Examining the Relationship Between Childhood Trauma and Involvement in the Justice System

• NCJ Number: 300568
• Journal: NIJ Journal
• Author(s): Phelan Wyrick ; Kadee Atkinson
• Date Published: April 2021
• Length: 9 pages
• Publication Series: NIJ Journal
• Grant Number(s): 2016-MU-MU-0070; 2016-MU-MU-0067; 2016-MU-MU-0068; 2016-MU-MU-0069; 2016-MU-MU-0066; 2016-MU-MU-0064; 2016-MU-MU-0065
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Award: Trauma Exposure, Ecological Factors, and Child Welfare Involvement as Predictors of Youth Crossover into the Juvenile Justice System; Exposure to Violence, Trauma, and Juvenile Court Involvement: A Longitudinal Analysis of Mobile Youth and Poverty Study Data (1998-2011); Maltreatment and Delinquency Associations across Development: Assessing Difference Among Historically Understudied Groups and Potential Protective Factors; A Longitudinal Investigation of Trauma Exposure, Retraumatization, and Post-Traumatic Stress of Justice-Involved Adolescents; Violence Exposure, Continuous Trauma, and Repeat Offending in Female and Male Serious Adolescent Offenders; Trauma-informed interventions for justice-involved youth: A meta-analysis; To Understand the Role of Trauma, Exposure to Violence, and Retraumatization for Justice Involved Youth, Particularly for Clients Who Identify As LGBTQI or GNC

Annotation

This NIJ Journal article discusses findings from seven studies on trauma and justice-involved youth that provide a deeper understanding of the pathways leading from violence exposure to involvement in the justice system.

Abstract

Childhood trauma caused by exposure to violence has profound and long-lasting consequences on psychological and even biological well-being. Delinquency and adult criminality, substance abuse, poor school performance, depression, and chronic disease are all associated with childhood trauma. This NIJ Journal article discusses findings from seven studies on trauma and justice-involved youth that provide a deeper understanding of the pathways leading from violence exposure to involvement in the justice system. The studies describe how trauma symptoms manifest from adolescence into early adulthood; trace the consequences of exposure to violence within correctional and residential facilities, in the child welfare system, and in the context of other factors such as poverty and gender identity; examine the links between exposure to violence and juvenile court involvement; highlight protective factors that reduce the likelihood of later offending for those with histories of trauma; and assess the effectiveness of trauma-informed treatment programs. Overall, the studies show high levels of previous and ongoing trauma among justice-involved youth.