Young people who engage in family violence often do so as part of a broader pattern of antisocial behaviour (Moulds et al., 2019), yet little is known about the ways in which young people who engage in both family violence and other offending (i.e. generalist youth) differ from those who only use family violence (family-only youth). The adult literature has highlighted the importance of differentiating family-only and generalist individuals for the purposes of assessment and intervention (Petersson & Strand, 2020), yet only two studies are known to have examined these subgroups among youth (Ibabe & Jaureguizar, 2010; Moulds et al., 2019), with both focusing exclusively on child-to-parent abuse. As a result, we know little about how the risks and needs of these groups of youth differ, including they could be used to inform risk assessment and management.
This study aimed to examine differences in the characteristics and recidivism risk of generalist and family-only youth among a population-based cohort of Victorian young people aged 10-24 years (N = 5014) reported to police for using family violence. Generalists displayed a more significant history of family violence behaviour, exhibited a higher level of need (i.e., substance abuse, education/employment issues, mental health issues, past victimisation), and were more likely to engage in family violence recidivism. Diversity of prior offending among generalists was positively associated with risk of family violence recidivism. The results suggest that a history of prior non-family violence offending among youth may be a simple and efficacious means of prioritising higher risk youth family violence-users.
Abigail Sheed is a doctoral student completing the Doctor of Psychology (Clinical and Forensic) at Swinburne University and the research fellow for the Children’s Court Clinic of Victoria (Australia). Her research interests are in child and adolescent forensic psychology, focused on assessment, management, and treatment of youth violence, including family violence. She is also a provisionally registered psychologist who has worked with children, adolescents, and adults in both clinical and forensic settings.