Sensitivity, Adversity, and Risky Behavior: A Gene x Environment-Informed Model for Delinquent Behavior

• In Event: Examining Adverse Childhood Experiences, Trauma, and Criminological Theory to Understand Delinquency and Risky Behavior

Abstract

Exposure to stressors like adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and living in neighborhoods of cumulative disadvantage increase one’s risk for exhibiting delinquent behavior. Conversely, some youth exposed to adverse environments remain prosocial, demonstrating resilience in the face of conflict. The differential susceptibility hypothesis argues that certain individuals are more attentive and responsive to environmental influences than others due to variant differences in genes associated with brain processes involving patterns of attention, emotion, and learning. In other words, individuals with high polygenic index scores for environmental sensitivity are more likely to thrive in prosocial conditions and more likely to struggle in challenging environments. Using data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, this paper explores how cumulative genetic propensity for environmental sensitivity modulates the effect of community and family adversity on the adoption of risky behaviors and delinquent outcomes. Due to their multidisciplinary nature, these findings have a variety of important implications for policy and programming, specifically those related to the onset of juvenile delinquency, adolescent risky behavior, crime prevention, and trauma-informed care.

Author

• Heather Paterson, Northeastern University