Onset, frequency, and temporal ordering of chronic adverse childhood experiences in adolescents adjudicated for sexual offences

IF 3.4 2区心理学 Q1 FAMILY STUDIES

Child Abuse & Neglect Pub Date : 2025-02-05 DOI:10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107256

Danielle Arlanda Harris , Lisa Thomsen , James Ogilvie , David John Harris , John Rynne

{"title":"Onset, frequency, and temporal ordering of chronic adverse childhood experiences in adolescents adjudicated for sexual offences","authors":"Danielle Arlanda Harris , Lisa Thomsen , James Ogilvie , David John Harris , John Rynne","doi":"10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107256","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Extant literature compellingly demonstrates the prevalence and importance of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in youth adjudicated for the perpetration of sexual offences. Most of this research is limited to a count derived from a checklist of 10 dichotomous (never/ever) variables.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Given the preponderance of evidence supporting the presence of adversity, it is necessary to now extend our understanding to the investigation of the onset, frequency, and temporal ordering of adverse experiences to examine potential implications for life outcomes and points of intervention.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>This paper focuses on the experiences of 20 Australian adolescents who were adjudicated for sexual offences and had experienced severely adverse childhoods characterised by abuse, neglect, maltreatment, dysfunctional households, caregiver inconsistency, and residential instability.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>An ACE Matrix was created for each participant and the onset, frequency, and duration of each ACE was plotted to facilitate visualisation of their experience of abuse and maltreatment over time.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Our results revealed frequent changes in accommodation and primary caregiver and a striking concentration of abuse and neglect before the participants had started primary school.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Early detection of ACEs, appropriate and timely intervention, as well as identification and prevention of unintended collateral consequences of justice system involvement for adolescents is discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51343,"journal":{"name":"Child Abuse & Neglect","volume":"161 ","pages":"Article 107256"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Child Abuse & Neglect","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213425000110","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"FAMILY STUDIES","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Extant literature compellingly demonstrates the prevalence and importance of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in youth adjudicated for the perpetration of sexual offences. Most of this research is limited to a count derived from a checklist of 10 dichotomous (never/ever) variables.

Objective

Given the preponderance of evidence supporting the presence of adversity, it is necessary to now extend our understanding to the investigation of the onset, frequency, and temporal ordering of adverse experiences to examine potential implications for life outcomes and points of intervention.

Participants and setting

This paper focuses on the experiences of 20 Australian adolescents who were adjudicated for sexual offences and had experienced severely adverse childhoods characterised by abuse, neglect, maltreatment, dysfunctional households, caregiver inconsistency, and residential instability.

Method

An ACE Matrix was created for each participant and the onset, frequency, and duration of each ACE was plotted to facilitate visualisation of their experience of abuse and maltreatment over time.

Results

Our results revealed frequent changes in accommodation and primary caregiver and a striking concentration of abuse and neglect before the participants had started primary school.

Conclusions

Early detection of ACEs, appropriate and timely intervention, as well as identification and prevention of unintended collateral consequences of justice system involvement for adolescents is discussed.

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Child Abuse & Neglect Multiple-

CiteScore

7.40

自引率

10.40%

发文量

397

期刊介绍： Official Publication of the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect. Child Abuse & Neglect The International Journal, provides an international, multidisciplinary forum on all aspects of child abuse and neglect, with special emphasis on prevention and treatment; the scope extends further to all those aspects of life which either favor or hinder child development. While contributions will primarily be from the fields of psychology, psychiatry, social work, medicine, nursing, law enforcement, legislature, education, and anthropology, the Journal encourages the concerned lay individual and child-oriented advocate organizations to contribute.