Recent Research Articles
Meldrum, Ryan C., Young, Brae Campion, Soor, Sadhika, Hay, Carter, Copp, Jennifer E., Trace, Madison, Smith-Darden, Joanne P., and Poco D. Kernsmith. In Press. Are adverse childhood experiences associated with deficits in self-control? A test among two independent samples of youth. Criminal Justice and Behavior.
Abstract: A large body of research links both a lack of self-control and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to a variety of negative health and behavior outcomes, including delinquent and criminal behavior. To date, relatively little research considers whether experiencing a greater variety of ACEs is associated with lower self-control. We advance this area of research by first articulating potential mechanisms through which ACEs may impact self-control. We then investigate whether experiencing more ACEs is inversely associated with self-control in separate samples of youth from Michigan and Florida. For both samples, results indicate that experiencing a greater variety of ACEs is negatively associated with self-control. Exploratory analyses also indicate that ACEs reflecting interpersonal maltreatment are more strongly associated with deficits in selfcontrol than ACEs pertaining to aspects of household dysfunction.
Abstract: A large body of research links both a lack of self-control and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to a variety of negative health and behavior outcomes, including delinquent and criminal behavior. To date, relatively little research considers whether experiencing a greater variety of ACEs is associated with lower self-control. We advance this area of research by first articulating potential mechanisms through which ACEs may impact self-control. We then investigate whether experiencing more ACEs is inversely associated with self-control in separate samples of youth from Michigan and Florida. For both samples, results indicate that experiencing a greater variety of ACEs is negatively associated with self-control. Exploratory analyses also indicate that ACEs reflecting interpersonal maltreatment are more strongly associated with deficits in selfcontrol than ACEs pertaining to aspects of household dysfunction.
Semenza, Daniel C., Meldrum, Ryan C., Jackson, Dylan B., Vaughn, Michael G., and Alex R. Piquero. In Press. School start times, delinquency, and substance use: A criminological perspective. Crime & Delinquency.
Abstract: Research finds a lack of sleep during adolescence is associated with a variety of negative outcomes and suggests that early school start times contribute to this problem. Criminologists have largely overlooked the relevance of school start times for adolescent delinquency and substance use, precluding multidisciplinary collaborations between criminologists and other social and health scientists that might further elucidate emerging policy initiatives. We provide a theoretically informed criminological perspective explicating the mechanisms through which delaying school start times may reduce delinquency and substance use. Two pathways are proposed: one focused on self-control and another on unstructured socializing with peers. After discussing evidence supporting the pathways, this article outlines a research agenda for criminologists to contribute to understudied portions of the model.
Abstract: Research finds a lack of sleep during adolescence is associated with a variety of negative outcomes and suggests that early school start times contribute to this problem. Criminologists have largely overlooked the relevance of school start times for adolescent delinquency and substance use, precluding multidisciplinary collaborations between criminologists and other social and health scientists that might further elucidate emerging policy initiatives. We provide a theoretically informed criminological perspective explicating the mechanisms through which delaying school start times may reduce delinquency and substance use. Two pathways are proposed: one focused on self-control and another on unstructured socializing with peers. After discussing evidence supporting the pathways, this article outlines a research agenda for criminologists to contribute to understudied portions of the model.
Lehmann, Peter S., Meldrum, Ryan C., and Mark A. Greenwald. In Press. Upward departures from structured recommendations in juvenile court dispositions: The intersection of race, ethnicity, and gender. Justice Quarterly.
Abstract: Much prior research has examined racial and ethnic disparities in juvenile court interventions, and the evidence suggests that minority youth are sanctioned more harshly than similarly situated White youth. Additionally, scholars have explored the potential negative consequences of juvenile justice contact, and some research indicates that more intensive juvenile court dispositions are associated with increased reoffending, particularly among minority youth. What is unknown, however, is the relevance of race, ethnicity, and gender for these outcomes under a structured disposition guidelines system, which is intended to aid judges’ decision-making and reduce recidivism following justice system intervention. Analysis of youth sanctioned under Florida’s disposition matrix (N = 56,913) shows that Black youth are more likely to receive upward departures from the guideline-recommended sanctions and that the increased likelihood of recidivism resulting from receiving an upward departure is particularly pronounced among minority males. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Abstract: Much prior research has examined racial and ethnic disparities in juvenile court interventions, and the evidence suggests that minority youth are sanctioned more harshly than similarly situated White youth. Additionally, scholars have explored the potential negative consequences of juvenile justice contact, and some research indicates that more intensive juvenile court dispositions are associated with increased reoffending, particularly among minority youth. What is unknown, however, is the relevance of race, ethnicity, and gender for these outcomes under a structured disposition guidelines system, which is intended to aid judges’ decision-making and reduce recidivism following justice system intervention. Analysis of youth sanctioned under Florida’s disposition matrix (N = 56,913) shows that Black youth are more likely to receive upward departures from the guideline-recommended sanctions and that the increased likelihood of recidivism resulting from receiving an upward departure is particularly pronounced among minority males. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Meldrum, Ryan C., Jackson, Dylan B., Archer, Robert, and Candice Ammons-Blanfort. 2018. Perceived school safety, perceived neighborhood safety, and insufficient sleep among adolescents. Sleep Health, 4, 429-435.
Abstract: Objectives: To examine whether perceptions of school safety and neighborhood safety are associated with insufficient sleep during adolescence. Design: The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) is a cross-sectional study of adolescents. Setting: The state of Florida. Participants: Middle-school and high-school students (n = 7,958) attending public schools in 2017. Measurements: Based on National Sleep Foundation recommendations, sleep was categorized as insufficient (less than 7 hours) or sufficient (7 or more hours) using self-reports of average sleep duration on school nights. Self-reports of perceived safety at school and perceived safety in one's neighborhood were modeled as predictors of insufficient sleep in logistic regression models when accounting for several covariates. Results: Adjusting for model covariates, the odds of insufficient sleep among adolescents who feel unsafe both at school and in their neighborhood are 129% greater relative to adolescents who feel safe in both contexts. In comparison, the odds of insufficient sleep among adolescents who feel unsafe only at school are 39% greater relative to adolescents who feel safe both at school and in their neighborhood, and the odds of insufficient sleep among adolescents who feel unsafe only in their neighborhood are 71% greater relative to adolescents who feel safe both at school and in their neighborhood. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that efforts to improve the safety of salient social contexts in which adolescents develop may reduce the likelihood of insufficient sleep faced by a large portion of school-aged children.
Abstract: Objectives: To examine whether perceptions of school safety and neighborhood safety are associated with insufficient sleep during adolescence. Design: The Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey (FYSAS) is a cross-sectional study of adolescents. Setting: The state of Florida. Participants: Middle-school and high-school students (n = 7,958) attending public schools in 2017. Measurements: Based on National Sleep Foundation recommendations, sleep was categorized as insufficient (less than 7 hours) or sufficient (7 or more hours) using self-reports of average sleep duration on school nights. Self-reports of perceived safety at school and perceived safety in one's neighborhood were modeled as predictors of insufficient sleep in logistic regression models when accounting for several covariates. Results: Adjusting for model covariates, the odds of insufficient sleep among adolescents who feel unsafe both at school and in their neighborhood are 129% greater relative to adolescents who feel safe in both contexts. In comparison, the odds of insufficient sleep among adolescents who feel unsafe only at school are 39% greater relative to adolescents who feel safe both at school and in their neighborhood, and the odds of insufficient sleep among adolescents who feel unsafe only in their neighborhood are 71% greater relative to adolescents who feel safe both at school and in their neighborhood. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that efforts to improve the safety of salient social contexts in which adolescents develop may reduce the likelihood of insufficient sleep faced by a large portion of school-aged children.
Bolger, Michelle A., Meldrum, Ryan C., and J.C. Barnes. 2018. "The contribution of maternal and paternal self-control to child and adolescent self-control: A latent class analysis of intergenerational transmission." Journal of Developmental and Life Course Criminology, 4, 251-275.
Abstract: Purpose: Recent research provides evidence of intergenerational continuity in self-control. This body of research, however, can be advanced in several ways to enhance our understanding of this association. Methods: We add to this literature by examining whether maternal and paternal self-control, assessed during a child’s infancy, is associated with latent classes of child self-control based on assessments from eight waves of data spanning age 4 to age 15. Supplementary analyses were also performed using ordinary least squares regression to examine individual child self-control at each of the eight waves. Results: The results indicate that higher maternal and paternal self-control is associated with latent class membership characterizing higher child self-control. Moreover, maternal and paternal self-control were found to be equally consequential for differentiating between a low self-control relative to a moderate self-control class, whereas maternal self-control was a slightly stronger predictor than paternal self-control for differentiating a low self-control relative to a high self-control class. Supplementary OLS models revealed that both maternal and paternal self-control were statistically significant predictors of child self-control at 54 months of age and provided relatively equal contributions. But, as the child ages, the influence of paternal self-control appears to decrease as compared to maternal self-control. Conclusions: This study offers evidence that both maternal and paternal self-control are important for understanding the intergenerational continuity of self-control, but additional research with larger and more diverse samples is needed to better understand the relative importance of mothers and fathers for this continuity.
Abstract: Purpose: Recent research provides evidence of intergenerational continuity in self-control. This body of research, however, can be advanced in several ways to enhance our understanding of this association. Methods: We add to this literature by examining whether maternal and paternal self-control, assessed during a child’s infancy, is associated with latent classes of child self-control based on assessments from eight waves of data spanning age 4 to age 15. Supplementary analyses were also performed using ordinary least squares regression to examine individual child self-control at each of the eight waves. Results: The results indicate that higher maternal and paternal self-control is associated with latent class membership characterizing higher child self-control. Moreover, maternal and paternal self-control were found to be equally consequential for differentiating between a low self-control relative to a moderate self-control class, whereas maternal self-control was a slightly stronger predictor than paternal self-control for differentiating a low self-control relative to a high self-control class. Supplementary OLS models revealed that both maternal and paternal self-control were statistically significant predictors of child self-control at 54 months of age and provided relatively equal contributions. But, as the child ages, the influence of paternal self-control appears to decrease as compared to maternal self-control. Conclusions: This study offers evidence that both maternal and paternal self-control are important for understanding the intergenerational continuity of self-control, but additional research with larger and more diverse samples is needed to better understand the relative importance of mothers and fathers for this continuity.
Meldrum, Ryan C., Trucco, Elisa M., Cope, Lora M., Zucker, Robert A., and Mary M. Heitzeg. 2018. "Brain activity, low self-control, and delinquency: An fMRI study of at-risk adolescents." Journal of Criminal Justice, 56, 107-117.
Abstract: Purpose: A vast literature finds that low self-control is associated with a myriad of antisocial behaviors. Consequently, increasing attention has focused on the causes of low self-control. While criminologists have devoted significant attention to studying its social causes, fewer studies have considered its neural bases. Methods: We add to this nascent body of research by using data collected on an at-risk sample of adolescents participating in the ongoing Michigan Longitudinal Study. We examine the functioning of prefrontal and limbic regions of the brain during failed inhibitory control, assessed using the go/no-go task and functional magnetic resonance imaging, in relation to low self-control and self-reported delinquency. Results: Results indicate that greater activation localized in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) during failed inhibitory control is negatively associated with low self-control. Moreover, the association between ACC activity and later delinquency is mediated through low self-control. Conclusions: Findings of this study demonstrate the utility of integrating neuroscientific and criminological perspectives on the causes of antisocial behavior. Concluding remarks address the theoretical and policy implications of the findings, as well as directions for future research.
Abstract: Purpose: A vast literature finds that low self-control is associated with a myriad of antisocial behaviors. Consequently, increasing attention has focused on the causes of low self-control. While criminologists have devoted significant attention to studying its social causes, fewer studies have considered its neural bases. Methods: We add to this nascent body of research by using data collected on an at-risk sample of adolescents participating in the ongoing Michigan Longitudinal Study. We examine the functioning of prefrontal and limbic regions of the brain during failed inhibitory control, assessed using the go/no-go task and functional magnetic resonance imaging, in relation to low self-control and self-reported delinquency. Results: Results indicate that greater activation localized in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) during failed inhibitory control is negatively associated with low self-control. Moreover, the association between ACC activity and later delinquency is mediated through low self-control. Conclusions: Findings of this study demonstrate the utility of integrating neuroscientific and criminological perspectives on the causes of antisocial behavior. Concluding remarks address the theoretical and policy implications of the findings, as well as directions for future research.