Bryanna Fox
Associate Professor, University Of South Florida
Key Findings
- There were significant differences between the serious, violent, and chronic (SVC) offender group and the “one and done” (O&D) group.
- Ninety-one percent of the SVC offender group was male, compared to the 78% of males in the O&D offender group.
- Individuals in the SVC group were more likely to be minorities than individuals in the O&D group.
- The age of individuals during their first offense was significantly younger in the SVG group than it was in the O&D group.
- SVC offenders tended to come from lower income families than O&D offenders.
- About 26% of SVC offenders admired antisocial tendencies in their peers compared to 7% of O&D offenders that admired antisocial peers.
- SVC offenders were twice as likely to be categorized as “highly impulsive” than their O&D peers.
- SVC offenders experienced twice as many adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) than their O&D counterparts.
- The number of individuals who experienced six or more ACEs was three times higher in the SVC group than it was in the O&D group.
- Children that had experienced two ACEs were 70% more likely to be SVCs and children with four ACEs increased their chance of becoming a SVC offender by 140%.
- The ACE factors of physical neglect, emotional abuse, household violence, and household substance use could also individually increase a child’s odds of becoming a SVC offender by 20-26%
Description
In the article, “Trauma Changes Everything: Examining The Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Serious, Violent And Chronic Juvenile Offenders,” Fox and her co-authors examine the impact of childhood trauma on juveniles committing serious, violent, and chronic (SVC) offenses. The researchers aimed to develop screening tools to identify children at risk for SVC offending as previous research only collected data on the adverse effects trauma had on an individual’s life. To conduct their study, the researchers used data from more than 22,500 juveniles. About 10,700 individuals from the group were classified as SVC offenders that had offended three or more times, with at least one violent offense. About 11,800 individuals were classified as one and done (O&D) juveniles and had only one non-violent offense. The authors found significant differences between the SVC group and the O&D group. Ninety-one percent of the SVC offender group was male, compared to the 78% of males in the O&D offender group. Individuals in the SVC group were more likely to be minorities than individuals in the O&D group. The age of the individual at the time of the first offense was significantly younger in the SVG group than it was in the O&D group. SVC offenders tended to come from lower income families than O&D offenders. About 26% of SVC offenders admired antisocial tendencies in their peers compared to 7% of O&D offenders that admired antisocial peers. SVC offenders were twice as likely to be categorized as “highly impulsive” than their O&D peers. SVC offenders experienced twice as many adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which include emotional or physical abuse, household mental illness or substance abuse, neglect, etc., than their O&D counterparts. The number of individuals who experienced six or more ACEs was three times higher in the SVC group than the O&D group. Children that had experienced two ACEs were 70% more likely to be SVCs and children with four ACEs increased their chance of becoming a SVC offender by 140%. The ACE factors of physical neglect, emotional abuse, household violence, and household substance use could also increase a child’s odds of becoming a SVC offender by 20-26%. In conclusion, the authors note that policies to prevent ACEs should be implemented and individuals working closely with children can use ACE scores to identify and support at-risk children.