Criminal History and Adverse Childhood Experiences in Relation to Recidivism and Social Functioning in Multi-problem Young Adults

Published date01 May 2021
Date01 May 2021
DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1177/0093854820975455
Subject MatterArticles
CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, 2021, Vol. 48, No. 5, May 2021, 637 –654.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854820975455
Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions
© 2020 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology
637
CRIMINAL HISTORY AND ADVERSE
CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES IN RELATION TO
RECIDIVISM AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONING IN
MULTI-PROBLEM YOUNG ADULTS
LAURA VAN DUIN
VU University Medical Center
MICHIEL DE VRIES ROBBÉ
VU University Medical Center
St. Joseph’s Healthcare
McMaster University
University of Central Lancashire
RESHMI MARHE
VU University Medical Center
Erasmus University Rotterdam
FLOOR BEVAART
JOSJAN ZIJLMANS
MARIE-JOLETTE A. LUIJKS
THEO A. H. DORELEIJERS
VU University Medical Center
ARNE POPMA
VU University Medical Center
Leiden University
This study examines the relationship between criminal history and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how they col-
lectively predict (a) recidivism and (b) positive social functioning among multi-problem young adults. Criminal records and
self-report data regarding ACEs and adult education/employment and quality of life (QoL) were collected for 692 multiprob-
lem young adults (18–27 years). Results indicated that an extensive criminal history was related to non-violent and violent
AUTHORS’ NOTE: We would like to thank the participants, the social welfare agency in Rotterdam
(Jongerenloket), and DNK (Dutch: De Nieuwe Kans) for their cooperation with this study. We would like to
thank the De Verre Bergen Foundation for funding this study. We have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Laura van Duin (1st author) and Michiel de Vries Robbé (1st author) collaborated on the first draft of the
manuscript. This research project is funded by De Verre Bergen Foundation. De Verre Bergen Foundation is a
venture philanthropy organization that aims to build a better Rotterdam through substantial investments in
innovative, impactful social ventures. The financer was not involved in the design of the study nor the drafting
of the manuscript. Furthermore, the financer was not involved in the process of data collection, analysis, and
interpretation. Direct financer inquiries to Marvin Pires, Parklaan 22, 3016 BB Rotterdam, The Netherlands;
e-mail: mpires@sdvb.com.Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Laura van Duin,
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam UMC, De
Boelelaan 1117, Amsterdam 1081 HV, The Netherlands; e-mail: l.vanduin@amsterdamumc.nl.
975455CJBXXX10.1177/0093854820975455Criminal Justice and Behaviorvan Duin et al. / Offending and ACEs of Multiproblem Young Adults
research-article2021
638 CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR
recidivism and lack of involvement in education/employment in young adulthood. On the contrary, a higher number of ACEs
was related to lower QoL later in life, while this was not associated with recidivism or education/employment. These findings
highlight again that past criminal behavior is a strong predictor of future criminality, particularly within this group of young
adults with multiple problems. Furthermore, experiencing negative events in childhood shows to have long-term negative
effects on QoL even for these individuals who already experience multiple life problems. Implications are discussed.
Keywords: multi-problem; young adults; social functioning; quality of life; recidivism; criminal history; ACEs
The age of onset of delinquent behavior, as well as the severity and frequency of offend-
ing, affects the nature of future criminal pathways (Liberman et al., 2008; Loeber &
Farrington, 2000; Van Hazebroek et al., 2019). A variety of developmental offending careers
from adolescence to young adulthood have been described: non-offenders, one-time offend-
ers, recidivists, and chronic offenders (Blokland & Palmen, 2015). Moffitt (2018) described
the pathways of life course persistent and adolescent-limited offending behavior. Adolescent-
limited offending is common and generally considered to be a normative response to the
social context of an adolescent, whereas life course persistent offending is more rare and
often related to experienced family adversities, inadequate parenting, neurocognitive prob-
lems, and temperament and behavior problems (Moffitt & Caspi, 2001). According to pre-
vious studies, youth who commit frequent and serious crimes in adolescence tend to be less
successful later in life than non-offending youth: They are frequently engaged in multiple
types of crimes during young adulthood (Piquero et al., 2012) and experience difficulty in
finishing school and finding employment (Bullis & Yovanoff, 2002; Van der Geest et al.,
2016). In turn, this relates negatively to quality of life (QoL) in young adulthood (Lanctôt
et al., 2007). QoL is defined by the World Health Organization as “an individual’s percep-
tion of his or her position in life, in the context of the culture and value system in which he
or she lives and in relation to personal goals, expectations and concerns” (The World Health
Organization Quality of Life assessment [WHOQOL Group], 1995).
On the contrary, positive life events, such as a romantic relationship and parenthood, can
influence desistance from offending into young adulthood and may improve social func-
tioning, such as attending education or employment (Blokland et al., 2012; Scales et al.,
2016; Van der Geest et al., 2011; Verbruggen et al., 2012). These positive life events may
also increase the perceived QoL. Research on the association between criminal history and
QoL in young adulthood is scarce and has shown inconclusive results; some studies found
a negative relation between delinquency and QoL (Akbarizadeh & Hosseinzadeh Jolgeh,
2016), while other studies found no association (Barendregt et al., 2018). Another study
found an indirect negative relation via mental health problems between QoL and offending
(Van Damme et al., 2016).
In particular, much is unknown regarding how criminal history during adolescence and
adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) affect the road back to positive social functioning of
multi-problem young adults. These young adults dysfunction in society and suffer from
multiple problems, including financial problems, a low level of education, judicial contacts,
psychological problems, and substance abuse (Van Duin et al., 2017). Their wide variety of
problems complicates successful development—for example, finding suitable employ-
ment—in young adulthood (Scales et al., 2016). According to previous studies among
young adults, the frequency of violent and non-violent offending peaks in late adolescence
and decreases again during young adulthood (Piquero et al., 2012). However, some studies

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