Analyzing African and Native American Development of Trauma and Neurodiversity from a Delinquency Perspective

• In Event: Legacies of the Past, Lessons for the Present

Abstract

African and Native Americans have experienced extensive historical oppression since the founding of the United
States. The literature on neurodiversity and trauma is limited for both communities. The following paper will examine
the intersectionality between trauma, neurodiversity, and delinquency. The paper will commence with an in-depth
discourse on the trauma experienced by African and Native American people and analyze how these experiences
develop into criminal misconduct and delinquent behavior among children. The authors will then review the literature
on the disparities of undiagnosed neurodiversity amongst African and Native American youth compared to their
majority counterparts. The paper will then relate the inequitable medical and juvenile justice systems in accelerating
the involvement of delinquency amongst both populations. Finally, the authors will provide research and policy
implications in the discussion of trauma, neurodiversity, and delinquency to evaluate if African and Native
Americans have more disparities leading to higher probabilities of delinquency than those of their counterparts.

Authors

• Destinee C. Rush, Prairie View A&M University

• TaNia Shane Brown, Prairie View A&M University