Citation
Testa, A.; Jackson, D. B.; Ganson, K. T.; & Nagata, J. M. (2021). Adverse Childhood Experiences and Criminal Justice Contact in Adulthood: ACEs and Adult Criminal Justice Contact. Acad Pediatr.Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and formal criminal justice system processing during young adulthood and middle adulthood. METHODS: Data are from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (N = 8,531). Logistic regression, multinomial logistic regression, and Poisson regression models were used to assess the relationship between accumulating ACEs (0, 1, 2, 3, or 4 or more) and criminal justice system processing during young adulthood (24-32) and middle adulthood (33-43). RESULTS: Accumulating ACEs -especially four or more ACEs- was significantly associated with various forms of criminal justice contact during young and middle adulthood, including having been arrested, experiencing a greater number of arrests, having been incarcerated in adulthood, having been incarcerated multiple times, and having spent longer periods of time incarcerated. CONCLUSIONS: This study documents that the association between ACEs and formal criminal justice extends into young and middle adulthood. Considering the consequences of both ACEs and criminal justice system contact for a variety of life domains, the findings suggest the need for developing and employing early interventions to disrupt pathways to criminal justice system involvement.URL
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2021.10.011Keyword(s)
Adverse Childhood ExperiencesNotes
1876-2867Reference Type
Journal ArticleJournal Title
Acad PediatrAuthor(s)
Testa, A.Jackson, D. B.
Ganson, K. T.
Nagata, J. M.