in-home services and followed a curvilinear pattern among those who received placement services. A cohort of 632 youths was selected from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare's Office of Income Maintenance, an agency that provides financial support and other services to low-income families. All of the youths were born in 1975, and the study tracked them from birth through age 18. "Maltreatment recurrence" was defined as the number of substantiated incidents of maltreatment. Within the cohort, the number of maltreatment incidents ranged from 1 to 18. Maltreatment pertained to physical, sexual, and mental abuse, as well as 15 subtypes of neglect. Delinquency information was collected from a statewide juvenile justice disposition database. 8 tables, 1 figure, 11 notes, 67 references, and 12 suggested readings