Gendered Effects of Parental Abuse and Interparental Violence on Juvenile Delinquency

• In Event: Gendered and Cultural Contexts of Risk and Punishment

Abstract

The relationship between family violence and juvenile delinquency has been extensively studied. However, the gendered effects of different forms of family violence on delinquent behavior have been less explored. Using mixed-effects Poisson regression models with longitudinal data from the Korean Youth Panel Survey (KYPS) across five waves, this study examines how interparental violence and parental abuse influence juvenile delinquency differently by gender. Results show that while females generally exhibited lower delinquency rates than males, girls exposed to interparental violence and parental abuse experienced significant amplification effects compared to boys. These findings suggest that although girls display lower overall delinquency, they may be more vulnerable to family violence contexts. Our study highlights the importance of gender-responsive approaches in juvenile delinquency prevention programs that specifically address family violence dynamics.

Authors

• Jaebom Lee, The University of Texas at Dallas

• Sunmin Hong, The University of Texas at Dallas

• Insang Lee, The University of Texas at Dallas

• Sungil Han, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte