Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Substance Misuse among Justice-Involved Children

Abstract

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to substance use (SU) and substance use disorders (SUD). However, this relationship has yet to be tested among justice-involved children (JIC), and it is unclear if racial/ethnic differences exist. This study aimed to determine: (1) whether ACEs are associated with increased risk of SU and SUD among JIC; and (2) if the effects of ACEs on SU and SUD are moderated by race/ethnicity. Methods: Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to examine a statewide dataset of 79,960 JIC from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. Marginal odds were estimated to examine how race moderates the relationship between ACEs and SU and SUD. Results: Results showed higher ACEs scores were linked to SU and SUD. Black JIC were 2.46 times more likely, and Latinx JIC were 1.40 times more likely to report SU than white JIC. Specifically, Black and Latinx JIC with a higher average ACEs score were more likely to report SU but less likely to have ever been diagnosed with a SUD when compared to white JIC with equivalent ACEs. Conclusions: Study results highlight the need to develop trauma-informed and culturally appropriate interventions for SU and SUD among JIC.

Keywords: Juvenile justice; adverse childhood experiences; race; substance use; substance use disorder.

Figure 1.

Flow diagram of FLDJJ data on SU and SUD. Note. <1% (n = 481) of 80,441 individuals were omitted from the study due to missing data on SU. 29.5% (n = 10,459) of current SU (n = 35,403) were not screened for SUD and therefore omitted in the SUD models.

Figure 2.

Predicted marginal odds of current substance use by ACEs index and race. Note. n= 79,960.

Figure 3.

Predicted marginal odds of substance use disorder (SUD) by ACEs index and race among users screened for SUD. Note. n= 24,944.