Purpose

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are stressful or traumatic incidents linked to various negative outcomes, including delinquent behavior. Although research has demonstrated that exposure to ACEs increases involvement in delinquency, there is a lack of understanding of factors influencing this relationship. Not all who encounter adversity engage in delinquency, which suggests that other conditions can affect how youth respond to ACEs. We examine the potential influence of neighborhood collective efficacy on the relationship between ACEs and delinquency.

Methods

Using prospective longitudinal data from the Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), we investigate relationships between ACEs, perceptions of neighborhood collective efficacy, and adolescent delinquency among a sample of 802 at-risk youth.

Results

Negative binomial regression estimates and evaluation of marginal effects reveal that the relationship between ACEs and delinquency is moderated by perceptions of collective efficacy, implying that stronger perceived collective efficacy attenuates the impact of ACEs on delinquency. This moderation effect is specific to youth exposed to five or more ACEs.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that neighborhood conditions play a crucial role in shaping the outcomes of youth exposed to ACEs. Implications for policy and future research on the interplay between ACEs, neighborhood factors, and delinquency are discussed.

中文翻译：

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集体效能感在不良童年经历与犯罪之间关系中的调节作用

目的

不良童年经历 (ACE) 是与各种负面结果（包括犯罪行为）相关的压力或创伤事件。尽管研究表明接触 ACE 会增加犯罪行为，但人们对影响这种关系的因素缺乏了解。并非所有遇到逆境的人都会犯罪，这表明其他情况也会影响青少年对 ACE 的反应。我们研究了邻里集体效能对 ACE 与犯罪之间关系的潜在影响。

方法

利用来自虐待和忽视儿童纵向研究 (LONGSCAN) 的前瞻性纵向数据，我们以 802 名高危青少年为样本，调查了 ACE、邻里集体效能感和青少年犯罪之间的关系。

结果

负二项式回归估计和边际效应评估表明，ACE 与犯罪之间的关系受到集体效能感的影响，这意味着更强的集体效能感会减弱 ACE 对犯罪的影响。这种调节效应是针对接触过五种或更多 ACE 的青少年所特有的。

结论

这些发现表明，社区条件在塑造接触 ACE 的青少年的结果方面发挥着至关重要的作用。讨论了 ACE、邻里因素和犯罪之间相互作用对政策和未来研究的影响。