From delinquency to the perpetration of child maltreatment: Examining the early adult criminal justice and child welfare involvement of youth released from juvenile justice facilities

The present study prospectively tracks 999 juvenile delinquents (499 females) released from New York State correctional facilities in the early 1990s and describes their engagement in two socially problematic behaviors in early adulthood: child maltreatment and crime. By age 28, nearly two-thirds of sample girls were investigated by child protective services for alleged acts of child maltreatment and over half became clients of both the child welfare and adult criminal justice systems. Prevalence of maltreatment perpetration and dual-system contact were lower for boys but still worrisome. Findings add to a growing body of research documenting the overlap between criminal justice and child welfare populations and highlight the need for greater integration between these systems, particularly when dealing with female clients.