Citation

Brown A, Grady MD. Vict. Offender 2019; 14(1): 15-31.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/15564886.2018.1539687

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The authors' purpose was to test the relationship of helplessness and hopefulness to experienced trauma, as well to explore the role of these emotions to sexual and nonsexual criminal behaviors among 332 residential youths adjudicated for sexual crimes. All subtypes of trauma measured were positively correlated with helplessness, whereas hopelessness was not associated with sexual or physical abuse. Helplessness was associated with the severity of sexual crimes, as well as the commission of multiple nonsexual crimes. Hopelessness was not associated to any sexual crime characteristics and only associated with general delinquency and property damage. In the regression models, controlling for trauma, helplessness predicted sexual and nonsexual criminality, and hopelessness predicted nonsexual criminality. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescent sexual abuse; delinquency; helplessness; hopefulness; trauma