Childhood Brain Injuries Might Lead to Juvenile Justice Issues

On Behalf of | Jun 30, 2017 | Brain Injury

When you think of a child who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), your mind might think about things like shaken baby syndrome, medical issues and similar points. What you might not think about is how a TBI might impact the child’s future when it comes freedom.

Traumatic brain injuries can cause behavioral issues in the people who suffer them. When a child is the one who is injured, the behavior issues might end up leading him or her to a life of crime. This is one of the sad effects of these injuries that parents, as well as the children, are sometimes left dealing with.

The connection between these brain injuries and criminal activity is especially troubling when you consider the fact that the age range most at risk for suffering one is 15 to 19 years old. Many of these injuries are from sports, fights and motor vehicle accidents.

There is also a connection between injuries to the brain in this age group and an increased risk of suicide, alcohol abuse, drug abuse and depression. As you can see, the mental health aspect of these injuries is considerable.

There is hope on the horizon for the parents of children who suffer TBIs. These change of negative effects of the injury can be reduced if the child receives treatment for the brain injury. This is something that can be a rather costly endeavor.

These parents might opt to seek compensation for the damages that were caused by the accident. Compensation received might make it easier for the parents to get the child the help necessary to deal with the issues that could occur.

Source: Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, “Untreated Traumatic Brain Injury Keeps Youth in Juvenile Justice System,” Tanya Renn and Christopher Veeh, June 26, 2017

Attorney Chadwick P. McGrady at his desk