Impact of family childhood adversity on risk of violence and involvement with police in adolescence: findings from the UK Millennium Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Childhood adversities, such as exposure to parental mental illness, domestic violence and abuse, substance use, and family poverty, have been linked to involvement in violence in early adulthood. However, evidence on the cumulative impact of multiple adversities throughout childhood on violence and crime in adolescence remains scarce. This study investigates the associations between trajectories of family adversity and poverty during childhood, and the risk of involvement in violence and contact with police in adolescence.

Methods: We used longitudinal data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study on 9316 children. Exposure trajectories of family adversities and poverty were characterised (from ages 0-14 years) using group-based multi-trajectory models. The outcomes were weapon involvement, for example, carrying a knife, and police contact measured at age 17 years. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (OR, 95% CI) and population attributable fractions were estimated using logistic regression models, adjusting for confounding factors.

Results: The prevalence of weapon involvement and contact with police at age 17 years were 6.1% and 20.0%, respectively. Compared with children who experienced low poverty and family adversity throughout childhood, those exposed to persistent poverty and poor parental mental health were at notably increased risk of carrying weapons (adjusted OR (aOR) 2.2, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.6) and reporting contact with police (aOR 2.1, 95% CI 1.6 to 2.8). We estimate that about 32% of weapon involvement and 23% of contact with police at age 17 were attributable to persistent poverty and family adversity.

Conclusion: Exposure to poverty and poor parental mental health throughout childhood doubles the risk of weapon involvement and police contact in early adulthood. These findings emphasise the importance of lifecourse and anti-poverty approaches to reducing involvement in crime in the UK.

Keywords: ADOLESCENT; CLUSTER ANALYSIS; COHORT STUDIES; POVERTY.

Figure 1. Prevalence of police contact (panel A) and weapon involvement (panel B) by poverty and family adversity trajectories in the UK Millennium Cohort Study at age 17 years.

Figure 2. Associations of predicted poverty and family adversity trajectories with police contact and weapon involvement at age 17 years in the UK Millennium Cohort Study. Models adjusted for child’s sex, maternal education, and maternal ethnicity.

Figure 3. Associations of predicted poverty and family adversity trajectories and police contact at age 17 years in the UK Millennium Cohort Study. Models adjusted for child’s sex, maternal education, and maternal ethnicity.

Figure 4. Population-attributable fractions of the trajectory groups. Compared with the low poverty and family adversity trajectory groups, the overall proportion of weapon involvement and contact with police attributable to persistent poverty and family adversity was 32.3% (95% CI 14.9% to 46.1%) and 23.4% (95% CI 16.4% to 29.7%), respectively.