DHD, Impulsivity, and Rule-Breaking Behaviour: Neurodevelopmental and Psychosocial Pathways to Forensic Vulnerability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65549/f8dpfe65Keywords:
ADHD, impulsivity, rule-breaking behaviour, emotion dysregulationAbstract
ABSTRACT
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is characterised by difficulties in attention, inhibitory control and behavioural regulation that may contribute to impulsive or contextually inappropriate behaviour. Such behavioural manifestations can sometimes be interpreted as deliberate non-compliance or oppositionality, despite potentially reflecting underlying neurodevelopmental and self-regulatory difficulties. This narrative review examines the relationship between ADHD, impulsivity and rule-breaking behaviour, with particular attention to inhibitory control, executive functioning and emotion dysregulation. It further considers how adverse childhood experiences and psychosocial vulnerabilities may interact with neurodevelopmental characteristics to increase behavioural and forensic vulnerability. Evidence concerning the elevated prevalence of ADHD within criminal justice populations is considered within a multifactorial framework, emphasising that ADHD should not be interpreted as a direct or deterministic cause of offending. Instead, similar behavioural outcomes may emerge through heterogeneous developmental pathways involving neurocognitive, emotional, interpersonal and environmental factors. The review highlights the importance of differential psychological formulation in distinguishing intentional rule violation from behaviour associated with impaired self-regulation. Implications for assessment, prevention and intervention across educational, clinical and forensic contexts are discussed, alongside the need for further longitudinal research examining the mechanisms linking ADHD-related vulnerabilities with rule-breaking and offending behaviour.
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