Developmental language disorders and risk of recidivism among young offenders.

Maxine Winstanley,Gina Conti‐Ramsden,Roger T. Webb

doi:10.1111/jcpp.13299

Abstract

Although factors such as adverse family background have been widely examined, little is known about the prevalence or potential impact of developmental language disorder (DLD) on risk of recidivism in young people with history of criminal justice system contact. A total of 145 young offenders participated. An adversity score was constructed based on information found in youth justice service records. Data collected included standardised measures of expressive and receptive language, nonverbal IQ and the inventory of callous-unemotional traits. Survival analysis was performed to examine differences in reoffending risk between young offenders with and without DLD. The cumulative incidence of reoffending within a year of the young person's court order was markedly raised in the DLD group (62%; 95% CI 52, 72) versus the non-DLD group (25%; 95% CI 16, 39). Furthermore, in the final multivariable survival analysis the independent elevation in risk linked with DLD was not greatly attenuated with adjustment for nonverbal IQ, adversity score, age at first offence, number of previous offences and deprivation score. DLD was the most significant predictor with an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.61 (95% CI 1.80, 3.78). Young offenders with DLD are more than twice as likely to reoffend than their unaffected offending peers. DLD is a powerful predictor of recidivism above and beyond other known risk factors.

Highlights

Criminal offending has a major societal impact, and the prevention of adolescent recidivism is a priority for the Youth Justice System (YJS) (Bateman, 2010)
This study has yielded novel evidence indicating that language difficulties are a key predictor of recidivism among young offenders: they are at least twice as likely to reoffend as their peers without a developmental language disorder (DLD), and this was independent of nonverbal IQ, adversity score, age at first offence, number of previous offences and the deprivation score
We posit that young people with unidentified DLD represent a group of young people who are challenged in their ability to access verbally mediated strategies in the youth justice service

Summary

Introduction

Criminal offending has a major societal impact, and the prevention of adolescent recidivism is a priority for the Youth Justice System (YJS) (Bateman, 2010). There is a dearth of published research to have reported on young people early in their offending trajectory. Factors such as adverse family background have been widely examined, little is known about the prevalence or potential impact of developmental language disorder (DLD) on risk of recidivism in young people with history of criminal justice system contact. Survival analysis was performed to examine differences in reoffending risk between young offenders with and without DLD. In the final multivariable survival analysis the independent elevation in risk linked with DLD was not greatly attenuated with adjustment for nonverbal IQ, adversity score, age at first offence, number of previous offences and deprivation score.

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion