Does FASD and Early Life Experiences Predict Abuse in Youth Probationers?

• In Event: Gender, Substance Use, and Delinquency

Abstract

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the leading identifiable cause of intellectual disability in the Western world. Individuals with this disorder are overrepresented within the criminal justice system, in part due to the presence of secondary disabilities amongst offenders with FASD. Cognitive and behavioural impacts of FASD can be significant, and disturbingly, individuals with FASD are often victimized due to their naivety and tendency to be easily led. Using binary logistic regression, this research explores the link between FASD and experiences of abuse amongst criminally involved young offenders on a specialized caseload in Lower Mainland, British Columbia. The results reveal FASD is not a predictor of abuse in this data. However, probationers who have been placed in the foster care system along with those who experienced familial environmental risk factors both have an increased likelihood of experiencing abuse.

Authors

• Katharine Winsor, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador

• Adrienne Peters, Memorial University of Newfoundland