Adverse Childhood Experiences and Justice Involvement: A Strengths-Based Approach Examining the Protective Role of Developmental Assets Among Black Adolescents

The current study examined whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were associated with justice involvement among Black adolescents, and whether internal developmental assets (i.e., positive values, social competencies, positive identity, and commitment to learning) and external developmental assets (i.e., support, empowerment, boundaries and expectations, and constructive use of time) moderated these relations. Gender differences were also examined. Participants included 237 Black adolescents 12 to 17 years of age ( M = 14.46, SD = 1.64). Results indicated that ACEs were not directly associated with justice involvement, however, significant differences were found based on gender and developmental assets. Developmental assets moderated this relation for boys and girls, but the type of moderation differed by gender. ACEs predicted greater justice involvement for boys with low external developmental assets, but not for boys with high external developmental assets. However, for girls, ACEs predicted greater justice involvement for girls with low internal developmental assets, but not for girls with high internal developmental assets. Findings highlight the importance of using strengths-based approaches to understand factors underlying justice involvement among Black youth.