Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adolescent Delinquency: A Theoretically Informed Investigation of Mediators during Middle Childhood

Abstract

Objective: The purposes of this study are twofold. First, we explore the associations between cumulative ACEs at ages 5 and 7 and delinquency at age 14 in a national sample of youth in the United Kingdom (UK). Second, we explore the role of five theoretically relevant mediators in explaining this relationship. Methods: Analyses were based on data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study—a prospective, longitudinal birth-cohort study of more than 18,000 individuals in the United Kingdom. Results: The results indicate that early ACEs are significantly associated with adolescent delinquency, with effects becoming significantly larger as ACEs accumulate. Findings also reveal that child property delinquency, substance use, low self-control, unstructured socializing, and parent–child attachment at age 11 all significantly mediate the relationship between early ACEs and delinquency in adolescence, with early delinquency and low self-control emerging as the most robust mediators. Conclusions: Findings point to a need for early ACEs screening and a Trauma-Informed Health Care (TIC) approach in early delinquency prevention efforts. Early intervention efforts that bolster child self-control and curtail early-onset problem behaviors may also disrupt pathways from ACEs to adolescent delinquency.

The Contribution of Safe Parks to school safety: Lessons from the Thari-programme

“…Methods: Data from Zambia Violence Against Children and Youth Survey were used (18-24 years old, n=1034. Since 42% of respondents indicated that children needed help with anger management, it can be hypothesised that this anger may stem from ACEs (Jackson et al, 2023). Helping children deal with anger issues will assist in reducing violence in schools.…”

Understanding adverse childhood experiences and the call for trauma-informed healthcare system in Turkey: a review

“…The relationship between childhood adversity and household dysfunction underlies some of the leading causes of death in adults. While prior research focused on specific traumas or parental variables, recent studies integrate multiple adversities, utilizing ACEs factors to assess the effects of exposure to various forms of abuse, neglect, family dysfunction, and household challenges [5,39,46]. Outcomes measured include prevalent health diagnoses, general health assessments (e.g., hypertension), stress-related bodily reactions (e.g., elevated cortisol levels), behavioral issues, cognitive functioning (e.g., growth and learning), and executive functioning aspects (e.g., decision-making, attention, memory, and self-regulation skills).…”

Influence of Childhood Adversity on Students’ Delinquent Activities: Interplay with Neighborhood Context and Delinquent Peer Association

“…Minors are conditioned preliminarily by their families and environment during their socialization process. Juveniles brought up in a chaotic environment may mix with delinquent peers later in their lives [109]. In such a way, juveniles who face ACEs have a greater probability of associating with delinquent peers as a coping mechanism for the trauma [110].…”