The role of psychological flexibility in the relationship between ACEs and coercive family processes for Justice-Involved individuals

High rates of adversity in the lives of justice-involved individuals often co-occur with social and family dysfunction. Psychological flexibility is a construct that describes an individual's ability to respond adaptively to emotions, thoughts, and environmental demands. This study aimed to explore the role of psychological flexibility in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and coercive family processes in a sample of justice-involved individuals. The sample comprised 715 men and women who are currently on probation or parole. Participants completed questionnaires assessing adverse childhood experiences, psychological flexibility, coercive couple interactions, and coercive parent-child interactions. Direct and indirect effects were found, with ACEs affecting couple coercive processes directly, and indirectly, through psychological flexibility. In the subset of participants with children, lower levels of psychological flexibility were also related to more coercive parent-child interactions. The results provide further support for correctional programs that target psychological flexibility among justice-involved individuals.