Examining the Reciprocal Nature of the Health-Violence Relationship: Results from a Nationally Representative Sample

The correlation between health and offending is typically regarded as the result of confounding factors such as socioeconomic status and drug use, with little consideration given to the plausibility of reciprocal effects. Using two waves of data collected on 14,738 adolescents from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), a simultaneous structural equations modeling approach was used to determine whether there is a symbiotic relationship between health and violence. Findings indicate that minor health problems have delayed effects on violence and that involvement in violence also negatively affects future health. Discussion centers on this reciprocal relationship, implications for future research, and public health and delinquency prevention policy.