Cross-sectional analysis reveals high rates of trauma and cognitive deficits in incarcerated male youth, highlighting learning impairments as key intervention targets.
Key Points
To determine the prevalence of violence exposure and disabilities among incarcerated male adolescents using records reviews, surveys, and cognitive and academic assessments.
Assessed N=115 incarcerated male adolescents using self-reported measures of adverse childhood experiences, child abuse and neglect, interpersonal violence, and community violence exposure.
Conducted individual academic and cognitive testing, institutional record searches, and diagnostic evaluations covering both cognitive disabilities and mental health disorders.
Physical abuse of at least mild severity was reported by 90% of participants, two-thirds had high adverse childhood experience scores, and one-third reported severe prior sexual abuse on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire.
Institutional records indicated prior disabilities in over 60% of youth, while individual testing identified diagnosable cognitive disabilities in over 75%.
Mental health criteria were met by just over 50% of youth, with overall disability prevalence reaching 85% when combined with cognitive deficits; youth with disabilities experienced significantly higher violence exposure.