Understanding the Nature of ADHD and the Vulnerability of Those with the Condition Who Fall Foul of the Criminal Justice System

Abstract

Individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are highly overrepresented in criminal offender populations. Those with ADHD present with problematic and excessive levels of inattention, and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity. It is generally accepted that self-control difficulty is a core vulnerability for those with ADHD. A lack of appropriate self-control has long been recognised across disciplines to be an important influencing factor on the commission of crime. Historically, the occurrence of pervasively low-self-control within an individual has been seen to be principally influenced by social and environmental factors. Up-to-date research and understanding, however, shows that variability in self-control is heavily biologically/genetically derived. This article offers an integrated medical paediatric, psychological, and criminological perspective on ADHD and its impact on criminal justice outcomes. We argue that crime prevention and/or ADHD symptom management strategies that have been ignorant of this understanding are inadequate and may have unintentionally worked to the detriment of those with ADHD. We propose that a more comprehensive and applied understanding as to the origins of pervasive self-control difficulties in policy and practice is necessary to reduce the overrepresentation of those with ADHD in criminal and youth justice offender populations.