The Interrelationship Between Empathy and Adverse Childhood Experiences and Their Impact on Juvenile Recidivism

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-67
Author(s):  
Chelsey Narvey ◽  
Jennifer Yang ◽  
Kevin T. Wolff ◽  
Michael Baglivio ◽  
Alex R. Piquero

Low empathy has been implicated in antisocial, aggressive, and criminal behavior, especially among adolescents. Less understood is the extent to which empathy is amenable to treatment, and whether an improvement in empathy can mitigate the deleterious effects of known risk factors, such as childhood maltreatment. A sample of 11,000 serious juvenile offenders in long-term residential placement is leveraged to examine whether over cumulative traumatic exposure, measured by the adverse childhood experience (ACE) score, is associated with the initial level of empathy at admission to a residential program, and whether changes in empathy during treatment moderate the impact of ACEs on juvenile recidivism. Results show youth with higher ACE scores have less empathy at admission and both ACEs and empathy predict recidivism. Most importantly, large gains in empathy are able to dampen the effect of ACEs on recidivism.

Author(s):  
Kevin T. Wolff ◽  
Michael T. Baglivio ◽  
Alex R. Piquero

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been identified as a key risk factor for a range of negative life outcomes, including delinquency. Much less is known about how exposure to negative experiences relates to continued offending among juvenile offenders. In this study, we examine the effect of ACEs on recidivism in a large sample of previously referred youth from the State of Florida who were followed for 1 year after participation in community-based treatment. Results from a series of Cox hazard models suggest that ACEs increase the risk of subsequent arrest, with a higher prevalence of ACEs leading to a shorter time to recidivism. The relationship between ACEs and recidivism held quite well in demographic-specific analyses. Implications for empirical research on the long-term effects of traumatic childhood events and juvenile justice policy are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-37
Author(s):  
Bogdan-Ioan Merlușcă ◽  
Alina Chiracu

This research consists of two studies that aimed primarily on identifying the links between adverse childhood experiences, the level of self-control, the „dark” personality traits, and also their relationship with criminal behavior. In the first study we aimed to establish a relationship between all the variables. A sample of 232 psychology students participated in the research. They reported that they experienced a number of emotional adverse events in their childhood, and these events were positively associated with low levels of self-control and dark personality traits. The second study aimed to replicate the results obtained in the first study. Furthermore, we want to see the differences related to these variables between inmates and psychology students. In this study participated 87 inmates and 87 psychology students. The results showed that inmates predominantly experienced adverse childhood events of a physical nature, while students predominantly experienced adverse emotional events. It has been shown that psychopathy has been positively associated with offending behavior and the high frequency of adverse childhood events. The low level of self-control has been positively associated with adverse childhood events and negative personality traits. Further studies are needed in order to establish students' sensitivity thresholds in relation to adverse childhood events and to clarify the impact these events have had on students.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-37
Author(s):  
Bogdan-Ioan Merlușcă ◽  
Alina Chiracu

This research consists of two studies that aimed primarily on identifying the links between adverse childhood experiences, the level of self-control, the „dark” personality traits, and also their relationship with criminal behavior. In the first study we aimed to establish a relationship between all the variables. A sample of 232 psychology students participated in the research. They reported that they experienced a number of emotional adverse events in their childhood, and these events were positively associated with low levels of self-control and dark personality traits. The second study aimed to replicate the results obtained in the first study. Furthermore, we want to see the differences related to these variables between inmates and psychology students. In this study participated 87 inmates and 87 psychology students. The results showed that inmates predominantly experienced adverse childhood events of a physical nature, while students predominantly experienced adverse emotional events. It has been shown that psychopathy has been positively associated with offending behavior and the high frequency of adverse childhood events. The low level of self-control has been positively associated with adverse childhood events and negative personality traits. Further studies are needed in order to establish students' sensitivity thresholds in relation to adverse childhood events and to clarify the impact these events have had on students.


2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 319-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haley R. Zettler ◽  
Kevin Wolff ◽  
Michael Baglivio ◽  
Jessica M. Craig ◽  
Nathan Epps

Research has demonstrated a relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and a variety of juvenile offending outcomes. No study to date, however, has examined the relationship between ACEs and juvenile residential placement. The current study utilized a large sample of 4,733 adjudicated juveniles in Florida in order to examine the relationship between ACEs and residential placement across gender and race/ethnicity. For the entire study sample, ACEs significantly increased the odds of residential placement by age 17. For males, ACEs significantly increased the odds of residential placement for Black and Hispanic males but had a null effect on White males. For females, ACEs were predictive of residential placement for Black females but not for White or Hispanic females. Consistent predictors of residential placement across demographic groups included the presence of antisocial peers, substance abuse issues, and anger problems.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-7
Author(s):  
J. Cotter ◽  
A. R. Yung

Exposure to traumatic experiences in childhood is a risk (and potentially causal) factor for the development of a range of adverse physical and mental health conditions. In addition to the onset of clinical disorders, there is emerging evidence that childhood trauma may also be associated with other long-term outcomes, such as the persistence and severity of an individual’s symptoms, as well as their long-term social and occupational functioning. However, the reasons for this remain poorly understood. A greater understanding both of the mediators that drive these associations, and those variables that enhance resilience against such damaging experiences may help to inform effective therapeutic interventions. In addition to biological and cognitive measures, there is a need to consider social and environmental factors, such as parental bonding and attachment, when investigating these complex relationships.


2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T. Baglivio ◽  
Kevin T. Wolff ◽  
Nathan Epps ◽  
Randy Nelson

Few studies have examined multilevel effects of neighborhood context on childhood maltreatment. Less work has analyzed these effects with juvenile offenders, and no prior work has examined context effects of childhood maltreatment through the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) framework. ACEs include 10 indictors: emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, domestic violence toward the youth’s mother, household substance abuse, household mental illness, parental separation/divorce, and household member with a history of jail/imprisonment. Effects of concentrated disadvantage and affluence on ACE scores are examined in a statewide sample of more than 59,000 juvenile offenders, controlling for salient individual (including family and parenting) measures and demographics. Both disadvantage and affluence affect ACE exposure. Implications for research and policy are discussed.


2021 ◽  
pp. 154120402110634
Author(s):  
Ashley Lockwood ◽  
Jennifer H. Peck ◽  
Kevin T. Wolff ◽  
Michael T. Baglivio

Youth involved in the juvenile justice system have enhanced traumatic exposure including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction compared to their non-involved counterparts. While prior research has conceptualized the role of trauma in predicting juvenile recidivism, the interrelated role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and race/ethnicity in informing juvenile court processing and outcomes is unaddressed. As such, we examine the moderating role of race/ethnicity with ACEs across court outcomes (e.g., dismissal, diversion, probation, residential placement) among juveniles after their first ever arrest (37.2% Black, 18.3% Hispanic). Higher ACEs were associated with (1) decreased adjudication likelihood, (2) case dismissal for Black and Hispanic youth, (3) deeper dispositions versus diversion for Hispanic youth, (4) residential placement versus diversion for White youth, and (5) residential placement versus probation, with no racial or ethnic differences. Policy implications and future research surrounding the treatment of justice-involved youth with childhood traumatic exposure across race/ethnicity are discussed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 638-639
Author(s):  
Marcela Almeida ◽  
Maxwell R Rovner

Abstract The recent changes in policy at the Southern American Border have urged a number of medical entities and social and human rights organizations to become vocal about its possible long-term outcomes in the lives of the affected families. This reaction is supported by robust scientific evidence on the impact of adverse childhood experiences and perceived racial discrimination, among others, on mental and physical health outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S235-S235
Author(s):  
Jooyoung Kong ◽  
Yin Liu ◽  
David Almeida

Abstract Extensive evidence suggests that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can lead to negative health effects across a lifetime. This study examines the impact of ACEs on the frequency of providing daily support (i.e., unpaid assistance, emotional support, and disability-related assistance) to family members and the moderating effects of ACEs in the association between providing daily support to family and daily negative affect. Using the National Study of Daily Experiences II, we analyzed a total of 14,912 daily interviews from 2,022 respondents aged 56 on average. Key results showed that a greater number of ACEs were associated with providing more frequent emotional support to family. We also found the significant interaction effect that adults with more ACEs showed greater negative affect on the days when they provided assistance to family members with disabilities. The findings underscore the long-term negative impact of ACEs on daily well-being in the context of family relationships.


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