Dr. Dylan B. Jackson is a developmental and health criminologist whose approach to the study of crime and delinquency moves beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. His work is integrative, bridging empirical and theoretical developments from multiple social and health science fields.
Dr. Jackson investigates the links between various health risks, antisocial behaviors, and delinquency during the early life course, often within the context of social disadvantage. For instance, he examines the role of food insecurity, poor nutrition, sleep deprivation, and hazardous housing conditions in early delinquent involvement among disadvantaged and marginalized youths. His work also points to parental incarceration and associated disruptive life events as key social determinants of child and familial health.
He has currently authored more than 30 peer-reviewed articles, which have appeared in a number of impactful social and health science journals including Journal of Research in Crime & Delinquency, Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Crime & Delinquency, Criminal Justice & Behavior, Journal of Criminal Justice, Youth Violence & Juvenile Justice, Youth & Society, Rural Sociology, Social Science & Medicine, The Journal of Pediatrics, Prevention Science, Preventive Medicine, and American Journal of Community Psychology.
Dr. Jackson received his Ph.D. in Criminology & Criminal Justice from Florida State University in 2015. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Criminology at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), an Associate of UTSA’s Institute for Health Disparities Research, and a Fellow of the Saint Louis University Health Criminology Research Consortium.
Promoting the health of families and children can curtail involvement in delinquent and antisocial behaviors. This involves the implementation of policies and programs that improve health behaviors, prevent and/or treat high-risk health conditions, and provide adequate access to health resources from the earliest stages of the life course.
Nutrition and Diet Quality
, and . Diet Quality and Physical Fighting Among Youth: A Cross-National Study. Under Review.
, and . Dietary Patterns and the Bully-Victim Overlap Among School-Aged Youth. Under Review.
. Forthcoming. Diet Quality and Bullying Among a Cross-National Sample of Youth. Preventive Medicine.
, and . 2017. Does Breastfeeding Reduce Offspring Junk Food Consumption during Childhood? Examinations by SES and Race/Ethnicity. Public Health Nutrition, 20(8), 1441-1451.
, and . 2017. Parental Incarceration and Child Sleep and Eating Behaviors. Journal of Pediatrics, 185, 211-217.
, , and . 2017. Poor Nutrition and Bullying Behaviors: A Comparison of Deviant and Non-Deviant Youth. Journal of Adolescence, 57, 69-73.
. 2016. Breastfeeding Duration and Offspring Conduct Problems: The Moderating Role of Genetic Risk. Social Science & Medicine, 166, 128-136.
. 2016. The Association between Breastfeeding Duration and Atta chment: A Genetically Informed Analysis. Breastfeeding Medicine, 11(6), 297-304.
, and . 2016. The Association between Breastfeeding Exposure and Duration, Neuropsychological Deficits, and Psychopathic Personality Trai ts in Offspring: The Moderating Role of 5HTTLPR. Psychiatric Quarterly, 87(1), 107-127.
. 2016. The Link between Poor Quality Nutrition and Childhood Antisocial Behavior: A Genetically Informative Analysis. Journal of Criminal Justice, 44, 13-20.
, and . 2015. The Influence of Nutritional Factors on Verbal Deficits and Psychopathic Personality Traits: Evidence of the Moderating Role of MAOA Genotype. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(12), 15739-15755.
, and . 2015. The Role of Adolescent Nutrition and Physical Activity in the Prediction of Verbal Intelligence during Early Adulthood: A Genetically Informed Analysis of Twin Pairs. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(1), 385-401.
Access to Food and Safe Housing
, , , and . Early Childhood Exposure to Violence and Violent Victimization in the Home: The Role of Persistent Household Food Insecurity. Under Review.
, , & . Forthcoming. Adverse Housing Conditions and Early-Onset Delinquency. American Journal of Community Psychology.
, , , and . In Press. Considering the Role of Food Insecurity in Low Self-Control and Early Delinquency. Journal of Criminal Justice.
, and . 2017. Parental History of Disruptive Life Even ts and Household Food Insecurity. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 49(7), 554-560.
, and . 2017. Household Food Insecurity during Childhood and Adolescent Misconduct. Preventive Medicine, 96, 113-117.
Sleep Quality and Quantity
, and . In Press. Sleep and Preteen Delinquency: Is the Association Robust to ADHD Symptomatology and ADHD Diagnosis? Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. DOI: 10.1007/s10862-017-9610-1.
, and . 2017. Parental Incarceration and Child Sleep and Eating Behaviors. Journal of Pediatrics, 185, 211-217.
Prenatal and Neonatal Health
, and . Maternal Medical Risks during Pregnancy and Childhood Externalizing Behavior. Under Review.
2017. The Interplay between Early Father Involvement and Neonatal Medical Risk in the Prediction of Infant Neurodevelopment. Prevention Science, 18(1), 106-115.
, and . 2016. Do Birth Complications Predict Motor Defi cits in Children? The Moderating Role of Genetic and Maternal Factors. Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education, 1(2), 171-198.
, , and . 2016. Does Early Paternal Involvement Predict Offspring Developmental Diagnoses? Early Human Development, 103, 9-16.
, and . 2016. The Link between Infant Neuropsychological Risk and Childhood Antisocial Behavior among Males: The Moderating Role of Neonatal Health Risk. Journal of Criminal Justice, 47, 32-40.
, and . 2016. Evidence of a Gene x Environment Interaction between Birth Weight and Genetic Risk in the Prediction of Criminogenic Outcomes among Adolescent Males. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 60(1), 99-120.
, and . 2015. Sibling Differences in Low Birth Weight, Dopaminergic Polymorphisms, and ADHD Symptomatology: Evidence of GxE. Psychiatry Research, 226(2), 467-473.
Families and Child Health
, , & . Forthcoming. Adverse Housing Conditions and Early-Onset Delinquency. American Journal of Community Psychology.
, and . 2017. Parental History of Disruptive Life Events and Household Food Insecurity. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior,
, and . 2017. Parental Incarceration and Child Sleep and Eating Behaviors. Journal of Pediatrics, 185, 211-217.
2017. The Interplay between Early Father Involvement and Neonatal Medical Risk in the Prediction of Infant Neurodevelopment. Prevention Science, 18(1), 106-115.
, and . 2016. Do Birth Complications Predict Motor Deficits in Children? The Moderating Role of Genetic and Maternal Factors. Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education, 1(2), 171-198.
, and . 2016. The Interplay between Neuropsychological Defi cits and Adverse Parenting in the Prediction of Adolescent Misconduct: A Partial Test of the Generalizability of Moffitt’s Theory. Criminal Justice & Behavior, 43(11), 1505-1521.
, , and . 2016. Does Early Paternal Involvement Predict Offspring Developmental Diagnoses? Early Human Development, 103, 9-16.
, and . 2015. A Shared Pathway of Antisocial Risk: A Path Model of Parent and Child Effects. Journal of Criminal Justice, 43(2), 154-163.
, and . 2013. The Conditional Impact of Official Labeling on Subsequent Delinquency: Considering the Attenuating Role of Family Attachment. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 50, 300-322.
Neuropsychology and Temperament
. 2017. The Interplay between Early Language and Temperamental Difficulties in the Prediction of Severe Antisocial Behavior among Males. Journal of Criminal Psychology, 7(2), 70-80.
2017. The Interplay between Early Father Involvement and Neonatal Medical Risk in the Prediction of Infant Neurodevelopment. Prevention Science, 18(1), 106-115.
, and . 2016. Do Birth Complications Predict Motor Deficits in Children? The Moderating Role of Genetic and Maternal Factors. Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education, 1(2), 171-198.
2016. The Association between Breastfeeding Duration and Attachment: A Genetically Informed Analysis. Breastfeeding Medicine, 11(6), 297-304.
, and . 2016. The Interplay between Neuropsychological Deficits and Adverse Parenting in the Prediction of Adolescent Misconduct: A Partial Test of the Generalizability of Moffitt’s Theory. Criminal Justice & Behavior, 43(11), 1505-1521.
, , and . 2016. Does Early Paternal Involvement Predict Offspring Developmental Diagnoses? Early Human Development, 103, 9-16.
, and . 2016. The Link between Infant Neuropsychological Risk and Childhood Antisocial Behavior among Males: The Moderating Role of Neonatal Health Risk. Journal of Criminal Justice, 47, 32-40.
, and . 2016. The Association between Breastfeeding Exposure and Duration, Neuropsychological Deficits, and Psychopathic Personality Traits in Offspring: The Moderating Role of 5HTTLPR. Psychiatric Quarterly, 87(1), 107-127.
, and . 2015. The Influence of Nutritional Factors on V erbal Deficits and Psychopathic Personality Traits: Evidence of the Moderating Role of MAOA Genotype. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(12), 15739-15755.
, and . 2015. The Role of Adolescent Nutrition and Physical Activity in the Prediction of Verbal Intelligence during Early Adulthood: A Genetically Informed Analysis of Twin Pairs. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(1), 385-401.
, and . 2013. The Influence of Neuropsychological Deficits in Early Childhood on Low Self-Control and Misconduct through Early Adolescence. Journal of Criminal Justice, 41, 243-251.
Preventing involvement in criminal and antisocial behaviors must begin at the earliest stages of life. Prevention efforts should be rooted in criminological theory, but also informed by the findings of the health and developmental sciences.
Criminological Theory
, , , and . In Press. Considering the Role of Food Insecurity in Low Self-Control and Early Delinquency. Journal of Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2017.07.002
, and . In Press. Does Crime Cause Punitiveness? Crime and Delinquency. DOI: 10.1177/0011128716638503.
, and . 2016. What Kind of Joblessness Affects Crime? A National Case-Control Study of Serious Property Crime. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 32(4), 489-513.
, and . 2016. The Interplay between Neuropsychological Deficits and Adverse Parenting in the Prediction of Adolescent Misconduct: A Partial Test of the Generalizability of Moffitt’s Theory. Criminal Justice & Behavior, 43(11), 1505-1521.
, and . 2015. A Shared Pathway of Antisocial Risk: A Path Model of Parent and Child Effects. Journal of Criminal Justice, 43(2), 154-163.
, and . 2013. The Influence of Neuropsychological Deficits in Early Childhood on Low Self-Control and Misconduct through Early Adolescence. Journal of Criminal Justice, 41, 243-251.
, and . 2013. The Conditional Impact of Official Labeling on Subsequent Delinquency: Considering the Attenuating Role of Family Attachment. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 50, 300-322.
2012. The Role of Early Pubertal Development in the Relationship Between General Strain and Juvenile Crime. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 10, 292-310.
Crime and the Life-Course
Does TV Viewing during Toddlerhood Predict Social and Behavioral Maladjustment? Under Review.
, , , and . Does the Apple Fall From the Tree Differently for Male and Female Children? The Effect of Maternal Offending on Sex-Specific Patterns of Delinquent Behavior and Risk for Criminal Processing. Under Review.
, , and . Forthcoming. An Intersectional Look at the Antisocial Effects of the ‘Rush to Adulthood’: Considering the Role of Gender, Race/Ethnicity and SES. Youth & Society.
€‹, , & . Forthcoming. Adverse Housing Conditions and Early-Onset Delinquency. American Journal of Community Psychology.
, , , and . In Press. Considering the Role of Food Insecurity in Low Self-Control and Early Delinquency. Journal of Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2017.07.002
2017. The Interplay between Early Language and Temperamental Difficulties in the Prediction of Severe Antisocial Behavior among Males. Journal of Criminal Psychology, 7(2), 70-80.
, and . 2017. Household Food Insecurity during Childhood and Adolescent Misconduct. Preventive Medicine, 96, 113-117.
, and . 2016. The Interplay between Neuropsychological Defi cits and Adverse Parenting in the Prediction of Adolescent Misconduct: A Partial Test of the Generalizability of Moffitt’s Theory. Criminal Justice & Behavior, 43(11), 1505-1521.
2016. Breastfeeding Duration and Offspring Conduct Problems: The Moderating Role of Genetic Risk. Social Science & Medicine, 166, 128-136.
, and . 2016. The Link between Infant Neuropsychological Risk and Childhood Antisocial Behavior among Males: The Moderating Role of Neonatal Health Risk. Journal of Criminal Justice, 47, 32-40.
2016. The Link between Poor Quality Nutrition and Childhood Antisocial Behavior: A Genetically Informative Analysis. Journal of Criminal Justice, 44, 13-20.
, and . 2016. Evidence of a Gene x Environment Interaction between Birth Weight and Genetic Risk in the Prediction of Criminogenic Outcomes among Adolescent Males. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 60(1), 99-120.
, and . 2015. A Shared Pathway of Antisocial Risk: A Path Model of Parent and Child Effects. Journal of Criminal Justice, 43(2), 154-163.
, and . 2013. The Influence of Neuropsychological Deficits in Early Childhood on Low Self-Control and Misconduct through Early Adolescence. Journal of Criminal Justice, , and . 2013. The Conditional Impact of Official Labeling on Subsequent Delinquency: Considering the Attenuating Role of Family Attachment. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 50, 300-322.
2012. The Role of Early Pubertal Development in the Relationship Between General Strain and Juvenile Crime. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 10, 292-310.
Criminal Justice Involvement
, and . Forthcoming. An Intersectional Look at the Antisocial Effects of the 'Rush to Adulthood': Considering the Role of Gender, Race/Ethnicity and SES. Youth & Society.
, and . In Press. Does Crime Cause Punitiveness? Crime and Delinquency. DOI: 10.1177/0011128716638503.
, and . 2017. Parental History of Disruptive Life Events and Household Food Insecurity. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 49(7), 554-560.
, and . 2017. Parental Incarceration and Child Sleep and Eating Behaviors. Journal of Pediatrics, 185, 211-217.
, , and . 2014. The Potential Use of Genetics to Increase the Effectiveness of Treatment Programs for Criminal Offenders. Recent Advances in DNA and Gene Sequences, 8(2), 113-118.
Punitiveness
, and . In Press. Does Crime Cause Punitiveness? Crime and Delinquency. DOI: 10.1177/0011128716638503.
Psychopathic Personality, ADHD, and GxE
, and . In Press. Sleep and Preteen Delinquency: Is the Association Robust to ADHD Symptomatology and ADHD Diagnosis? Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. DOI: 10.1007/s10862-017-9610-1.
, and . 2016. Do Birth Complications Predict Motor Deficits in Children? The Moderating Role of Genetic and Maternal Factors. Perspectives on Early Childhood Psychology and Education, 1(2), 171-198.
, and . 2016. The Association between Breastfeeding Exposure and Duration, Neuropsychological Deficits, and Psychopathic Personality Traits in Offspring: The Moderating Role of 5HTTLPR. Psychiatric Quarterly, 87(1), 107-127.
, and . 2015. Sibling Differences in Low Birth Weight, Dopaminergic Polymorphisms, and ADHD Symptomatology: Evidence of GxE. Psychiatry Research, 226(2), 467-473.
, and . 2016. Evidence of a Gene x Environment Interaction between Birth Weight and Genetic Risk in the Prediction of Criminogenic Outcomes among Adolescent Males. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 60(1), 99-120.
, and . 2015. The Influence of Nutritional Factors on Verbal Deficits and Psychopathic Personality Traits: Evidence of the Moderating Role of MAOA Genotype. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(12), 15739-15755.
, , , , and . 2011. Association between MAOA Genotype and Anger and Hostility: The Moderating Influences of Risk and Protective Factors. Journal of Research in Personality, 45, 279-284.
Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment
, , , and . Early Childhood Exposure to Violence and Violent Victimization in the Home: The Role of Persistent Household Food Insecurity. Under Review.
, and . Ready to Pull the Trigger? Adapting the Health Belief Model to Assess the Implementation of Domestic Violence Gun Policy at the Community Level. Under Review.
, , and . ‘People will Bury Their Guns Before They Surrender Them’: Implementing Gun Confiscation of Abusers in Rural Versus Urban Communities. Under Review.