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According to researchers, about 30 percent of Americans by the age of 23 have been arrested for reasons other than traffic violations which raises their chances of having professional and family strife, according to San Francisco Chronicle.
According to a study released in the journal pediatrics, by the age of 18 about 16 to 27 percent of teenagers have been arrested at least once.
These reports were based off of questionnaires from more than 7,300 young people that were conducted from 1997 to 2008.
According to the study, youth with arrest records have lower earnings, longer periods of unemployment and have a higher risk of family issues, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Robert Brame, a criminologist at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and lead author of the study explained, “What we’re trying to do is heighten pediatricians’ awareness of this to have a broader discussion than they otherwise would have,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Brame encouraged pediatricians to take note that children that are more hyperactive, have trouble concentrating, suffer from abuse or neglect or bullying, are at higher risk to be arrested as teenagers or young adults.
Brame suggests that doctors may be able to intervene early in order to prevent these future arrests.
The increase in crime rates has been seen in ages 19 to 22. According to Brame, the increase in the prosecutions involving drug use and violent crimes in the criminal justice system may explain the higher numbers.
The researchers used a nationally represented sample of 7,335 youth whom participated in surveys starting in 1997 from ages 12 to 16. The surveys continued through 2008 as the participants were asked questions about their activities including if they had ever been arrested.
This article contains information from the San Francisco Chronicle.
