Childhood Maltreatment and Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms among Justice-Involved Youth: The Role of Executive Function

Rates of maltreatment are high among justice-involved (JI) youth. Previous research demonstrates that maltreated JI youth are more likely to develop both internalizing and externalizing symptoms. However, fewer studies have examined potential mechanisms that may explain this association, particularly as related to youth’s cognitive abilities. The current study evaluated the indirect effect of executive function on the link from maltreatment exposure to internalizing and externalizing symptoms among a sample of JI youth. Participants included 144 JI (probationary or detained 64.8% male; 40.7% Hispanic/Latinx) adolescents in Texas. Participants provided self-reports of their maltreatment experiences, executive function, and psychological functioning. Results from path analysis models revealed a significant indirect effect of maltreatment exposure on internalizing and externalizing symptomology through global executive function. Findings suggest that treating JI youth’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms without consideration for their executive function abilities may limit the effectiveness of existing treatments for this population. The juvenile justice system can provide the optimal treatment for these youth via tailoring current interventions and/or targeting executive function directly for youth presenting with maltreatment histories and executive function difficulties.