The Consequences of Victimization and Offending for Interactions with the Family in Middle to Late Adolescence: A Comparison Between Brazil and the United Kingdom

Using data from the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD4), a single-wave survey, this study aimed to test the effects of adolescents’ lifetime victimization and offending on their perception of family interaction during middle to late adolescence, and to assess whether these effects are generalizable across two cultural settings: Brazil and the United Kingdom (UK). The sample comprised 4,816 adolescents aged 13–17, with 1,908 from Brazil (49.3% female, 48.7% male, and 2% non-binary) and 2908 from the UK (42.5% female, 55.2% male, and 2.3% non-binary). Respondents were categorized into four groups based on their lifetime involvement with victimization and offending: uninvolved, victim-only, offender-only, and victim-offender. Linear regression models confirmed the negative main effects of both offending and victimization on adolescents’ interaction with the family. Moreover, the impact was particularly marked when offending and victimization co-occurred. The effects of victimization on adolescents' family interactions varied across countries, affecting adult supervision and closeness to parents differently. In Brazil, victimization reduced closeness but had no significant effect on supervision, while in the UK, adolescents who were victims or victim-offenders reported lower supervision but relatively higher closeness with parents, partially offsetting the negative main effects. Current time spent with family was negatively associated with both prior victimization and offending, with no significant cross-country variation. Limitations are discussed and, despite them, the study underscores the negative effects of offending for family interactions, and the need for tailored interventions considering cultural differences, especially regarding victimization.