Usually, when a teenager or young adult is arrested and charged with a crime, there is more to the situation than meets the eye. The defendant may be suffering from a mental health disorder or behavioral issue or dealing with poverty, addiction or abuse. These very real possibilities are why many experts are concerned about a new study which has found that up to 41 percent of Americans have been arrested by the age of 23. The study does not state whether the young adults were arrested for violent crimes or less serious offenses.

The study was conducted through an 11-year study of more than 7,000 adolescents and young adults in Washington and throughout the U.S. Some of the respondents did not participate throughout the entire study, which made it more difficult for researchers to analyze the results. The conclusions reached, however, indicate that there are serious afflictions that are putting children and teenagers at a high risk for criminal activity in the U.S.

The study found that between 16 and 27 percent of the survey respondents reported being arrested at least one time by the age of 18, and between 25 and 41 percent of respondents had been arrested at least one time by the age of 23.

Previous research has found a significant connection between arrests and other personal and psychological problems such as drug addiction, abuse, poverty, or mental health disorders. The Coalition for Juvenile Justice reports that up to 75 percent of young people serving jail or other sentences are suffering from diagnosable mental health problems.

Clearly, there needs to be a greater focus on treating mental health and other issues in teens and young adults in order to keep them from the avoidable consequence of a criminal conviction and jail time.

Source: ABC News, "Study: Significant Number of Young Americans Get Arrested," Carrie Gann, Dec. 19, 2011