The Effects of Childhood Adversity and Self-Regulation on the Well-Being of Adults with Delinquency Histories: A Mediation Model

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Most youth with delinquency histories experience childhood adversity leaving them vulnerable to poor adult well-being. Previous research indicates that self-regulation difficulties could explain how childhood adversity affects adult well-being. Yet, very few studies target adult self-regulation intervention. Therefore, this study examined the intervening effects of emerging adult self-regulation on the association between childhood adversity and adult well-being.

Method

Using data from the first four waves of the Add Health Study, the researchers conducted structural equation modeling for mediation with bootstrapping. The researchers tested the mediation effects of emerging adult self-regulation on the association between childhood adversity (child maltreatment and violent victimization) and later adult well-being (mental health problems, alcohol and drug use, criminal behaviors) among people with delinquency histories and/or arrest prior to age 18 (N = 1,792).

Results

Several significant direct effects and one partial mediation effect were found. For example, child maltreatment significantly predicted adult mental health problems and criminal behaviors. Self-regulation (via the dissatisfaction with life and self subscale) mediated the association between child maltreatment and adult mental health problems.

Discussion

Findings highlight the need for social workers to focus on prevention services and trauma-informed treatment for people with delinquency histories. In addition, evidence-based practice requires self-regulation interventions for adults with histories of childhood adversity and delinquency to focus on their emotional and cognitive functioning as well as self-esteem.

Conclusion

Implementing self-regulation interventions during emerging adulthood can be useful to mitigate later adult mental health problems among people with histories of childhood adversity and delinquency.

KEYWORDS:

• Child maltreatment
• violent victimization
• childhood adversity
• trauma
• delinquency
• criminal behaviors
• self-regulation
• mental health
• alcohol and drug use

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the Cornelius Vander Starr Scholarship Program and the Florida International University Dissertation Fellowship Program for the financial support given during which the first author was able to complete this project. Also, we acknowledge Gregory R. Hancock, Professor, Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland for statistical consultation provided for this project. In addition, this research used data from the Add Health study that was funded by grant P01-HD31921 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, with cooperative funding from 23 other federal agencies and foundations. No direct support was received from grant P01-HD31921 for this analysis.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/26408066.2023.2265923

Additional information

Funding

This research received no external funding.