The Effects of Childhood Maltreatment on Violent Behaviors among Male Juvenile Offenders: A Dual-Moderated Chain Mediation Effect

Objective: This study explores the impact of childhood maltreatment on violent behaviors among male juvenile offenders, examining the chain mediating roles of aggression neutralization and violent peer associations, and the moderating effects of height and weight. Methods: A survey was conducted with 469 male juvenile offenders, using the childhood maltreatment scale, aggression neutralization scale, association with violent peers scale, and criminal behavior scale. Results: (1) Aggression neutralization and violent peer associations mediated the effect of childhood maltreatment on violent behaviors. (2) Height significantly mitigated the positive effect of childhood maltreatment on aggression neutralization, while weight significantly amplified the positive effect of aggression neutralization on violent peer associations. Conclusion: Childhood maltreatment increases violent behaviors among male juvenile offenders by increasing aggression neutralization, which subsequently foster violent peer associations, ultimately resulting in violent behaviors. In this chain mediation path, height performs a protective factor, while weight acts as a risk factor.