Girl violence victims may commit violence

CHICAGO, Aug 02, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Researchers say girls who are victims of violence are more than twice as likely to later engage in violent behavior themselves.

Violence experienced and perpetrated by adolescents is a serious public health problem. And researchers say exposure to violence in adolescents' homes and communities has been associated with their own perpetration of violence.

A 2004 study reported arrest rates for violent crimes by adolescent girls have either increased more or -- when boys' rates went down -- decreased less than that for boys from 1994 to 2002. That has raised concerns that girls were becoming more violent.

However, self-reported data by both male and female teenagers show a decrease in violent behavior over the past decade. The true extent of violence perpetrated by girls is unknown.

"Improving safety in communities and homes may reduce rates of violent perpetration by adolescent girls," the authors write. "Study results suggest that, to facilitate identification of and healing among adolescent survivors of violence, practitioners should recognize perpetration of violence as potential (result) of prior violent victimization."

The research appears in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.