Adverse Childhood Experiences & Gang Involvement Among Juveniles

• In Event: Trauma, Mental Health, Justice System and Crime

Abstract

A growing body of research has demonstrated the deleterious effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE), including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunctions. Less understood is the role of ACEs in gang-involvement among juvenile offenders. The current longitudinal study, employing a sample of 104,998 juvenile offenders, over 2,300 of which who have been identified as gang-involved, examines the effects of ACE exposure at the time of the first full screen assessment on gang involvement by age 18, controlling for Time 1 gang involvement. We test whether higher ACE exposure at Time 1 predicts gang-involvement, net of a host of commonly established juvenile offending risk factors for both male and female juveniles. Implications for juvenile justice systems are explored, including prevention, universal screening, and targeted intervention strategies.

Authors

• Nathan Epps, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice

• Kevin T. Wolff, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Michael T. Baglivio, Truecore Behavioral Solutions