A study found that when parents experienced difficult things during their own childhood, like abuse, neglect, or violence, their kids are more likely to get in trouble with the law when they grow up.
This means there's a link between what parents went through when they were young and what happens to their children.
The study says it's important to prevent these difficult experiences from happening to children in the first place.
It happens a lot
Getting into trouble with the law when you're young can lead to problems with health and success later in life.
This happens a lot in the United States, especially among communities of color and people who are already facing other challenges.
To make things fair and equal, we need to focus on preventing these tough experiences and stopping the cycle of young people ending up in the criminal justice system.
How it was tested
The study used a large dataset that represents people from all over the country, and it's the first one to show a link between what parents went through as kids and what their own kids go through with the law.
This suggests that tough experiences can be passed down from one generation to the next.
So, we need to not only stop these tough experiences from happening but also find ways to help when they do happen, so the effects don't last for more than one or two generations.
Why it's important to know
The study's results are important for doctors who work with kids and policymakers who make rules about how society deals with young people who get into trouble with the law.
The researchers also looked at whether positive experiences, like good relationships with caregivers and friends, can balance out the tough ones.
