Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adolescent Delinquency in a High-Risk Sample

Abstract

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 (

Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS): A School Social Work Perspective

“…The investigators discovered that 25% of their sample had experienced two or more types of ACEs. In concert with this study, Fagan and Novak (2018) revealed that the higher the number of ACEs high risk children experienced, the greater their likelihood of self-reported alcohol use, marijuana use, violence, and arrest.…”

“…Multiple traumatic stressors will change the course of the student's life and place them at higher risk for adolescent delinquency, health disparities, incarceration, and early death (Felitti et al, 1998;Fagan & Novak, 2018). Trauma responses are complex, and children exhibit a wide range of responses to trauma stressors they have experienced.…”

Are the Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Violent Recidivism Offense-Specific?

“…Though it has only been in the past few years criminologists have assessed the specific relationship between ACEs and crime, the most recent work has started to examine how the effects of ACEs on offending may differ not only by crime type but also by sex and race/ethnicity (DeLisi et al, 2017; Fagan & Novak, 2018). For example, DeLisi and his colleagues (2017) found ACEs tended to increase the likelihood of engaging in sexual offenses but had inconsistent effects with respect to homicide, particularly among racial/ethnic subgroups.…”

“…ACEs significantly increased the likelihood of residential placement for Black and Hispanic males but had no effect on White males; while ACEs predicted residential placement for Black females but had no effect for White or Hispanic females (Zettler et al, 2018). In a longitudinal study of race differences in the prevalence and impact of ACEs on juvenile delinquency, Fagan and Novak (2018) found that the number of ACEs significantly increased the likelihood of alcohol use, marijuana use, and arrest at age 16 among Blacks but not Whites, though Whites had a higher ACE exposure than Black youth.…”

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