Are Adverse Childhood Experiences Associated With Deficits in Self-Control? A Test Among Two Independent Samples of Youth

• Date: 01 February 2020
• Author: Sadhika Soor,Carter Hay,Ryan C. Meldrum,Joanne P. Smith-Darden,Brae Campion Young,Madison Trace,Poco D. Kernsmith,Jennifer E. Copp
• DOI: 10.1177/0093854819879741
• Published date: 01 February 2020
• Subject Matter: Articles

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, 2020, Vol. 47, No. 2, February 2020, 166 –186.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854819879741

Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions

© 2019 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology

166

ARE ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES

ASSOCIATED WITH DEFICITS IN SELF-

CONTROL?

A Test Among Two Independent Samples of Youth

RYAN C. MELDRUM

Florida International University

BRAE CAMPION YOUNG

Florida State University

SADHIKA SOOR

Florida International University

CARTER HAY

JENNIFER E. COPP

Florida State University

MADISON TRACE

Eastern Michigan University

JOANNE P. SMITH-DARDEN

Michigan State University

POCO D. KERNSMITH

Wayne State University

A large body of research links both a lack of self-control and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to a variety of negative

health and behavior outcomes, including delinquent and criminal behavior. To date, relatively little research considers

whether experiencing a greater variety of ACEs is associated with lower self-control. We advance this area of research by

first articulating potential mechanisms through which ACEs may impact self-control. We then investigate whether experienc-

ing more ACEs is inversely associated with self-control in separate samples of youth from Michigan and Florida. For both

samples, results indicate that experiencing a greater variety of ACEs is negatively associated with self-control. Exploratory

analyses also indicate that ACEs reflecting interpersonal maltreatment are more strongly associated with deficits in self-

control than ACEs pertaining to aspects of household dysfunction.

Keywords: adverse childhood experiences; self-control; maltreatment; household dysfunction; Supporting Healthy

Adolescent Relationships and Environments study; Florida Department of Juvenile Justice

AUTHORS’ NOTE: This research is partially supported by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention (Grant Number U01-CE002115). Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent

the position of the CDCP or the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Correspondence concerning this

article should be addressed to Ryan C. Meldrum, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida

International University, 11200 SW 8th St., PCA-364B, Miami, FL 33199, USA; e-mail: rmeldrum@fiu.edu.

879741CJBXXX10.1177/0093854819879741Criminal Justice and BehaviorMeldrum et al. / ACEs and Deficits in Self-Control

research-article2019

Meldrum et al. / ACES AND DEFICITS IN SELF-CONTROL 167

INTRODUCTION

Gottfredson and Hirschi’s (1990) general theory of crime, which emphasizes deficits in

self-control as the primary cause of antisocial behavior, stands as one of the most prominent

theories in the field of criminology. According to Gottfredson and Hirschi, a lack of self-

control is characterized by six dimensions: impulsivity, risk-seeking, a preference for sim-

ple (as opposed to complex) tasks, a preference for physical (as opposed to mental) activities,

self-centeredness, and anger. In support of the theory, multiple meta-analyses identify a lack

of self-control as one of the strongest correlates of delinquency and crime (Pratt & Cullen,

2000; Vazsonyi, Mikuška, & Kelley, 2017). In addition, deficits in self-control are associ-

ated with a myriad of other negative outcomes across the life course, including poor health,

reduced educational attainment, criminal victimization, and illicit substance use (Hay &

Meldrum, 2016; Miller, Barnes, & Beaver, 2011; Moffitt et al., 2011; Pratt, Turanovic, Fox,

& Wright, 2014).

Given the predictive value of self-control, researchers are keenly interested in causal

paths associated with a lack of self-control. Many studies test Gottfredson and Hirschi’s

(1990) hypothesis that ineffective parenting (i.e., a lack of parent–child attachment, inade-

quate supervision, and erratic discipline) contributes to poor self-control. On this point,

several studies support this prediction (Botchkovar, Marshall, Rocque, & Posick, 2015;

Burt, Simons, & Simons, 2006), though others do not (Vera & Moon, 2013; Wright &

Beaver, 2005). Furthermore, many studies reveal key nonparenting sources of variation in

self-control, including peer associations (Meldrum, Young, & Weerman, 2012), neighbor-

hood and school contexts (Teasdale & Silver, 2009; Turner, Piquero, & Pratt, 2005), and

heritability (Willems, Boesen, Li, Finkenauer, & Bartels, 2019).

These nonparenting causes of self-control illuminate the need to consider other sources

of self-control variation, and fields of study outside criminology offer fruitful possibilities.

Indeed, as criminologists were paying attention to self-control, health sciences researchers

directed attention to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Attention to ACEs is based on

the idea that life struggles during adolescence and adulthood are associated with adversities

in childhood that have lasting influences on how individuals think, act, and relate with oth-

ers. Driven by the work of Felitti and colleagues (1998), ACEs reflect experiences with the

types of interpersonal maltreatment (e.g., abuse and neglect) and household dysfunction

(e.g., family mental illness, parental incarceration) expected to be most consequential dur-

ing childhood. Since the original ACEs study (Felitti et al., 1998), a growing body of

research links ACEs with chronic disease, mental illness, risky behaviors, and poor socio-

economic outcomes (e.g., Hughes et al., 2017; Metzler, Merrick, Klevens, Ports, & Ford,

2017). Recent studies also link ACEs with delinquent behavior (e.g., Baglivio, Wolff,

Piquero, & Epps, 2015).

Despite research focused on (a) the causes and consequences of a lack of self-control and

(b) the varied outcomes of ACEs, these two strands of research have largely developed in

isolation. Only recently have researchers started to consider the possibility that ACEs and

self-control might be linked, such that experiencing a greater variety of ACEs could reduce

self-control. For example, research links ACEs to the impulsivity dimension of (low) self-

control (Perez, Jennings, & Baglivio, 2018) and a lack of future orientation (Craig, 2019).

Other studies report that individually measured ACEs, including child abuse, family sub-

stance abuse, and family violence, are associated with reduced self-control (e.g., Bunch,