Juvenile delinquency and adolescent trauma: how strong is the connection?

OBJECTIVES To determine whether youth convicted of juvenile offenses have a greater risk of injury resulting in hospitalization compared with nonoffending adolescents. DESIGN A statewide hospital discharge database was linked to juvenile justice records to identify all hospitalizations occurring at ages 13 to 17 years for juvenile offenders and nonoffenders. SUBJECTS Juvenile offenders and nonoffenders in Washington State during 1989 through 1992. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Incidence of hospitalizations attributable to injury, analyzed by cause of injury and intent. RESULTS The prevalence of delinquency was 19.1% of male and 9.5% of female adolescents. Hospitalization for injury was 2.7-fold greater for male and 1.6-fold greater for female offenders compared with nonoffenders. The greatest risk of hospitalization was for intentional injury, especially that attributable to firearms, and for drug overdoses. CONCLUSIONS Juvenile offenders are much more likely to be hospitalized for an injury than nonoffenders. Admission to the hospital for trauma may serve as an opportunity for health providers to intervene with youth exhibiting high-risk behavior.