Trauma Exposure and Mental Health Needs Among Adolescents Involved With the Juvenile Justice System

Justice-involved adolescents typically report high levels of lifetime trauma exposure, although research on juvenile justice system-wide screenings is limited. Further, there is little evidence from research on the psychological and substance abuse treatment related needs of youth relative to the trauma levels or types of trauma experienced by justice-involved adolescents. We documented lifetime exposure to traumatic events and its relation to psychological and substance use concerns in a sample of adolescents admitted to custody in the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission. This study examined lifetime exposure to traumatic events experienced by justice-involved adolescents (N = 627) using negative binomial regression modeling and zero-inflated negative binomial regression modeling to identify which adolescents have the greatest trauma exposure, and determine how cumulative types of trauma relate to youths’ mental health and substance use needs. Adolescents reported experiencing an average of 4 of 17 traumatic exposures on the Life Events Checklist. The most common traumas experienced directly and indirectly were physical assault and assault with a weapon. Considering particular traumas, there were differences in exposures based on race and ethnicity, sex, child welfare involvement, and gang affiliation. Higher levels of some types of traumatic exposure were consistently related to higher levels of mental health needs. Results indicate that adolescents enter the juvenile justice system with high levels of polytraumatization. These adverse events are associated with elevated mental health and substance use needs that should be considered in case planning.