RELEVANT
FOCUSED
READY

of BRITISH COLUMBIA

ADHD and Youth Violence: A Critical Appraisal of the Literature.
Robert Hendry

Introduction

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a disorder
diagnosed in those who are extremely energetic and have very short
attention spans (American Psychiatric Association, 2015). This
disorder has developed into its own field of research since the 1980s.
Youth crime has always been connected to ADHD, but one subfield is
how the level of youth violence is related to ADHD. A sizable amount
of research has been conducted in this field, although there has not
been any research done to validate the information. This forms the
basis for the current study, as this report will assess the literature on
youth ADHD and violence. It is hoped that the analysis will provide
useful findings for policymakers to utilize when creating procedures to
reduce violent acts ADHD youth commit.

Background

J

ADHD is thought to exist at a rate of just over five percent worldwide.
The effects of the disorder can cause many adverse life situations for a
child as they develop. The consensus of the literature indicates that
youth who suffer the most extreme side effects of ADHD turn to
violence. Thus, the research question was formed; what is the
relationship between a youth's level of violence and their ADHD
diagnosis? This information will be used when drafting policy aimed at
reducing the level of violence committed by youth with ADHD.

Methods

To conduct the critical appraisal a literature review was first
completed. The purpose of the literature review was to identify
common themes in the literature and gaps that require further
analysis. In conducting the literature review certain words and results
were excluded such as magazines, periodicals and newspapers. This
was done to reduce non scholarly material. Keywords excluded were
terms like mental health or mental disorder. This was done to narrow
the results, as terms such as those were too broad. The JIBC online
library was the main system used to gather material, supplementary
databases included Google Scholar and the NAIT online library system.
The search was conducted through the JIBC EBSCO Discovery System,
National Criminal Justice References Services (NCJRS) database and
the ProQuest Criminal Justice Database.

Results/Findings

Within the literature, three themes emerged consistently. Poor school
performance was an indication of violent behaviour by youth. ADHD
youth with poorer school marks than their peers were more likely to
engage in acts of aggression. Difficulty creating and sustaining
relationships was another side effect of ADHD that impacted the level
of violence a youth engaged in. Both relationships with peers and
family relationships suffered as a result of ADHD. These youth created
additional stress on their family and friends; therefore, they were
unable to establish proper relationships which ultimately led to
elevated levels of violence. Impulsivity and socioeconomic factors was
another major theme that emerged. Socioeconomic factors were
highly correlated with higher levels of impulsivity, a characteristic of
ADHD. Youth with ADHD were more likely to be of lower
socioeconomic status and therefore more involved in violent
activities. The two major gaps consisted of a lack of research on
female youth and ethnically diverse groups. There was a tendency to
study white males or black males with little consideration for females
or other ethnic groups.

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From “ADHD in Children” by Kathleen Smith, n.d. (https://www.psycom.net/adhd-children)

Discussion

The current gaps in literature provide for a wide variety of speculation
on the future of this research field. Comorbidity is one area that
required further investigation. This will become important when
assessing for conduct and defiance disorders in ADHD youth.
Currently, there is little research on the coexistence of many mental
health disorders with ADHD youth. Another section with promise is
the inclusion of females to ADHD and violence. There is a lack of
information in this area and some scholars feel as though the field
requires more research. There is also a lack of information on
ethnicities, specifically Asian and Hispanic, that requires additional
research. When developing policies and programs for ADHD youth
who are at risk of aggression it is important to develop them based on
a wide variety of youth, not specific genders and ethnicities.

Conclusions or Recommendations

This body of research does have a significant ability to influence policy
to prevent future violence among ADHD youth. Although there are
still considerable problems with the literature such as a lack of female
research, neglect to study minority ethnic groups and gaps in the
literature. There is consistent thought among scholars that ADHD is
associated with youth violence. One way this research can be utilized
is to implement and develop programs for children in an educational
setting. Prevention of violence will require youth to have additional
support and be met with adequate assistance in school, an area
where youth typically struggle. Future research should be conducted
in these identified gaps to provide evidence for policy to be based
upon.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2015). Neurodevelopmental
disorders: DSM-5 selections. Retrieved from
www.ebscohost.com
Evans, M. K., Clinkinbeard, S. S., & Simi, P. (2015). Learning disabilities
and delinquent behaviors among adolescents: A comparison of
those with and without comorbidity. Deviant Behavior, 36(3),
200–220. http://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2014.924361
Peasgood, T., Bhardwaj, A., Biggs, K., Brazier, J., Coghill, D., Cooper, C.,
… Sonuga-Barke, E. (2016). The impact of ADHD on the health
and well-being of ADHD children and their siblings. European
Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 25(11), 1217–1231.
http://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-016-0841-6
Wojciechowski, T. W. (2017). The role of ADHD in predicting the
development of violent behavior among juvenile offenders:
Participation versus frequency. Journal of Interpersonal
Violence. http://doi.org/10.1177/0886260517734225

ACE Characteristic

From “Associations Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and ADHD Diagnosis and Severity,” by N. Brown, 2017, Academic Pediatrics, 17(4), p. 352. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2016.08.013

Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies

Justice Institute of British Columbia