Gendered Relationships Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Negative Emotional States, and Violent Delinquency

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to a host of negative health and behavioral outcomes, including crime, delinquency, and violence. Recent work on ACEs suggests that the impact of ACEs differs by gender, but research is unclear on the mechanisms of this relationship and how they impact violent delinquency. To explore whether and how the impact of ACEs on violent delinquency varies by gender, this study draws on Broidy and Agnew’s gendered expansion of general strain theory (GST), which proposes that a key explanation for the gendered impact of strain on crime lies in gender differences in the negative emotional states that mediate the relationship. Using longitudinal data on a sample of 979 at-risk youth (558 girls and 421 boys) from the Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect, this study examines the impact of ACEs (sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, supervisory neglect, parent mental illness, parent intimate partner violence, parent substance use, parent criminality, and family trauma) on violent delinquency by gender with consideration of the three negative emotional states hypothesized by GST—anger, depression, and anxiety. Results indicate that ACEs increase the odds of violent delinquency for both boys and girls, but that this relationship is significantly stronger for boys. Mediation models suggest that anger mediates the link between ACEs and violent delinquency for girls. Implications for research and policy centering on ACEs are discussed.

The curse of experiencing and committing violence as a criminal recidivism predictor: A comparison between female forensic psychiatric patients with severe mental disorders and substance use disorder

“…Clinical data suggests that female SUD forensic psychiatric patients experience certain ACEs (sexual, verbal, and emotional abuse and emotional neglect) more often than men [24,25]. On the other hand, there is some evidence that ACEs affect men more profoundly than women [18], although Pflugradt et al recently demonstrated an increased incidence of ACEs in female murderers [26]. Knowing that ACEs increase the probability of becoming violent offenders [18] and developing other health issues [16,17], this may still explain why violent index crimes are more prominent in male forensic psychiatric patients [24].…”

“…On the other hand, there is some evidence that ACEs affect men more profoundly than women [18], although Pflugradt et al recently demonstrated an increased incidence of ACEs in female murderers [26]. Knowing that ACEs increase the probability of becoming violent offenders [18] and developing other health issues [16,17], this may still explain why violent index crimes are more prominent in male forensic psychiatric patients [24]. However, our current findings suggest that physical abuse during childhood and youth adds very little to no prognostic value regarding violent reoffending or the duration until criminal recidivism in both female patient populations.…”

“…ACEs represent different forms of abuse (psychological, physiological, or sexual) or neglect (e.g., a dysfunctional household) experienced during a child's upbringing. While gender differences in the impact of ACEs on violent behavior remain unclear, ACEs are overall linked to an increased probability of developing SUDs [16] or SSDs [17], as well as an increased risk of becoming violent offenders [18]. Leban and Delacruz [18] specifically noted increased odds of violent delinquency in both boys and girls having experienced ACEs but also stated this effect to be more pronounced in boys.…”

“…While gender differences in the impact of ACEs on violent behavior remain unclear, ACEs are overall linked to an increased probability of developing SUDs [16] or SSDs [17], as well as an increased risk of becoming violent offenders [18]. Leban and Delacruz [18] specifically noted increased odds of violent delinquency in both boys and girls having experienced ACEs but also stated this effect to be more pronounced in boys. However, Been et al [19] referred to it as an archaic belief that women would not readily engage in violence, even though it is noteworthy that there is some evidence men and women express aggression differently [20].…”

Adolescent Domestic Violence Referrals and Adverse Childhood Experiences: Race and Sex Differences

“…Countering Leban and Gibson's (2020) and Gajos et al's (2023) results, Pierce and Jones (2022) and Leban and Delacruz (2023) found that ACEs were associated with delinquent behavior among adolescent girls. Pierce and Jones (2022) used data from the Future of Families study and found that girls who experienced two or more ACEs by age nine were more likely to report delinquent behavior in later adolescence as compared to boys (Pierce & Jones, 2022).…”