The influence of adverse events on emotion and emotion regulation as related to aggressive acts of youth in the legal system

Shelley, Lillyan Taylor

Item

The influence of adverse events on emotion and emotion regulation as related to aggressive acts of youth in the legal system

Shelley, Lillyan Taylor

Date

2024-07-26

Abstract

Youth in adolescence are prone to risky behaviors including unsafe sexual behaviors, risky driving, illicit drug use, increased acts of delinquency and criminal conduct. With hundreds of thousands of youth under the age of 18 being arrest annually and recidivism rates reaching up to 75%, understanding what mechanisms can reduce occurrences of delinquent behavior and recidivism among youth in the legal system (YLS) is vital. One possible mechanism for improving these outcomes is emotion regulation, which is influenced by emotion. However, as YLS are more likely to experience adverse events than the general population, it is necessary to understand how these events interact with emotion and emotion regulation. Utilizing data collected by a department of juvenile justice located in a southern state, the current study used a mixed method cross-section design to address the nuanced relationships among different forms of adverse event (i.e., abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction) and emotion (i.e., negative and positive affect), difficulties in emotion regulation, and aggressive acts. Bivariate correlations, linear regressions, mediation regressions, and serial mediation regression analyses were used to address four primary aims of the study, which examined the different relationships among the aforementioned concepts. Findings from the current study highlighted both similarities and important distinctions among different forms of adverse events in childhood and the associations to emotion, emotion regulation and assaults. Results showed that both childhood abuse and household dysfunction were linked to negative affect and difficulties in emotion regulation, as well as at least one type of assaults, while no significant relationships were found among neglect and other constructs. Furthermore, this study also provides initial descriptive insights into youths’ engagement in goal activation for emotion regulation processes, and how the youths’ knowledge of regulating strategies informs the quantitative results. Findings from this study expand current literature on emotion regulation and are informative for future research, as well as interventions focused on reducing aggressive acts as well as recidivism.