Exploring the correlation between psychological development in maltreated children and criminal behaviour in adulthood

Child maltreatment is a highly prevalent and impactful experience that can alter a child’s development and potentially make them more susceptible to criminal activity in adulthood. This literature review highlights the factors, both socially and psychologically, such as how a child’s brain develops, their cognition, and their social, environmental, and emotional milestones play a role in criminality later in their life. A strong factor in a child's overall development is the introduction of play, specifically play spent with parents or caregivers which builds resiliency in children. Resilience can better equip children who have experienced maltreatment to cope and recover from the trauma they have endured. Furthermore, this literature review will tie in these factors that are important to child development and evaluate how they correlate to criminal behaviour in adulthood.