Recognising the Significance of the Past: Developmental and Intergenerational Trauma

Traumata are prevalent in populations of adults who offend, including developmental trauma from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and stressful life events in childhood, adverse experiences in adulthood that result in or compound trauma, and intergenerational trauma. While we know that adversity can occur at any time in a person’s life, adversity in childhood can have the most significant and detrimental effects on a person’s social and emotional wellbeing. This may be because childhood adversity occurs at times of significant growth and development, or because the impact of that adversity is compounded by future traumatic events and experiences. Although most people have experienced childhood adversity without risk of criminality, there is a clear association between criminality and unresolved (and compounded) trauma based on past adversity. Further, intergenerational trauma has had and continues to have a significant impact on the social and emotional wellbeing of First Nations peoples, with First Nations Australians identified as “the most incarcerated population in the world”. This chapter demonstrates the ongoing relevance of developmental and intergenerational trauma on criminality and individuals’ life trajectories.