Adverse childhood experiences and delinquency: Does age of assessment matter?

Although a growing body of literature has documented the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and delinquency, these studies vary widely in the age ranges used to assess the accumulation of ACEs. This poses drawbacks to our understanding of the link between ACEs and delinquency and undermines scholars' ability to compare findings across studies. Relying on a longitudinal sample of at-risk youth, this study examines cumulative ACE scores measured through different periods – early childhood (through age 6), childhood (through age 12), and the teenage years (through age 16) – and their relations to adolescent delinquency and arrest. Results show notable differences when accumulation of ACEs is assessed in early childhood compared to being measured throughout childhood. In fact, ACEs were unrelated to delinquency and arrest when assessed in early childhood, while they were significant predictors of these outcomes when assessed at through childhood or through teenage years. Our findings suggest that the extent to which ACEs are related to delinquency depends on the ages in which ACEs are assessed. Cumulative ACE scores assessed during early childhood only may be poor predictors of delinquency and should be avoided in favor of more longer assessment periods. •Individual types of ACEs (with the exception of neglect) were significantly more prevalent at late childhood (age 12) than early childhood (age 6).•Cumulative ACEs assessed during early childhood (age 6) were not significantly associated with delinquency and arrest at age 18.•Cumulative ACE scores encompassing childhood (age 12) and teenage years (age 16) were both significantly associated with delinquency and arrest at age 18.•The extent to which ACEs are related to delinquency may depend on the ages in which ACEs are assessed.