The impact of childhood trauma on violent offender: from attachment and neurocognitive development to legal aspects

In this dissertation, I explore how early trauma experienced in childhood can affect future violence and its social, attachment and overall neurocognitive development. Childhood is portrayed as an enjoyable time for growth but this has not been the case for some people. This dissertation explores what impact does childhood trauma have on different brain processes like self-control, emotional regulation, decision-making and which regions are affected. Information is gathered and synthesized from reliable sources including current empirical studies and important theoretical work. According to the findings, the most common types of trauma experienced by offenders are emotional neglect and physical abuse, having also a significant negative impact on cognitive abilities, impulsivity and aggression. Differences were shown in areas like the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex and the HPA axis. The findings highlight early trauma effects on future acts of violence, providing complex insights across criminology, psychology and neuroscience. Ending the dissertation with descriptions of various treatment strategies to promote positive developmental outcomes, contributing to our understanding of how early adversity shapes people.