Shaming, bullying, name - calling, silencing, and
other forms of abuse among children and teenagers can take an especially sharp turn when exacerbated by a negative political or bigoted atmosphere.
According to neuroscientists who study the impact
of stress on child development, the common thread
among neglect,
abuse, and
other forms of trauma is that they communicate to the developing brains
of infants and children that their environment is unstable, unpredictable, and chaotic.
Research within clinical populations consistently finds that girls are more often
abused than boys, although research focused on the broader population
of community youth has not shown such gender differences in rates
of physical maltreatment.72 Female offenders typically are
abused before their first offense.73
Among girls in the California juvenile justice system, 92 percent report some form of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse.74 Self - reported victimization rates among boys in the juvenile justice system are considerably lower, though boys may be more likely than girls to underreport certain forms of abuse.75 Some studies report abuse rates for males between 25 percent and 31 percent, while others report rates of 10 percent for sexual abuse and 47 percent for physical abuse.76 Closer comparison reveals that delinquent males and females tend to report different types of traumas as
Among girls in the California juvenile justice system, 92 percent report some
form of emotional, physical, or sexual
abuse.74 Self - reported victimization rates
among boys in the juvenile justice system are considerably lower, though boys may be more likely than girls to underreport certain forms of abuse.75 Some studies report abuse rates for males between 25 percent and 31 percent, while others report rates of 10 percent for sexual abuse and 47 percent for physical abuse.76 Closer comparison reveals that delinquent males and females tend to report different types of traumas as
among boys in the juvenile justice system are considerably lower, though boys may be more likely than girls to underreport certain
forms of abuse.75 Some studies report
abuse rates for males between 25 percent and 31 percent, while
others report rates
of 10 percent for sexual
abuse and 47 percent for physical
abuse.76 Closer comparison reveals that delinquent males and females tend to report different types
of traumas as well.
All
other forms of violence, including dating violence, attempted rape or sexual harassment, and physical or emotional
abuse, were most common
among the oldest youth, ages 14 to 17.