Early Childhood Trauma Impact on Adolescent Brain Development, Decision Making Abilities, and Delinquent Behaviors: Policy Implications for Juveniles Tried in Adult Court Systems

• Date: 01 March 2020
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/jfcj.12157
• Published date: 01 March 2020
• Author: Ashley Williams

Early Childhood Trauma Impact on Adolescent

Brain Development, Decision Making Abilities,

and Delinquent Behaviors: Policy Implications

for Juveniles Tried in Adult Court Systems

By Ashley Williams MSW, MSP

ABSTRACT

By examining previous literature on the brain’s developmental process during

adolescence, this paper aims to determine how early childhood trauma potentially

effects decision making in adolescence through exploring self-regulation theory.

Through a self-regulation framework, the hope is to determine the connection, if

any, between early childhood trauma, delinquent behavior, and involvement in the

juvenile justice system. The author insists that not only do adolescents have less cul-

pability due to their brain developmental stage compared to adults, but also early

childhood trauma puts adolescents at a greater risk of impaired self-regulation which

allows for more probable delinquent behavior. This paper also considers implications

for social policy makers and youth advocates concerned with juvenile offenders tried

in adult courts and existing racial disparities in the system.

Key words: adverse childhood experiences, adolescent brain development, juvenile

delinquency, policy, juveniles tried in adult courts, trauma.

INTRODUCTION

Previous literature on adolescent brain development has found that youth are devel-

opmentally different than adults (National Research Council, 2013). Despite these find-

ings, debate still exists among many, on the culpability of juvenile offending.

Furthermore, we know that trauma impairs the development of the brain. Additionally,

93% of youth entering the justice system has had at least one adverse childhood

Ashley Williams is a recent graduate of the Brown school at Washington University in St. Louis.

Her studies have focused on the intersection between urban education and incarcerated youth. She currently

works in criminal defense social work with juveniles and hopes to continue to inform the juvenile jus-

tice system through policy advocacy.

Juvenile and Family Court Journal 71, No. 1

©2020 National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

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