U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Childhood Maltreatment, Parental Monitoring, and Self-Control among Homeless Young Adults: Consequences for Negative Social Outcomes

NCJ Number
237400
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 38 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2011 Pages: 1244-1264
Author(s)
Lisa A. Kort-Butler; Kimberly A. Tyler; Lisa A. Melander
Date Published
December 2011
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article examines how experiences of maltreatment by parents affects the development of self-control.
Abstract
Although parenting factors have been found to contribute to self-control, little is understood about how experiences of maltreatment affect the development of self-control and whether self-control mediates the relationship between maltreatment and negative social outcomes, especially among homeless individuals. This study examined whether lower parental monitoring, physical abuse, and neglect affected the development of self-control and if self-control mediated the relationship between parenting factors and negative social outcomes among a sample of homeless young adults. Results from path analyses indicated that lower parental monitoring and earlier age at first abuse contributed to less cognitive self-control. The effect of monitoring on criminal behavior was partially mediated by self-control. Independent of self-control, low monitoring, physical abuse, and neglect had direct effects on negative outcomes. Running away, a behavioral indicator of self-control, also had direct effects on negative outcomes. (Published Abstract)