Objectives

This study aims to parse out the effects of childhood head injury (HI) as an acquired neuropsychological deficit that impacts adolescent delinquent behavior, while accounting for other early-life risk factors and potential temporal ordering.

Methods

Nationally representative prospective data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS; N = 13,287) and a series of logistic and binomial regressions are used to examine the relationship between early-life risk factors, HI, and adolescent delinquent behavior. Methodological considerations from clinical HI research, such as the use of an orthopedic injury comparison group, are incorporated.

Results

Findings are consistent with the conceptualization of HI as an acquired neuropsychological deficit, in that childhood HI increases the risk of early- and adolescent-onset delinquency, sustained delinquent behavior from childhood to early adolescence, and participation in a greater variety of delinquent behavior.

Conclusions

Childhood HI is relatively common, as over 27% of the sample reported at least one HI. The importance of HI as an acquired neuropsychological deficit and its relevance as a risk factor for later criminal behavior is reiterated. Future research should examine the importance of developmental period effects and mechanisms underlying this relationship.

中文翻译：

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儿童头部受伤是青少年犯罪的后天神经心理风险因素

目标

本研究旨在将儿童头部损伤 (HI) 的影响解析为影响青少年犯罪行为的获得性神经心理缺陷，同时考虑其他早期生活风险因素和潜在的时间顺序。

方法

来自英国千年队列研究 (MCS; N = 13,287) 的具有全国代表性的前瞻性数据以及一系列逻辑和二项式回归用于检查早期生活风险因素、HI 和青少年犯罪行为之间的关系。纳入临床 HI 研究的方法学考虑，例如使用骨科损伤对照组。

结果

研究结果与将 HI 定义为获得性神经心理缺陷的概念一致，因为儿童 HI 增加了早期和青少年期犯罪的风险、从儿童期到青春期早期的持续犯罪行为以及参与更多种类的犯罪行为的风险。

结论

儿童 HI 相对常见，因为超过 27% 的样本报告了至少一个 HI。重申了 HI 作为获得性神经心理缺陷的重要性及其作为后来犯罪行为的风险因素的相关性。未来的研究应该检查发育期效应的重要性以及这种关系背后的机制。