Research shows that adverse events experienced during childhood (i.e., adverse childhood experiences [ACEs]) are problematic, but few studies have examined race differences in the prevalence and impact of ACEs on delinquency. This study investigated these relationships using prospective data from approximately 600 high-risk families in the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect. Ten ACEs were measured, five types of child maltreatment and five types of household dysfunction. White youth experienced a significantly greater number of ACEs (4.08) compared to Black youth (2.90) and a greater prevalence of seven individual ACEs. According to logistic regression analyses, the number of ACEs significantly increased the likelihood of self-reported alcohol use, marijuana use, violence (in some models), and arrest at age 16 among Blacks but not Whites; race differences were statistically significant for alcohol use, marijuana use, and arrest. The findings support the need for juvenile justice officials to recognize the trauma histories of youth offenders when determining appropriate treatment and sanctions. Keywords adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), delinquency, substance use, race/ethnicity Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially stressful and/or traumatic events that can lead to a variety of negative physical, mental, and behavioral health problems, including premature death (

The purpose of this study is to contribute to understanding the school-to-prison pipeline by examining the extent to which low school commitment and deviant peer association mediate the relationship between suspension by age 12 and justice system involvement by age 18. The analysis was performed in two steps using structural equation modeling and data from the LONGSCAN study ( N = 837). Results of the full model indicate that suspension by the age of 12 is associated with justice system involvement directly and indirectly. Directly, youth who are suspended by age 12 are more likely to report justice system involvement at age 18; indirectly, these youth are more likely to associate with deviant peers in adolescence, increasing their odds of justice system involvement.

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Limited research has examined the associations between different forms of school exclusion and offending, and variation in these associations according to age of first exclusionary event, among justice-involved youth. Using data from the Pathways to Desistance Study, the current study examined the associations between suspension, expulsion, and recidivism and the association between age at first suspension/expulsion and recidivism. According to Cox proportional hazard models, both expulsion and frequency of suspension increased risk of recidivism; age at first suspension was not associated with recidivism, and youth who were first expelled in childhood were significantly less likely to recidivate than youth first expelled in adolescence. Results suggest juvenile justice and educational systems should provide collaborative services to better support justice-involved youth.

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