Development of Protective Factors for Reducing Juvenile Reoffending: A Strengths-Based Approach to Risk Assessment

Abstract

This study described the development of the Protective Factors for Reducing Juvenile Reoffending (PFRJR), a strengths-based measure to assess responsivity, guide case management, and potentially predict desistance. The study employed two diverse independent samples: a construction sample ( N = 278) and a validation sample ( N = 265) of juveniles under court supervision in a Midwestern juvenile court. Factor analyses revealed two factors—the Individual/Community domain includes items that measure prosocial attitudes and perceived access to resources in the community; the Family domain includes items that measure prosocial involvement with family and peers. The PFRJR had good model fit, strong internal consistency, and is related to risk in the theoretically appropriate direction. This research highlights the practicability of incorporating a strengths-based measure into traditional risk assessment procedures within an applied setting and contributes to the paucity of risk assessment research that examines strengths-based theoretical models and assessment protocols.