Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the Prediction of Youth Reoffending

• In Event: Contemporary Review of Predictors of Juvenile Offending

Abstract

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)—including youth exposure to such things as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction—can have immediate and long-term effects for youth. In line with that pattern, much prior research finds that ACEs significantly increase the odds of a juvenile justice referral at some point in adolescence. Research findings are less conclusive, however, on whether ACEs predict future reoffending once a juvenile justice referral has occurred. Using data from a sample of first-time juvenile justice referrals in Florida, this study examines the effects of ACEs on two-year reoffending. We do so with a focus on high-impact reoffending that can be classified as violent, serious, chronic, or all three. Also, in examining the effects of ACEs on these outcomes, the analysis seeks to correct for limitations in prior research regarding the scoring of the ACEs inventory and the methods used for examining effects of its individual items. After presenting results, we conclude by considering the implications of our findings for policy, theory, and future research on the link between ACEs and youth reoffending.

Authors

• Jordan Sydney Donohue, Florida State University

• Carter Hay, Florida State University