Adverse Childhood Experiences, Personality, and Crime: Distinct Associations among a High-Risk Sample of Institutionalized Youth

Abstract

Despite high rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and personality-related disturbances among delinquent juveniles, associations among ACEs, youth personality, and juvenile crime involvement are still unclear. High-risk samples of institutionalized youth are in specific need of a comprehensive assessment of ACEs and personality features in order to broaden the current knowledge on the occurrence and persistence of juvenile crime and to derive implications for prevention and intervention. We examined a heterogeneous high-risk sample of 342 adolescents (35.1% females, 64.9% males) aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 15.74, SD = 1.61 years) living in child-welfare or juvenile justice institutions regarding cumulative ACEs, psychopathic traits, temperament, and clinical personality disorder ratings, and criminal involvement before and up to 10 years after assessment. We found considerable rates of ACEs, although cumulative ACEs did not predict future crime. Latent Profile Analysis based on dimensional measures of psychopathy, temperament, and personality disorders derived six distinct personality profiles, which were differently related to ACEs, personality disturbances, clinical psychopathology, and future delinquency. A socially difficult personality profile was associated with increased risk of future crime, whereas avoidant personality traits appeared protective. Findings indicate that the role of ACEs in the prediction of juvenile delinquency is still not sufficiently clear and that relying on single personality traits alone is insufficient in the explanation of juvenile crime.

Mental Health in Young Detainees Predicts Perpetration of and Desistance From Serious, Violent and Chronic Offending

“…Statistically controlling for the influence of age, higher level of school education, less mental health issues as well as absence of alarming alcohol use and absence of cluster-B personality disorders predicted desistance from SVC offending in univariate analyses, although solely alcohol consumption remained a significant predictor in multiple regression. These findings are in line with previous research stating that criminal recidivism in young offenders is associated with mental health issues, substance use problems, and cluster-B personality disorders [e.g., ( 2 , 9 , 10 )]. Substance use problems were found to be associated with increased risk of violence perpetration and to predict future violent and also SVC offending ( 8 , 17 , 39 ).…”

“…Eventually, the consideration of other influencing factors underlying the effects of mental health on criminal behavior was beyond the scope of the present study. For instance, a vast amount of research has focused on ACEs as potential exploratory factors in the context of mental health and adolescent and adult (SVC) criminal behavior ( 9 , 18 , 22 , 27 , 48 ). More research is needed to broaden the knowledge on the associations between maladaptive developmental factors including mental health and perpetration but also desistance from criminal behavior in order to derive early and effective prevention and treatment approaches aimed at reducing young people's risk of engaging in continuous (SVC) criminal careers and, thus, support their development into a healthy, non-delinquent future.…”

Adverse and traumatic exposures, posttraumatic stress disorder, telomere length, and hair cortisol – Exploring associations in a high-risk sample of young adult residential care leavers

“…Participants for our cross-sectional study, were recruited into the study “Swiss Study for Clarification and Goal-Attainment in Child Welfare and Juvenile-Justice Institutions” (German: Modellversuch Abklärung und Zielerreichung in stationären Massnahmen”; MAZ.) when being placed in one of the participating Swiss youth residential care institutions between 2007 and 2012 (for an overview see Barra et al, 2022 ; Jäggi et al, 2021 ; Schmid et al, 2013 ). The MAZ.…”

Associations of interpersonal trust with juvenile offending/conduct disorder, callous-unemotional traits, and criminal recidivism

“…Information on criminal recidivism after TGs of the 24 JO/CD (mean time 5.5 years, SD 1.14 years, time range 2.91–6.98 years) were drawn on November 18, 2020 from official records by the Swiss Federal Office of Justice. In line with previous studies [e.g., 52 ] on juvenile offending we first analyzed (time to) any criminal re-offense. In a second step, we analyzed (time to) violent re-offenses as an indicator for more serious offenses.…”