Early Adverse Childhood Experiences and Self-Control Development among Youth in Fragile Families

Abstract

Though considerable research links both a lack of self-control and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to a variety of negative health and behavioral outcomes, few studies to date have explored whether ACEs are associated with deficits in self-control. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCW; n = 3,444) and a life course theoretical framework, this study aims to address this gap in the literature by examining the relationships between individual ACEs, cumulative ACEs, timing of ACEs, and durations of early ACEs and self-control development among youth. Our results indicate that as the number of ACEs (by age 5) experienced incrementally increases, the likelihood of reported self-control decreases. Moreover, when it comes to the timing and duration of ACE exposure, ACEs that are high but late, intermittent, or chronically high significantly decrease self-control. Based on our findings, researchers should continue to explore the role of ACEs in youth self-control development.

Sex Differences in the Relationship Between Early Adverse Childhood Experiences, Delinquency, and Substance Use Initiation in High-Risk Adolescents

“…Despite this variation, these studies follow the similar logic of and build on the ACEs model. Moreover, the current study employed a measure of ACEs similar to other ACEs measures constructed with data from the FFCWS (e.g., Hunt et al, 2017; Jones & Pierce, 2021; Jones et al, 2021; Pierce & Jones, 2021). Second, the low prevalence of delinquency reported in the current study warrants the need to examine the implications of ACEs for externalizing behaviors (as well as sex differences in these relationships) in other at-risk populations of youth, as prior research has begun to do (e.g., Dierkhising et al, 2019; Leban & Masterson, 2021).…”

“…Ages at which early ACEs have been measured in the FFCWS data have varied, with studies assessing ACEs at age 3 (Wang & Maguire-Jack, 2018; Choi et al, 2019), age 5 (Jimenez et al, 2016), age 3 through 5 (Jimenez et al, 2016; Wang et al, 2020), and birth through age 5 (Hunt et al, 2017; Schroeder et al, 2020; 2020; Jones & Pierce, 2021; Pierce & Jones, 2021; Jones et al, 2021). To comprehensively measure the accumulation of ACEs during early childhood, we measure ACEs as having occurred from birth to age 5.…”

“…Importantly, the current study differs from previous work that has examined ACEs with the FFCWS by restricting the analysis sample to the subset of youth and their families who were administered/completed the in-home interviews, which is when the available ACEs measures were assessed in the FFCWS. Indeed, prior analyses have imputed ACEs data for respondents who did not complete the in-home interviews when the ACEs questions were administered (e.g., Jones & Pierce, 2021; Jones et al, 2021; Pierce & Jones, 2021; Schroeder et al, 2020). Given this concern, the current study only includes the subset of youth and their families with complete ACEs data.…”

Lonely at Home: Exploring Factors Associated with Loneliness Among Female Students at Home During COVID-19 Lockdown in India

“…Studies show that lower self-control is potentially damaging not only for existing relationships as showing less forgiveness and hit back intentions ( Burnette et al, 2014 ) but it also acts as a wall against forming new relationships ( Stavrova, et al, 2022 ). Jones et al (2021) also found that youth had more self-control when they shared close familial ties and parental monitoring had a potent positive effect on their self-control. This seems applicable to the present study as well because we have investigated the variables during lockdown when female students resided at home.…”

“…The self-control theory by Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) , also known as the general theory of crime, has long been investigated in criminology and has shown a lack of emotional self-control and feelings to be associated with many negative outcomes across the life span ( Duckworth & Kern, 2011 ). But later investigations have also focused on the negative outcomes of poor self-control development among youth, for example, as a function of adverse childhood experiences and its implications on familial relationships ( Jones et al, 2021 ; Tehrani & Yamini, 2020 ). Studies show that lower self-control is potentially damaging not only for existing relationships as showing less forgiveness and hit back intentions ( Burnette et al, 2014 ) but it also acts as a wall against forming new relationships ( Stavrova, et al, 2022 ).…”