The Association between Adverse Housing Conditions and Early-Onset Delinquency

• In Event: Early Life Adversity as a Potent Source of Developmental Risk

Abstract

Housing constitutes an important health resource for children.  Research has revealed that, when housing conditions are unfavorable, they can interfere with child health, academic performance, and cognition.  Little to no research, however, has considered whether adverse housing conditions and early-onset delinquency are significantly associated with one another.  The present study explores the independent and cumulative effects of structural and non-structural housing conditions on delinquent involvement during childhood.  Data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) were employed in the present study.  Housing disarray, deterioration, and health/safety hazards all significantly increased the risk of early-onset delinquency, as well as severe early-onset delinquency.  These housing conditions also had significant, cumulative effects on early-onset delinquency among children exposed to multiple housing risks.  The findings suggest, in conjunction with prior research, that minimizing housing-related health inequalities among at-risk subsets of the population may serve to diminish the prevalence of important public health concerns, particularly early-onset delinquency.  Efforts to alleviate adverse housing conditions may represent a fruitful avenue for public health programs aimed at the prevention and intervention of early-onset delinquency.

Author

• Dylan B. Jackson, University of Texas San Antonio