. ▁ ▁Brown ▁had ▁a ▁difficult ▁child hood ; ▁after ▁her ▁divor ce , ▁his ▁working ▁mother ▁received ▁w elf are ▁benefits . ▁Brown ▁experienced ▁sexual ▁ab use ▁from ▁a ▁camp ▁coun sel or ▁who ▁threatened ▁to ▁kill ▁the ▁ 1 0 - year - old ▁boy ▁if ▁he ▁told ▁anyone   – ▁which ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁disc lose , ▁even ▁to ▁his ▁family , ▁until ▁his ▁aut obi ography ▁Again st ▁All ▁O dd s ▁( 2 0 1 1 )   – ▁and ▁physical ▁ab use ▁from ▁his ▁step f athers . ▁During ▁various ▁periods ▁of ▁his ▁child hood , ▁Brown ▁lived ▁with ▁his ▁grand par ents ▁and ▁his ▁a unt . ▁He ▁shop l ift ed ▁many ▁times , ▁and ▁was ▁arrested ▁for ▁ste aling ▁record ▁albums ▁and ▁brought ▁before ▁Judge ▁Samuel ▁Z oll ▁in ▁S alem , ▁Massachusetts ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 2 . ▁Z oll ▁asked ▁Brown ▁if ▁his ▁sib lings ▁would ▁like ▁seeing ▁him ▁play ▁basketball ▁in ▁j ail ▁and ▁required ▁Brown ▁to ▁write ▁a ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 - word ▁ess ay ▁on ▁that ▁question ▁as ▁his ▁pun ishment . ▁Brown ▁later ▁said , ▁" that ▁was ▁the ▁last ▁time ▁I ▁ever ▁st ole ." ▁ ▁He ▁graduated ▁from ▁W ake field ▁High ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 . ▁He ▁received ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁in ▁History , ▁cum ▁la ude ▁from ▁Tu ft s ▁University ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁and ▁a ▁Jur is ▁Doctor ▁from ▁Boston