Criminal History and Adverse Childhood Experiences in Relation to Recidivism and Social Functioning in Multi-problem Young Adults

This study examines the relationship between criminal history and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how they collectively predict (a) recidivism and (b) positive social functioning among multi-problem young adults. Criminal records and self-report data regarding ACEs and adult education/emplo...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Van Duin, Laura (Author)
Contributors: De Vries Robbé, Michiel ; Marhe, Reshmi ; Bevaart, Floor ; Zijlmans, Josjan ; Luijks, Marie-Jolette A. ; Doreleijers, Theo A. H. ; Popma, Arne
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2021
In: Criminal justice and behavior
Year: 2021, Volume: 48, Issue: 5, Pages: 637-654
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
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Keywords:
ACEs
Criminal History
Recidivism
Quality of life
Social functioning
Young adults
multi-problem
Description
Summary:This study examines the relationship between criminal history and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how they collectively predict (a) recidivism and (b) positive social functioning among multi-problem young adults. Criminal records and self-report data regarding ACEs and adult education/employment and quality of life (QoL) were collected for 692 multiproblem young adults (18–27 years). Results indicated that an extensive criminal history was related to non-violent and violent recidivism and lack of involvement in education/employment in young adulthood. On the contrary, a higher number of ACEs was related to lower QoL later in life, while this was not associated with recidivism or education/employment. These findings highlight again that past criminal behavior is a strong predictor of future criminality, particularly within this group of young adults with multiple problems. Furthermore, experiencing negative events in childhood shows to have long-term negative effects on QoL even for these individuals who already experience multiple life problems. Implications are discussed.
ISSN:1552-3594
DOI:10.1177/0093854820975455