Honors Program

Honors in Psychology

Date of Award

5-2020

Thesis Professor(s)

Jill D. Stinson

Thesis Professor Department

<--College of Arts and Sciences-->

Thesis Reader(s)

Alyson J. Chroust

Abstract

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) exhibit a strong influence on later functioning in adolescence and adulthood, including impacts on physical and mental health, as well as behavioral and risk-related outcomes. Youth who have engaged in sexually abusive behaviors experience ACEs and negative outcomes at significantly elevated rates. The current study evaluates the relationship between ACEs and the youth’s own behavior and onset and length out-of-home placements, including family- or home-based, residential, and correctional placements. Data for this study consisted of archival records that were collected from a nonprofit inpatient treatment facility for adolescents who had engaged in sexually abusive behavior. The sample included 290 males and 5 females between the ages of 10 and 17 years of age (M = 14.8, SD = 1.56). Descriptive frequencies, correlational analyses, and linear regression analyses were performed to examine hypothesized relationships. Differing predictors emerged for initial onset and length of out-of-home placement types, with ACEs as stronger predictors of family-based placements, and the youths’ own aggressive and problematic sexual behaviors more predictive of onset and length of residential and correctional placements. Implications for prevention and treatment are discussed.

Publisher

East Tennessee State University

Document Type

Honors Thesis - Open Access

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

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