ADHD and Juvenile Delinquency: Causes and Risk Factors

Introduction

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is, in basic terms, a mental health disorder typified by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), approximately 1 out of every 10 children in the United States is living with ADHD, yet only 56% of these receive treatment or even a diagnosis. This paper attempts to establish a connection between ADHD and juvenile delinquency.

Significance of the ADHD–Delinquency Link

Scores of researchers have identified untreated ADHD as a risk factor for future delinquent and antisocial behavior. NAMI reports that 47% of youths in juvenile correctional facilities are living with ADHD. Foley et al.'s (1996) findings mirror this perspective: in their view, adolescents living with ADHD have a higher likelihood of arrest (58%) compared to their age-mates without the condition (36%). These findings depict a strong, positive correlation between ADHD and juvenile and adult delinquency.

This correlation can rightly be interpreted to mean that early diagnosis and treatment of ADHD could go a long way in reducing overall resultant crime levels. Early diagnosis and treatment is, however, only possible if parents and caregivers are given adequate education on the risk factors and identifiable symptoms of ADHD.

Predisposing Factors for ADHD and Antisocial Behavior

Foley et al. (1996, p. 337) identify three categories of factors that not only predispose a child to ADHD, but also co-occur with it in the manifestation of antisocial behavior.

Familial factors collectively refer to those conditions within the family unit that could prevent a child from obtaining the necessary parental guidance, care, or supervision needed for complete development. Key factors in this regard include poor marital relations, inadequate parental involvement in the child's development, and negative parent-child relations — all of which make a child more vulnerable to peer-driven mischief from external quarters (Foley et al., 1996, p. 337). According to the authors, children who have been separated from their parents have a higher likelihood of exhibiting ADHD and/or delinquency compared to their counterparts in intact families. Furthermore, children from broken families are three times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, while those exposed to parents with antisocial or delinquent behavior have an 11% likelihood of exhibiting future antisocial tendencies (Foley et al., 1996, p. 337).

According to the academic failure hypothesis, children with ADHD or other learning disabilities are less likely to achieve academic success, even though they may possess "average to above-average intellectual potential" (Kidder, 2010). Children with ADHD are less likely to complete school compared to those with other mental disorders (NAMI, 2014). In a classroom setting, inattentiveness typically translates to difficulty solving problems that other children of the same age handle with ease. The teacher often interprets this as laziness and implores the child to work harder, believing they have the ability to do better (Kidder, 2010).

If the child tries repeatedly with no success, their self-esteem plummets, interaction with peers decreases, and a pattern of social and academic withdrawal develops — leading to a spiral of emotional issues, drug and substance abuse, and antisocial behavior (Kidder, 2010). This trend of underachievement and academic frustration is likely to result in the child leaving school and externalizing these antisocial habits into broader society.

This category encompasses those factors that influence a child's development outside the family and school units but within the child's external environment. Key elements include deteriorated neighborhoods, which not only facilitate the creation of criminal schemes but also provide the numbers needed for their execution, as well as over-stimulating movies and television programming.

Conclusion

ADHD has been identified as a fundamental risk factor for juvenile delinquency. The condition itself may not directly contribute to delinquency. The problem arises, however, when the responses used to manage it — either at home or at school — are misunderstood by the child, who then develops a misguided sense of rejection and moves to seek satisfaction in the company of deviant peer groups. The overall conclusion is that ADHD does contribute to delinquency through this chain of mismanaged responses. If parents, teachers, and caregivers can be educated on how to manage the condition effectively, its contribution to delinquency can be meaningfully mitigated.