Faculty Mentor
Dr. Caitlin Brady
Location
Russell Union 2041
Type of Research
Proposed
Session Format
Oral Presentation
College
Jack Averitt College of Graduate Studies
Department
Criminal Justice & Criminology
Abstract
Current literature suggests that there is a correlation between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and behaviors in adulthood (e.g., substance use, crime). Research also shows that childhood trauma can lead to increased risk-taking or reckless behavior later in life. A study by Assini-Meytin et al. (2021) found that having a higher number of ACEs is linked to more risky behaviors in adulthood. These risky behaviors are often ways to deal with emotional problems caused by early stress. Anda et al. (2006) points out that these experiences can cause lasting changes in brain development, especially in areas that handle impulse control. The proposed thesis will fill a gap in the literature by focusing on more nuanced reckless behavior patterns in adulthood, such as impulsivity, risky sexual behaviors, and reckless driving. The study will examine these relationships using a survey that begins by gathering basic demographic information in order to paint a picture of the respondents’ early childhood environment. The ACEs Questionnaire, a scale created by Felitti et al. (1998), will be included. Other ACEs will be measured, such as poverty and witnessing community violence, in order to compare abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction before the age of 18. Instead of just observing if these behaviors exist, this study will focus on the frequency in which they occur. By exploring the relationship between risky behaviors and the ACE scale, this study examines how childhood trauma affects adult reckless behavior, going beyond general health results, while looking at specific and nuanced examples.
Program Description
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DOI
10.20429/GS4.2026.016
Start Date
4-23-2026 1:45 PM
End Date
4-23-2026 2:00 PM
Recommended Citation
Harvey, Cheyenne, "The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on the Development of Reckless Behavior in Adulthood" (2026). GS4 Student Scholars Symposium. 134.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/research_symposium/2026/2026/134
The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on the Development of Reckless Behavior in Adulthood
Russell Union 2041
Current literature suggests that there is a correlation between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and behaviors in adulthood (e.g., substance use, crime). Research also shows that childhood trauma can lead to increased risk-taking or reckless behavior later in life. A study by Assini-Meytin et al. (2021) found that having a higher number of ACEs is linked to more risky behaviors in adulthood. These risky behaviors are often ways to deal with emotional problems caused by early stress. Anda et al. (2006) points out that these experiences can cause lasting changes in brain development, especially in areas that handle impulse control. The proposed thesis will fill a gap in the literature by focusing on more nuanced reckless behavior patterns in adulthood, such as impulsivity, risky sexual behaviors, and reckless driving. The study will examine these relationships using a survey that begins by gathering basic demographic information in order to paint a picture of the respondents’ early childhood environment. The ACEs Questionnaire, a scale created by Felitti et al. (1998), will be included. Other ACEs will be measured, such as poverty and witnessing community violence, in order to compare abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction before the age of 18. Instead of just observing if these behaviors exist, this study will focus on the frequency in which they occur. By exploring the relationship between risky behaviors and the ACE scale, this study examines how childhood trauma affects adult reckless behavior, going beyond general health results, while looking at specific and nuanced examples.
