The association between child maltreatment and juvenile delinquency in the context of Situational Action Theory: Crime propensity and criminogenic exposure as mediators in a sample of European youth?

The current study investigates the association between physical child maltreatment and juvenile delinquent behavior in context of Situational Action Theory (SAT) (Wikström, 2006, 2017, 2020). Self-control, morality exposure to criminogenic settings are proposed as possible mechanisms explaining adolescent offending. hypotheses tested a subsample third wave International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD3), large international non-clinical on delinquency victimization among adolescents. final sample consists N = 24,956 adolescents aged 12–16 years from nine West European countries. While controlling for dependence due nested data several covariates, models overall offending separately violent property Results confirm that is associated with main concepts SAT (lower self-control; lower morality; more environments), which turn delinquency. show partial mediation offending, findings provide support theoretical prowess its concepts: self-control, mediators well-established maltreatment/delinquency link. These consistent ‘cycle violence’ perspective contribute clarification involved fail ‘crime-specific propensity’. article concludes discussion implications prevention.