Pub Date : 2022-06-23DOI: 10.1177/15412040221111328
Molly Minkler, Taea Bonner, M. Delisi, Pedro Pechorro, M. Vaughn
Although research on the dark figure of delinquency has produced valuable quantitative estimates of its size, prior research is mechanistic and atheoretical about the conceptual underpinnings of the crimes that go undetected by the juvenile justice system. Drawing on data from 253 adjudicated youth in residential placements in the Midwestern United States, the current study found that youth self-reported over 25 delinquent offenses for every one police contact. The dark figure of delinquency has a wide distribution with some youth reporting upwards of 290 delinquent offenses per police contact or arrest. Youth who exhibited more psychopathic features, who displayed temperamental profiles characterized by low effortful control and high negative emotionality, males, and those who were older had larger dark figures of delinquency. Findings provide support for general criminological theories that invoke psychopathy or temperament as important individual-level drivers of delinquent conduct, much of which never results in juvenile justice system intervention and thus never achieves legal resolution.
{"title":"The Dark Figure of Delinquency:New Evidence and Its Underlying Psychopathology","authors":"Molly Minkler, Taea Bonner, M. Delisi, Pedro Pechorro, M. Vaughn","doi":"10.1177/15412040221111328","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15412040221111328","url":null,"abstract":"Although research on the dark figure of delinquency has produced valuable quantitative estimates of its size, prior research is mechanistic and atheoretical about the conceptual underpinnings of the crimes that go undetected by the juvenile justice system. Drawing on data from 253 adjudicated youth in residential placements in the Midwestern United States, the current study found that youth self-reported over 25 delinquent offenses for every one police contact. The dark figure of delinquency has a wide distribution with some youth reporting upwards of 290 delinquent offenses per police contact or arrest. Youth who exhibited more psychopathic features, who displayed temperamental profiles characterized by low effortful control and high negative emotionality, males, and those who were older had larger dark figures of delinquency. Findings provide support for general criminological theories that invoke psychopathy or temperament as important individual-level drivers of delinquent conduct, much of which never results in juvenile justice system intervention and thus never achieves legal resolution.","PeriodicalId":47525,"journal":{"name":"Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice","volume":"20 1","pages":"279 - 291"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2022-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46045192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-16DOI: 10.1177/15412040221101922
Jamie Yoder, A. Tunstall
Youth involved in the juvenile justice system (JJS) have high rates of trauma relative to youth in the general population. Criminological research has posited that callous traits are some of the most prominent risk factors associated with onset and recidivistic criminal behavior. It stands to reason that research should test intermediary variables explaining the connection between cumulative trauma and risks for criminal behavior to better isolate trauma-driven determinants of callous traits. This study employs a structural equation model to test the connections between cumulative trauma, trauma symptoms, behavioral regulation, and callous traits among a sample of JJS involved youth (N = 336). Results revealed there was not a direct relationship between cumulative trauma and callous traits, but there were mediated effects of the variables in portions of the model; the developmental risks resulting from cumulative trauma, specifically trauma symptoms and behavioral regulation increase the likelihood for callous traits. Implications are discussed.
{"title":"Cascading Effects of Cumulative Trauma: Callous Traits Among Justice Involved Youth","authors":"Jamie Yoder, A. Tunstall","doi":"10.1177/15412040221101922","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15412040221101922","url":null,"abstract":"Youth involved in the juvenile justice system (JJS) have high rates of trauma relative to youth in the general population. Criminological research has posited that callous traits are some of the most prominent risk factors associated with onset and recidivistic criminal behavior. It stands to reason that research should test intermediary variables explaining the connection between cumulative trauma and risks for criminal behavior to better isolate trauma-driven determinants of callous traits. This study employs a structural equation model to test the connections between cumulative trauma, trauma symptoms, behavioral regulation, and callous traits among a sample of JJS involved youth (N = 336). Results revealed there was not a direct relationship between cumulative trauma and callous traits, but there were mediated effects of the variables in portions of the model; the developmental risks resulting from cumulative trauma, specifically trauma symptoms and behavioral regulation increase the likelihood for callous traits. Implications are discussed.","PeriodicalId":47525,"journal":{"name":"Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice","volume":"20 1","pages":"292 - 311"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2022-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47716309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-15DOI: 10.1177/15412040221089235
J. Goodwin, Shelley L. Brown, T. Skilling
Research on strengths and violent behavior in justice-involved youth suggests that the prevalence and predictive validity of strength factors vary as a function of gender. Interviews conducted between 2009 and 2012 with 185 justice-involved Canadian youth (N female = 84, N male = 101; 67% violent index offence) were coded retrospectively using two strength measures for violence prediction: the protective domain of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY), and the Structured Assessment of Protective Factors-Youth Version (SAPROF-YV). Males exhibited more protective factors than females across measures. Both tools were strong predictors of general recidivism in males but not females. The SAVRY protective domain was predictive of violent recidivism in males, but the SAPROF-YV was not; neither was predictive of violent recidivism in females. This study demonstrates gender differences in the prevalence and predictive validity of strengths in justice-involved youth and highlights the need for more female-focused research and measures.
{"title":"Gender Differences in the Prevalence and Predictive Validity of Protective Factors in a Sample of Justice-Involved Youth","authors":"J. Goodwin, Shelley L. Brown, T. Skilling","doi":"10.1177/15412040221089235","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15412040221089235","url":null,"abstract":"Research on strengths and violent behavior in justice-involved youth suggests that the prevalence and predictive validity of strength factors vary as a function of gender. Interviews conducted between 2009 and 2012 with 185 justice-involved Canadian youth (N female = 84, N male = 101; 67% violent index offence) were coded retrospectively using two strength measures for violence prediction: the protective domain of the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY), and the Structured Assessment of Protective Factors-Youth Version (SAPROF-YV). Males exhibited more protective factors than females across measures. Both tools were strong predictors of general recidivism in males but not females. The SAVRY protective domain was predictive of violent recidivism in males, but the SAPROF-YV was not; neither was predictive of violent recidivism in females. This study demonstrates gender differences in the prevalence and predictive validity of strengths in justice-involved youth and highlights the need for more female-focused research and measures.","PeriodicalId":47525,"journal":{"name":"Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice","volume":"20 1","pages":"231 - 249"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2022-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45534426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-10DOI: 10.1177/15412040221100831
Pedro Pechorro, M. Delisi, J. Marôco, M. Simões
The present study investigates whether self-reported psychopathic traits moderate the relationships between delinquent career features (i.e., age of first detention in a juvenile detention center, crime frequency, crime diversity, crime charges, and Conduct Disorder) and 1-year general delinquency and violent delinquency recidivism outcomes. The sample was composed of male youth (N = 214, M = 16.4 years, SD = 1.3 years) originating from the juvenile detention centers managed by the Ministry of Justice of Portugal. Results mostly suggest that neither the Antisocial Process Screening Device––Self-Report total score nor its Callous-Unemotional, Impulsivity, and Narcissism factor scores moderate the relationships between the delinquent career variables and general and violent delinquency recidivism outcomes. The notable exception was the interaction between crime frequency and callous-unemotional traits in predicting general recidivism. The current findings question the relevance of self-reported psychopathic traits as moderators of recidivism among juveniles despite the general association between psychopathy and conduct problems among youth.
{"title":"Do Self-Reported Psychopathic Traits Moderate the Relations Between Delinquent History Predictors and Recidivism Outcomes in Juvenile Delinquents?","authors":"Pedro Pechorro, M. Delisi, J. Marôco, M. Simões","doi":"10.1177/15412040221100831","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15412040221100831","url":null,"abstract":"The present study investigates whether self-reported psychopathic traits moderate the relationships between delinquent career features (i.e., age of first detention in a juvenile detention center, crime frequency, crime diversity, crime charges, and Conduct Disorder) and 1-year general delinquency and violent delinquency recidivism outcomes. The sample was composed of male youth (N = 214, M = 16.4 years, SD = 1.3 years) originating from the juvenile detention centers managed by the Ministry of Justice of Portugal. Results mostly suggest that neither the Antisocial Process Screening Device––Self-Report total score nor its Callous-Unemotional, Impulsivity, and Narcissism factor scores moderate the relationships between the delinquent career variables and general and violent delinquency recidivism outcomes. The notable exception was the interaction between crime frequency and callous-unemotional traits in predicting general recidivism. The current findings question the relevance of self-reported psychopathic traits as moderators of recidivism among juveniles despite the general association between psychopathy and conduct problems among youth.","PeriodicalId":47525,"journal":{"name":"Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice","volume":"20 1","pages":"312 - 328"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2022-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48937532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-05-08DOI: 10.1177/15412040221096632
Jacob H. Erickson, Andy Hochstetler, Kyle A. Burgason
The code of the street and low self-control are prominent theories of crime. However, there is no research that examines if these criminogenic dispositions inform each other over time. We utilize the G.R.E.A.T. data to analyze the development of street code adherence and low selfcontrol longitudinally. We find a portion of the stability associated with street code adherence and low self-control to be a product of measurement, as evidenced by correlating error terms across waves. Additionally, we find low self-control to be related to increases in street code adherence especially in later waves and, to a lesser extent, we show effects of street code adherence on subsequent levels of low selfcontrol. We also discuss results from analyses split by race, gender, and neighborhood type. We discuss the theoretical implications of our findings and argue for the development and utility of a broad measure of criminal propensity.
{"title":"Developing Criminal Propensity? Modeling Developmental Effects of the Code of the Street and Low Self-Control Over Time","authors":"Jacob H. Erickson, Andy Hochstetler, Kyle A. Burgason","doi":"10.1177/15412040221096632","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15412040221096632","url":null,"abstract":"The code of the street and low self-control are prominent theories of crime. However, there is no research that examines if these criminogenic dispositions inform each other over time. We utilize the G.R.E.A.T. data to analyze the development of street code adherence and low selfcontrol longitudinally. We find a portion of the stability associated with street code adherence and low self-control to be a product of measurement, as evidenced by correlating error terms across waves. Additionally, we find low self-control to be related to increases in street code adherence especially in later waves and, to a lesser extent, we show effects of street code adherence on subsequent levels of low selfcontrol. We also discuss results from analyses split by race, gender, and neighborhood type. We discuss the theoretical implications of our findings and argue for the development and utility of a broad measure of criminal propensity.","PeriodicalId":47525,"journal":{"name":"Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice","volume":"20 1","pages":"329 - 352"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2022-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47623657","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-04-27DOI: 10.1177/15412040221093009
Allison Peck, M. Hutchinson, Steve Provost
Current knowledge about the characteristics of adolescents involved in recidivist adolescent to parent violence offending remains limited. This study employed more than 50,000 linked administrative police (from birth) and health (from age five) data events to examine predictors of adolescent to parent violence recidivism in a geographically-distinct case series of 775 Australian adolescents. The predictive association between adverse childhood experiences, health and police involvement related characteristics and frequency of recidivism was found to vary by sex and level of exposure to parental intimate partner violence. Events occurring before an adolescent’s first offence, including sustained exposure to adverse childhood events and IPV exposure combined with sexual offence victimization, amplified the frequency of re-offending. Developmental life-course trajectories involving family violence verbal arguments, and other antisocial behaviors in mid to late adolescence, had a stronger predictive association with the frequency of re-offending. These results highlighted several key intervention points with adolescents and families across the life course.
{"title":"Evidencing Predictors of Adolescent to Parent Violence Re-Offending Through Linkage of Police and Health Records","authors":"Allison Peck, M. Hutchinson, Steve Provost","doi":"10.1177/15412040221093009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15412040221093009","url":null,"abstract":"Current knowledge about the characteristics of adolescents involved in recidivist adolescent to parent violence offending remains limited. This study employed more than 50,000 linked administrative police (from birth) and health (from age five) data events to examine predictors of adolescent to parent violence recidivism in a geographically-distinct case series of 775 Australian adolescents. The predictive association between adverse childhood experiences, health and police involvement related characteristics and frequency of recidivism was found to vary by sex and level of exposure to parental intimate partner violence. Events occurring before an adolescent’s first offence, including sustained exposure to adverse childhood events and IPV exposure combined with sexual offence victimization, amplified the frequency of re-offending. Developmental life-course trajectories involving family violence verbal arguments, and other antisocial behaviors in mid to late adolescence, had a stronger predictive association with the frequency of re-offending. These results highlighted several key intervention points with adolescents and families across the life course.","PeriodicalId":47525,"journal":{"name":"Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice","volume":"20 1","pages":"206 - 230"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2022-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43327175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-01-27DOI: 10.1177/15412040211073060
Adam Brown, Erin S. Gardner
Researchers have made great strides in identifying risk factors associated with the commission of sexual harm by youth. However, many of the risk factors associated with youth who sexually harm (YSH) are also associated with nonsexual delinquency, making it hard to create typologies of YSH to target prevention and treatment. To eliminate an overlap with nonsexually offending general delinquents, Brown (2019) used latent class analysis to identify four unique classes of youth based only on their sexual crime characteristics. A research implication of Brown's findings was to explore the relationship of the classes to characteristics associated with sexual crime by youth to identify targeted treatment implications and opportunities to prevent sexual crime. In this study, the authors used chi-square analyses and logistic regression to test the relationships of mental health, family factors, concurrent delinquency with the classes identified in Brown's (2019) study using the same sample (N = 573) used by Brown. Findings highlight the potential differing etiology and treatment needs of YSH according to their offense characteristics. Treatment implications and directions for future research are offered.
{"title":"Families, Mental Health, and Delinquency: Testing Sexual Crime Typologies of Youth Who Sexually Harm","authors":"Adam Brown, Erin S. Gardner","doi":"10.1177/15412040211073060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15412040211073060","url":null,"abstract":"Researchers have made great strides in identifying risk factors associated with the commission of sexual harm by youth. However, many of the risk factors associated with youth who sexually harm (YSH) are also associated with nonsexual delinquency, making it hard to create typologies of YSH to target prevention and treatment. To eliminate an overlap with nonsexually offending general delinquents, Brown (2019) used latent class analysis to identify four unique classes of youth based only on their sexual crime characteristics. A research implication of Brown's findings was to explore the relationship of the classes to characteristics associated with sexual crime by youth to identify targeted treatment implications and opportunities to prevent sexual crime. In this study, the authors used chi-square analyses and logistic regression to test the relationships of mental health, family factors, concurrent delinquency with the classes identified in Brown's (2019) study using the same sample (N = 573) used by Brown. Findings highlight the potential differing etiology and treatment needs of YSH according to their offense characteristics. Treatment implications and directions for future research are offered.","PeriodicalId":47525,"journal":{"name":"Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice","volume":"20 1","pages":"250 - 275"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2022-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43007170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-31DOI: 10.1177/15412040211063129
Abigail Novak, Vitoria De Francisco Lopes
Thousands of children ages 12 and under are referred to juvenile justice systems each year, and little is known about how their experiences may differ from those of older youth. The purpose of this study was to compare risk factors associated with juvenile justice referral between children and adolescents and examine differences in adjudication and disposition of referred children and adolescents. The moderating role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) was also examined. Using data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, results suggest children referred to the juvenile justice system are more likely to have experienced greater numbers of ACEs, have family and school problems, and be referred by schools. Results also indicate children and adolescents differ in their experiences within the juvenile justice system, and that experiences vary according to exposure to ACEs. Results suggest juvenile justice system officials should consider the unique needs of children referred to the system and be cognizant of the influence of non-legal factors in decision-making for this population.
{"title":"Child Delinquency, ACEs, and the Juvenile Justice System: Does Exposure to ACEs Affect Justice System Experiences for Children?","authors":"Abigail Novak, Vitoria De Francisco Lopes","doi":"10.1177/15412040211063129","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15412040211063129","url":null,"abstract":"Thousands of children ages 12 and under are referred to juvenile justice systems each year, and little is known about how their experiences may differ from those of older youth. The purpose of this study was to compare risk factors associated with juvenile justice referral between children and adolescents and examine differences in adjudication and disposition of referred children and adolescents. The moderating role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) was also examined. Using data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, results suggest children referred to the juvenile justice system are more likely to have experienced greater numbers of ACEs, have family and school problems, and be referred by schools. Results also indicate children and adolescents differ in their experiences within the juvenile justice system, and that experiences vary according to exposure to ACEs. Results suggest juvenile justice system officials should consider the unique needs of children referred to the system and be cognizant of the influence of non-legal factors in decision-making for this population.","PeriodicalId":47525,"journal":{"name":"Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice","volume":"20 1","pages":"113 - 138"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2021-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46430109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-30DOI: 10.1177/15412040211053786
M. Docherty, Andrew Lieman, B. Gordon
The goal of the current study was to investigate the relationships between observer-rated skills related to emotional and cognitive regulation post-admission and pre-release in a secure facility and official records of juvenile felony recidivism up to 1 year after release. Data came from a sample of 599 youth in a residential facility in Washington state (84% male; 38% White). Latent change score models indicated that both initial level of emotional regulation skills and improvement in emotion regulation skills while incarcerated were significantly related to lower recidivism. This pattern of findings remained when controlling for length of stay, among other covariates. Follow-up analyses indicated that the results for emotion regulation skills might be driven primarily by monitoring internal and external triggers. Additional research should investigate the connection between emotion regulation skills and juvenile recidivism, with a special focus on trigger monitoring and how to improve those skills.
{"title":"Improvement in Emotion Regulation While Detained Predicts Lower Juvenile Recidivism","authors":"M. Docherty, Andrew Lieman, B. Gordon","doi":"10.1177/15412040211053786","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15412040211053786","url":null,"abstract":"The goal of the current study was to investigate the relationships between observer-rated skills related to emotional and cognitive regulation post-admission and pre-release in a secure facility and official records of juvenile felony recidivism up to 1 year after release. Data came from a sample of 599 youth in a residential facility in Washington state (84% male; 38% White). Latent change score models indicated that both initial level of emotional regulation skills and improvement in emotion regulation skills while incarcerated were significantly related to lower recidivism. This pattern of findings remained when controlling for length of stay, among other covariates. Follow-up analyses indicated that the results for emotion regulation skills might be driven primarily by monitoring internal and external triggers. Additional research should investigate the connection between emotion regulation skills and juvenile recidivism, with a special focus on trigger monitoring and how to improve those skills.","PeriodicalId":47525,"journal":{"name":"Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice","volume":"20 1","pages":"164 - 183"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2021-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48755304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2021-12-28DOI: 10.1177/15412040211061270
Amber A. Petkus, Christopher J. Sullivan, Melissa Lugo, Jamie Newsome
Juvenile risk and needs assessments (JRNAs) have been the focus of extensive research in the academic literature. Prior studies have primarily focused on the risk-recidivism relationship and establishing predictive validity with juvenile populations. Less investigated is the use of risk and need assessment in practice, including how such tools are used to inform decision-making. This study uses record data encompassing 3,034 youth from a multi-state study to examine dispositional and treatment decisions associated with the Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS). Specifically, mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate how current practices align with underlying logic and theory regarding the role of assessments in juvenile justice. Findings reveal varied and complex relationships between assessment scores, case decisions, and recidivism. While risk was generally associated with recidivism, our results suggest juvenile risk and need assessments are inconsistently used to inform case management and placement decisions. Implications for practice and future research are also discussed.
{"title":"The Impact of Risk Assessment on Juvenile Justice Decision-Making and New Adjudication: An Analysis of Usage and Outcome","authors":"Amber A. Petkus, Christopher J. Sullivan, Melissa Lugo, Jamie Newsome","doi":"10.1177/15412040211061270","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/15412040211061270","url":null,"abstract":"Juvenile risk and needs assessments (JRNAs) have been the focus of extensive research in the academic literature. Prior studies have primarily focused on the risk-recidivism relationship and establishing predictive validity with juvenile populations. Less investigated is the use of risk and need assessment in practice, including how such tools are used to inform decision-making. This study uses record data encompassing 3,034 youth from a multi-state study to examine dispositional and treatment decisions associated with the Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS). Specifically, mediation analyses were conducted to evaluate how current practices align with underlying logic and theory regarding the role of assessments in juvenile justice. Findings reveal varied and complex relationships between assessment scores, case decisions, and recidivism. While risk was generally associated with recidivism, our results suggest juvenile risk and need assessments are inconsistently used to inform case management and placement decisions. Implications for practice and future research are also discussed.","PeriodicalId":47525,"journal":{"name":"Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice","volume":"20 1","pages":"139 - 163"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2021-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41831459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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