Impact of adverse childhood experience (ACEs) and positive youth assets on substance abuse among adolescents involved with the juvenile justice system

background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with early initiation of substance use and the development of substance abuse problems, however, most studies are rely on retrospective recall of ACEs among adults and little is known about external sources of resilience among adolescents.

methods: 429 male and female adolescents involved with the juvenile justice system completed audio computer-assisted self-interviews.  The ACE module from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was adapted for adolescent recall.  The Youth Asset Scale (YAS) was used to measure sources of external resiliency and the CRAFFT scale was used to screen for potential substance abuse problems.  Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with screening positive for a substance abuse problem.     

results: Over half of the sample reported 4-8 ACEs.  After controlling for sociodemographics and probation status, the odds of screening positive for a substance abuse problem were higher among adolescents with 2-3 ACEs [AOR=2.12; (95% CI=1.11, 4.08)], 4-5 ACEs [3.25; (1.63, 6.45)], and 6-8 ACEs [3.01; (1.41, 6.43)] compared to those with 1-2 ACEs.  Positive peer influence [0.46 (0.28, 0.75)], school connectedness [0.54; (0.35, 0.88)] and family communication [0.61; (0.37, 0.99)] decreased the odds of screening positive for a substance abuse problem.              

conclusions: Screening adolescents referred to the juvenile justice system for ACEs may be an effective method for identifying youth at risk for a substance abuse problem who may benefit from interventions aimed at building positive youth assets.