Dissertation
PUTTING ACES IN THEIR PLACES: PREDICTING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY BASED ON CHILDHOOD ADVERSITY AND OTHER FACTORS
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2020
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/117637
Abstract
While most juvenile delinquents will age out of crime, there are still consequences that impact their psychological development and future employability, especially when detention is used as a treatment option. Understanding what influences juvenile delinquency can assist in determining proper intervention methods. Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are potential contributing factors. ACEs have been associated with negative physical and mental health impacts in later adulthood as well as in childhood. In regards to criminal offending, juvenile justice system youth report a higher number of ACEs than the general public, and those youth with a higher number of ACEs are more likely to recidivate.
While the association between ACEs and juvenile delinquency has been established, what is not understood is the impact of ACEs on type of offending, such as crimes against person offenses. Similarly, we also lack an understanding of how ACEs impact gender and race; are there differences in offending depending on type of ACE and race or gender? We also need to look at other childhood adversity such as low socioeconomic status and DSHS placements to determine if they are also predictors of juvenile delinquency. Likewise, the role of protective factors in mitigating ACE impact also needs exploration.
This study used data from the Positive Achievement Change Tool (PACT) and its derivatives across five states to answer these questions. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were completed, revealing five factors containing some of the traditional ACEs, adversities in the form of parenting and peer group, and a protective factor in the form of activities. Regression analysis was computed for both these factors as well as a number of ACEs model for total number of juvenile referrals (arrests), felony referrals, and crimes against person referrals. The factor models were a more parsimonious predictor of juvenile offending. Youth with the factors that included ACEs had higher odds of referral and crimes against person referrals while youth involved in activities had lower odds. These results indicate a need to concentrate on the abuse ACEs as well as the role of activities as an intervention method, especially for crimes against person offenses.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- PUTTING ACES IN THEIR PLACES: PREDICTING JUVENILE DELINQUENCY BASED ON CHILDHOOD ADVERSITY AND OTHER FACTORS
- Creators
- Carly Elizabeth Cortright
- Contributors
- Zachary K Hamilton (Advisor)Amelie Pedneault (Committee Member)Dale W Willits (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Criminal Justice and Criminology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 146
- Identifiers
- 99900581703801842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation