Disruptive behaviors, antisocial attitudes, and aggression in young offenders: Comparison of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) typologies
April 23, 2025
Disruptive behaviors, antisocial attitudes, and aggression in young offenders: Comparison of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) typologies
April 23, 2025
April is National Child Abuse Awareness Month, dedicated to globally raising awareness about children’s needs, safeguarding them from harm, and ensuring their rights are protected. Childhood and adolescence are crucial developmental stages that can be profoundly affected by adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as abuse, neglect, and familial dysfunction. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines ACEs as intense and frequent sources of stress encountered during childhood. Children who experience ACEs are at greater risk of developmental delays, which can influence behavioural outcomes such as the trajectories of offending and delinquency in youths.
In “Disruptive behaviors, antisocial attitudes, and aggression in young offenders: Comparison of Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) typologies” (Child Abuse & Neglect, 2023), Dr Adam Oei (NUS Social Work), Dr Dongdong Li (NUS Social Work), Adjunct Associate Professor Chu Chi Meng (NUS Psychology), Associate Professor Irene Ng (NUS Social Work), Eric Hoo (National Council of Social Service), and Kala Ruby (Ministry of Social and Family Development) examined patterns of ACE exposure and their association with disruptive behaviors, aggression, and antisocial attitudes in a sample of youth offenders in Singapore. The researchers identified four distinct classes based on patterns of ACEs reported by the youth offenders — the Low ACE (LA) group, Indirect Victimisation (IV) group, Abusive Environment (AE) group, and Polyvictimized (PV) group.
They found that the different ACE classes showed variations in their levels of disruptive behaviour disorders, aggression, and antisocial attitudes. A key finding was that childhood victimisation does not need to be direct to significantly impact factors related to delinquency and reoffending. Specifically, even indirect victimisation (IV) experienced during childhood, such as parental incarceration or substance abuse, could influence behavioural outcomes like antisocial attitudes. This suggests that adverse experiences from indirect forms of victimisation during development should not be overlooked as they confer risk for problematic behavioural issues later in life.
The study emphasises the crucial role of trauma-informed assessments in youth rehabilitation settings to identify childhood adversities early and tailor interventions accordingly. Ultimately, effective coordination across relevant Singapore government agencies, schools and social services, such as Localised Community Networks (LCN) (find out more here), is crucial for detecting at-risk behaviours in youths and ensuring targeted support for youth offenders reintegrating into society after exposure to abuse and violence.
