Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

Gendered Pathways from Childhood Trauma to Juvenile Violence: A Causal-Comparative Study of Male Homicide Offenders and Non-Offending Female Adolescents

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hassanali Moazenzadegan 1
Mahdi Vahdat Taher 2
Hossein Gholami Doon 1
Faramarz Sohrabi Asmaroud 3
1 Professor, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.
2 PhD Student in Criminal Law and Criminology, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Professor, Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/jclc.2025.546603.2163
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences are significant criminogenic factors associated with the emergence of delinquent behavior during adolescence. This study was conducted to examine the role of such experiences in juvenile homicide offending among adolescent boys and to compare these experiences with those of age-matched non-offending girls, with the aim of analyzing gender-based differences in responses to childhood trauma. The study employed a causal-comparative design. The statistical population comprised all male adolescents aged 15 to 18 convicted of homicide and detained in the Juvenile Correction and Rehabilitation Center of Alborz Province, together with non-offending female students enrolled in schools within the same province. Sampling in the offender group was conducted through a census method, whereas the non-offending group was selected through multistage cluster sampling. The principal research instrument was the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire supplemented by additional items concerning domestic violence, parental substance abuse, parental mental illness, and parental incarceration. The findings derived from the Mann–Whitney U test demonstrated that the overall mean score of adverse childhood experiences was significantly higher among male juvenile offenders, particularly with respect to the dimensions of physical abuse, emotional maltreatment, and parental neglect, all of which reflect a recurrent pattern of familial violence and dysfunction. By contrast, experiences of sexual abuse appeared relatively similar across both groups; however, the psychological consequences of such experiences among female participants manifested predominantly in the form of anxiety and depressive symptomatology rather than externalized violent conduct. The findings further suggest that gender influences not merely the severity of adverse childhood experiences, but also the manner in which traumatic experiences are psychologically processed and behaviorally expressed. A distinguishing feature of the present study lies in its simultaneous comparison of two socially and behaviorally distinct groups and its specific emphasis upon the gendered dimensions of delinquent outcomes. The results may contribute to the reformulation of rehabilitation policies within juvenile correctional institutions, the implementation of anger-management and emotional-regulation programs in boys’ schools, and the expansion of psychological support services for girls exposed to conditions of social and familial vulnerability.
Keywords
Adverse Childhood Experience
Gender Difference
Juvenile Homicide
Causal-Comparative Research
Violence Prevention
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Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology
Volume 14, Issue 28
Spring 2026
Pages 167-196