Jessica M. Craig

Do Social Bonds Buffer the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Reoffending

Research from multiple disciplines has reported that exposure to childhood traumatic events, often referred to as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), increases an individual’s chances of experiencing a wide variety of negative consequences such as chronic disease, unemployment, and involvement in serious, violent, and chronic offending. The current study assesses how protective factors from social bonds may moderate the relationship between ACEs and future offending in a sample of high-risk adjudicated youth. While results showed that increased ACE exposure led to a higher likelihood of rearrest and more social bonds lowered the likelihood of rearrest, in contrast to expectations, the analyses revealed that stronger social bonds did not reduce the deleterious effects of exposure to more types of ACEs on recidivism. A discussion of these findings is offered, along with study limitations and future directions.

The Effects of Low Self-Control and Desire-for-Control on White-Collar Offending: A Replication

ABSTRACT To further our understanding of the similarities and differences between street-level and white-collar offending, two personality traits were used to predict offending intentions. The independent and joint roles of low self-control and desire-for-control on intentions to engage in embezzlement, credit card fraud, and shoplifting were assessed. Findings suggested that while low self-control was predictive of intentions to offend, the impact of desire-for-control varied based on the respondent’s level of self-control. In contrast to prior studies, desire-for-control reduced offending intentions, but only among those with high self-control. A discussion of these findings is offered, along with study limitations and future directions.

The Effects of Social Concern on White-Collar Offending

ABSTRACT This study tested Agnew’s social concern theory by examining empathy’s role on both street and white-collar offenses. As Agnew argued social concern elements would have both moderating and mediating effects with other causes of crime, how empathy interacted with low self-control was also assessed. Using an undergraduate sample, empathy was protective of credit card fraud, embezzlement, and shoplifting intentions. Although empathy did not interact with low self-control, empathy had indirect effects on shoplifting and embezzlement through its effects on low self-control. Empathy mediated the effects of low self-control on credit card fraud. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.

The Effects of Criminal Propensity and Strain on Later Offending

Recently, Agnew has narrowed the focus of General Strain Theory by arguing certain factors must converge for criminal coping to occur. Specifically, individuals must have certain crime-related traits, experience strains that are perceived as unjust and high in magnitude, and occur in situations that encourage criminal coping. A longitudinal sample of serious adolescent offenders was used to assess the impact of direct and vicarious victimization on later offending among those with higher and lower criminal propensity. Regardless of their criminal propensity, youth who experienced victimization were more likely to engage in antisocial behavior compared with those who were not victimized. The results are mixed regarding Agnew’s thesis and suggest that victimization experiences may push justice-involved youth into further crime.

The Racial and Gender Differences in the Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Juvenile Residential Placement

Research has demonstrated a relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and a variety of juvenile offending outcomes. No study to date, however, has examined the relationship between ACEs and juvenile residential placement. The current study utilized a large sample of 4,733 adjudicated juveniles in Florida in order to examine the relationship between ACEs and residential placement across gender and race/ethnicity. For the entire study sample, ACEs significantly increased the odds of residential placement by age 17. For males, ACEs significantly increased the odds of residential placement for Black and Hispanic males but had a null effect on White males. For females, ACEs were predictive of residential placement for Black females but not for White or Hispanic females. Consistent predictors of residential placement across demographic groups included the presence of antisocial peers, substance abuse issues, and anger problems.

Extending Situational Action Theory to White-Collar Crime

ABSTRACT A theory that has started to receive increased empirical attention is Situational Action Theory. This theory argues that an individual’s morality is the central individual-level variable in predicting offending. It also hypothesizes that low self-control will only predict offending among those with low morals. Although this theory has been applied to street crime, the current study represents the first time it has been applied to white-collar crime. With the use of a scenario-based methodology, the results support the theory. Along with the implications of these findings, limitations and directions for future research are also presented.

Do the Effects of Strain and Religiosity on Criminal Coping Differ by Race and Ethnicity

Recently, Agnew suggested that delinquent offending is more likely to occur in the presence of a variety of criminogenic risk factors. Prior research has suggested that racial and ethnic differences exist in both the type and frequency of negative life experiences as well as coping mechanisms utilized in response to these strains. The current study sought to determine the relationship between prior victimization and a coping mechanism on subsequent offending, while controlling for the role of criminogenic risk factors. Racial and ethnic differences were also explored. Results revealed mixed support for general strain theory’s arguments on the unequivocal import of victimization as well as racial and ethnic differences in the impact of strain and religiosity on future offending. Future research considering criminal propensities and racial/ethnic differences are needed.

The Potential Mediating Impact of Future Orientation on the ACE–Crime Relationship:

Prior research has established that having a low future orientation is associated with offending. Additionally, it has been found that being exposed to adverse childhood events such as physical abuse may lower one’s future orientation and increase one’s offending likelihood. One gap in this line of research concerns the potential mediating role of future orientation on the relationship between trauma and offending. The current study fills this gap in the literature using a sample of adjudicated delinquents from a large southern state. The results from the study partially support the hypotheses; while future orientation lowers the likelihood of offending and trauma exposure increases offending likelihood, future orientation does not appear to mediate the relationship between trauma exposure and crime. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.

Considering the Mediating Effects of Drug and Alcohol Use, Mental Health, and Their Co-Occurrence on the Adverse Childhood Experiences–Recidivism Relationship

Prior research has demonstrated a relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and recidivism among justice-involved youth. It has also been found that drug and alcohol use, mental health, and their co-occurrence increase recidivism. As there is evidence that ACEs increase the likelihood of both drug and alcohol use and mental health problems, it is surprising that prior research has yet to examine whether these factors mediate the ACE-recidivism relationship. Using data from a large sample of adjudicated juveniles in Florida, the current study examines the mediating effects of drug and alcohol use, mental health problems, and their co-occurrence on the ACEs-recidivism relationship. For the entire sample, the results found that current drug use, current mental health problems, and their co-occurrence served as partial mediators of the ACEs-recidivism relationship. Further, important gender and racial differences in these mediating effects were revealed. Implications for these findings within justice-involved youth are discussed.

Why They Did It? Sex Differences in the Impact of Mental Health and Substance Use on Motivations for Offending:

This study examined how mental health issues and substance use relate to motivations for offending among a large sample of adjudicated youth who completed a community-based placement in a large southeastern state (n = 18,749). The extent to which these relationships differed by sex was also considered. Multinomial logistic regression models revealed that although both mental health issues and substance use were related to a variety of reasons for offending, these relationships differed and did not appear to influence one another. In addition, findings revealed that mental health issues and substance use have differential effects on reasons for offending across sex. Treatment implications are highlighted along with suggestions for future research.