Juvenile Justice System Involvement Research Articles

Pathways to—But Not Through? Revisiting the Trauma and Recidivism Relationship Among System-Involved Youth

Research has demonstrated that exposure to traumatic experiences in childhood and adolescence can result in adverse outcomes, including mental health concerns, school troubles, delinquency, and juvenile justice system involvement. The current study draws on a framework informed by feminist pathways and trauma theories to revisit the effect of traumatic experiences on recidivism two years following initial system contact. Data from a Midwestern juvenile court illustrated traumatic experiences are common pathways into the system but are not predictive of experiences through the system using general recidivism outcome measures. However, several other variables predicted youth receiving new petitions. The effects of race/ethnicity and age are more pronounced when the sample was disaggregated by referral unit (truancy vs. delinquency unit). We discuss different methodological and measurement factors to consider when examining the trauma-recidivism relationship.

Adolescent child custody loss and substance use treatment as predictors of young adult substance use trajectories among females with foster care and juvenile justice involvement

This study aimed to identify trajectories of substance use from adolescence to young adulthood among 166 females with dual child welfare and juvenile justice system involvement, and to explore the influence of adolescent child custody status and substance use treatment on substance use trajectories. Results identified four substance use trajectory groups (stable moderate substance use, decreasing substance use, increasing substance use, stable high substance use). Custody loss during adolescence predicted membership in the stable high substance use trajectory group (log odds estimate = 2.99, p = < 0.01). No significant associations were found with adolescent substance use treatment. The findings can inform policymakers, foster care professionals, and law enforcement officers to promote the delivery of timely and appropriate substance use services that respond to the unique needs of females across the child welfare and juvenile justice system populations.

Working upstream: A statewide analysis of individual and contextual risk factors for future juvenile justice involvement among youth receiving prevention services

AbstractResearch SummaryJuvenile justice agencies are increasing their emphasis on early intervention and prevention services as a growing body of research evinces their effectiveness and cost efficiency. The present study analyzed the relationship between individual risk factors, contextual risk factors, and future juvenile justice involvement for 30,328 Florida youth residing in 3309 census tracts served by prevention programs. A series of two‐level logistic regressions indicated that several distinct criminological domains (e.g., aggression, relationships, family, substance use, and attitudes/behaviors) predict future juvenile justice system involvement. However, education‐related risk factors are among the most consequential for all youth, especially older youth. Concerning community context, neighborhood disadvantage directly affects system involvement, but only for youth under 12.Policy ImplicationsThese findings indicate the importance of addressing highly consequential risk factors—especially educational deficits—of youth in early intervention and prevention programs while also recognizing the impact of their social environments. Agencies attempting to work upstream with prevention services may benefit from prioritizing educational services and allocating resources to highly disadvantaged communities for early intervention programming.

A state-wide analysis of characteristics and predictors of dual system involvement among child victims of human trafficking

BackgroundThe child welfare system is pivotal in identifying and responding to child (younger than age 18) human trafficking victims. Children who have experienced human trafficking—or are at risk of victimization—are increasingly recognized as also being served in the juvenile justice system. Yet little is known about human trafficking victimization among children in the juvenile justice population or among children with child welfare and juvenile justice involvement. ObjectiveBuilding on previous research with child welfare–and juvenile justice–involved children, we investigated characteristics and system experiences among children who have experienced a human trafficking abuse allegation in Florida. Participants and settingThe overall study population included all children born on or after January 1, 1993, who had at least one DCF-documented maltreatment allegation before March 1, 2020. This study examined a total of 12,167 allegations in the first set of analyses and the first human trafficking allegation for each child (N = 9300) in the second set of analyses. MethodsAnalyses are based on linked administrative data for a cohort of children involved with Florida's Departments of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) and/or Children and Families (DCF). We used descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses to document the characteristics of single and dual system–involved children and examine predictors of child welfare, juvenile justice, and dual system involvement. Results(1) Nearly half of children with a human trafficking abuse allegation are involved in DCF at the time of the allegation, (2) females who experienced trafficking are more likely to be involved in DCF (with or without DJJ involvement) than involved in no system, (3) Black children with an alleged trafficking incident were more likely than White children to be involved in both systems compared with DCF only, and (4) children who experienced labor trafficking abuse allegations were less likely than those who experienced sex trafficking to be involved with either system. ConclusionsThis study depicts child victims of sex and labor trafficking who are involved with one or both systems in one state.

Non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal behaviors, and mental health symptoms among sexual minority youth with juvenile justice system involvement

Sexual minority youth have long remained an understudied population within the juvenile justice system, despite emerging evidence suggesting that sexual minority youth are overrepresented. Recent literature indicates that system-involved sexual minority youth may have more behavioral health concerns than their heterosexual counterparts. Even so, more work is needed to elucidate the unique needs of sexual minority youth who become involved in the system, especially as it pertains to suicidal behaviors and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). The present study provided a descriptive evaluation of the prevalence of sexual minority youth making early system contact and their mental health concerns. Of the 218 justice-involved youth from a Northeastern family court in the sample, over a quarter identified as a sexual minority (n = 58). Our findings indicated that these youth evidenced significantly higher scores on a mental health screener compared to their heterosexual counterparts, evidencing greater symptomology on scales indicative of depression/anxiety, thought disturbance, etc. Further, sexual minority youth reported higher rates of lifetime, past year, and past month NSSI as well as lifetime and past year suicide attempts. These findings highlight the need to support the well-being of sexual minority youth in the juvenile justice system by screening for and addressing their mental health needs in this unique setting.

The interaction of mental health and race and ethnicity in juvenile justice placement decisions

AbstractWe investigated the interaction of mental health needs and race and ethnicity on juvenile justice placement decisions. Mental health diagnoses and placement decisions were collected for a large (n = 9765) sample of justice‐involved youth in the state of Texas from 2007 to 2008. Analyses revealed Black and Hispanic youth were overrepresented in secure facilities, although race and ethnicity were not predictive of disposition decisions beyond legal variables. Substance use interacted with race and ethnicity such that Black and Hispanic youth with substance use diagnoses were less likely than non‐Hispanic White youth to be placed in secure settings. Youth with internalizing or externalizing mental health diagnoses received similar placement decisions regardless of race or ethnicity. Findings are in contrast to prior investigations of the interaction of race/ethnicity and mental health needs on placement decisions, perhaps due to the use of mental health diagnoses in the current study rather than other indicators of mental health need. Future research should investigate potential bias present within psychosocial evaluations and resulting mental health diagnoses within the juvenile justice system to inform their utility in the placement decision‐making process, and how these social identities interact to influence each step along the juvenile justice system pathway to identify potential points of biased decision making that may compound the adverse effects of juvenile justice system involvement for youth.

Juvenile justice and child welfare dual system involvement among females with and without histories of commercial sexual exploitation

Commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) is related to both child welfare (CW) and juvenile justice (JJ) system involvement, yet research of CSE largely examines single system involvement. Using a sample of justice involved females with histories in out-of-home care, this study explores dual system contact for females with CSE experiences (n = 225) compared to a matched sample of females without a history of CSE (n = 237). Differences between the samples’ system experiences were compared using chi-square analyses or t-tests of group mean differences. Nearly all females had a history of at least one maltreatment allegation and between 69% and 76% of the samples were classified as dual system females as measured by the justice-involved youth also having a substantiated case of maltreatment. The CSE sample, compared to the no-CSE sample, had significantly more contact with the juvenile justice system including more arrests, petitions filed, bench warrants, and entrances to detention. Findings highlight the extent of dual system involvement among justice involved females with histories of CSE and out-of-home care, and the need for cross-systems collaboration to improve youth outcomes.

The Impact of Juvenile Justice System Involvement on the Health and Well-Being of Youth, Families, and Communities of Color

The Impact of Juvenile Justice System Involvement on the Health and Well-Being of Youth, Families, and Communities of Color

Reconsidering the effectiveness of mentoring for prevention of juvenile criminal recidivism: A brief comment on systematic review and meta-analysis of noninstitutional psychosocial interventions to prevent juvenile criminal recidivism (Olsson et al., 2021).

Interventions implemented outside of the juvenile justice system are widely utilized with youth offenders to decrease the likelihood of future offending and justice system involvement, both of which are well-documented as being costly to youth and society at large. Olsson et al. (2021) conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of these types of interventions for youth aged 12-17 and failed to find any of the interventions examined to be more effective than control treatments in reducing future criminality. This commentary further examines the evidence for one of these interventions, mentoring, based on an expanded search of the literature that identified several additional studies of mentoring for recidivism prevention that meet the eligibility criteria utilized by Olsson et al. A meta-analysis of these studies and those identified by Olsson et al. finds mentoring to be more effective than control treatments (typically services as usual within the juvenile justice system): risk difference between groups of 0.09 (random effect model; 95% confidence interval [.03-.15]). This reanalysis thus indicates greater promise for mentoring as a tool in reducing juvenile crime and juvenile justice system involvement than was suggested by the results of Olsson et al. Importantly, it also underscores the potential for the results of meta-analyses to be sensitive to not only unidentified studies with null or negative results (the so-called "file-drawer problem") but also missed studies with positive findings. Recommendations for literature search procedures in systematic reviews and sensitivity analyses in meta-analyses are provided with this concern in mind. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

0491 Sleep among Adolescents in Juvenile Detention

Abstract Introduction Adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system demonstrate high rates of psychiatric disorders, suicidality, and trauma, all of which is associated with poor sleep. Poor sleep is common among adolescents and is associated with numerous adverse outcomes like inattention, school absenteeism, emotion dysregulation, and substance use, outcomes that are related to juvenile justice system involvement. Yet very little is known about the sleep of adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system. We conducted a medical chart review and survey of detained adolescents to describe the sleep patterns and problems among these youth. Methods We reviewed a random sample (26%) of the medical charts of youth detained in a juvenile detention center (n=31) over four days in Summer 2021. We reviewed all medical encounters in the month prior to the date of chart review. Additionally, 13 youth completed the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Pediatric Sleep Disturbance Short Form (PROMIS-SD). Twelve of them reported their sleep patterns while in detention. Results Sleep was mentioned in 23% of all medical encounters, 62% of which indicated poor sleep. Sleep treatment was documented in 24% of notes, all consisting of pharmacotherapy. A sleep diagnosis was documented on 37% of billing sheets of all youth seen by a medical provider in the detention center in July 2021. On average, participants reported lights out around 9pm (SD=35min), sleep onset latency of 74mins (SD=75mins), wake time after sleep onset of ~20 minutes (SD=16mins), and wake-up time of 7:50am (SD=67min). Youth reported average sleep duration of more than 9 hours while detained (SD=103mins). Average PROMIS-SD score was 66.2 (range 51.5-79.1) Conclusion Though most youth obtain the recommended amount of sleep while detained, sleep disturbance is highly common among this population and average sleep disturbance is more than one standard deviation above the average. These data may inform the type of sleep interventions that are most relevant to detained youth. Future work should focus on further examining the sleep of adolescents in the juvenile justice system and identifying feasible, acceptable, and useful strategies for implementing evidence-based sleep interventions in this setting. Support (If Any) Dr. Levenson’s effort was supported by K23HD087433

Pregnancy and miscarriage predict suicide attempts but not substance use among dual-systems involved female adolescents

BackgroundTo examine the associations between adolescent pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes on substance use and suicide attempts in a sample who is at greater risk for substance use and suicide attempts — those who have been involved with the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. MethodsUsing a prospective, longitudinal design, we examined the role of adolescent pregnancy outcomes on risk for suicide attempts and substance use among a sample of 166 female adolescents with juvenile justice system and child welfare involvement. ResultsOf participants, 36% (n = 60) reported at least one adolescent pregnancy with a total of 109 pregnancies reported. Adolescent pregnancy was associated with an increase in later suicide attempts (aOR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.06–2.72). Miscarriage was associated with a 2-fold increase in the likelihood of later suicide attempts, (aOR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.10–4.12). No participants who reported induced abortion (n = 13) reported suicide attempts. Adolescent pregnancy, miscarriage, and abortion were not significantly associated with later substance use (Ps > 0.05). ConclusionsHealthcare professionals should conduct routine screening for suicidality in the months following a miscarriage, offer education to caregivers about how to support youth who experience pregnancy loss, provide additional social supports and familiarize themselves with local and virtual behavioral health resources to prevent suicide attempts among female adolescents who are at high risk and experience miscarriage.

Is Juvenile Justice System Involvement Context-Dependent?: The Differential Experiences of Older Foster Youth in the Context of Extended Foster Care

Is Juvenile Justice System Involvement Context-Dependent?: The Differential Experiences of Older Foster Youth in the Context of Extended Foster Care

Feasibility and preliminary outcomes from a non-randomized trial of the free talk program in a short-term juvenile detention facility

Juvenile justice system involvement is associated with increased risk for many mental health concerns including substance use problems. Juvenile detention centers offer a primary point of contact by which youth may access programs that enhance their motivation to make positive changes. Yet, few studies have tested whether the clinical approaches that are helpful in community settings or long-term juvenile justice settings are also helpful in short-term juvenile detention facilities. Free Talk (FT) is a 6-session program that has been shown to reduce substance use among youth charged with a first-time drug offense in a youth court setting. The current study is the first evaluation of FT’s implementation in a detention center. To inform future implementations, we aimed to 1) assess whether detained youth participating in the intervention experienced the motivational changes that were expected based on studies of non-detained youth and 2) test whether depressive symptoms and substance use problems moderated the benefit of FT. Detained adolescents (N = 49; 83.7% male; M age = 15.31; 83.7% African-American, 12.2% White, 4.7% Hispanic/Latinx) participated in FT. A pre-post design suggested that, on average, youth in the sample experienced decreases in motivation to change substance use; however, youth with higher levels of substance use problems exhibited increases in motivation after participating in FT. Results emphasize the need to specifically target clinical services to those most likely to benefit from them and to avoid clinical situations that may result in iatrogenic effects. We discuss implementation challenges and recommend solutions to enhance mental health care in short-term detention centers.

Cultivating Positive Youth Development through Latin American Street Soccer Programming

Youth disconnected from their families and communities lack critical community supports, placing them at higher risk of establishing unhealthy behaviors that can lead to poor outcomes, including involvement in juvenile justice systems. They need assistance to develop essential life skills and family and community connections. Engaging youth and families, otherwise marginalized by society, in innovative, affordable and effective ways is a global challenge. This paper summarizes the history of the Latin American launched global street soccer movement to promote inclusion and positive development of youth living in vulnerable situations. It explores the power and potential of street soccer’s holistic and inclusive programming approach as a vehicle for individual transformation and community engagement. And it examines the evolving integration of the Latin American street soccer methodology in working with youth and families with complex needs, particularly as experienced by the nonprofit service organization Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP).

Polyvictimization and Psychosocial Outcomes Among Trauma-Exposed, Clinic-Referred Youth Involved in the Juvenile Justice System

Polyvictimization is a robust predictor of emotional and behavioral problems and is linked to involvement in juvenile justice and other public sector systems. This study extends prior research by employing person-centered methods for identifying polyvictimization patterns among trauma-exposed, clinic-referred, justice-involved youth (n = 689; ages 12-18 years) and how identified classes differ on psychosocial outcomes and demographic characteristics. Most participants had experienced multiple traumatic event (TE) types. Latent class analyses identified three classes: mixed trauma/bereavement exposure group (55.1%; Mean = 3.0 TE types); maltreatment polyvictimized group (29.3%; Mean = 5.7 TE types); and maltreatment plus extreme violence polyvictimized group (15.7%; Mean = 9.3 TE types). Polyvictimized youth were more likely to be female, in out-of-home placements, and experiencing negative psychosocial outcomes (e.g., Posttraumatic Stress Disorder). Hispanic/Latino youth were overrepresented in the extreme polyvictimized subgroup. Results underscore the need for cross-system coordination of trauma-informed, comprehensive services for clinic-referred, justice-involved youth.

Educational attainment among young adults experiencing homelessness in seven cities across the United States

• Young adults experiencing homelessness are disproportionately impacted by low levels of educational attainment. • Limited research has explored educational attainment among young people experiencing homelessness. • School-based interventions including a positive school climate is related to higher academic achievement. • Educational institutions provide more than education- they are sources of stability, social support, and connection. Although young adults experiencing homelessness (YEH) are at particular risk for lower educational attainment compared to their housed peers, limited research has explored the demographic and psychological factors associated with earning key educational milestones among YEH. This study aims to answer the following research questions: What levels of educational attainment are reported among YEH? What factors are associated with earning key educational milestones? A better understanding of the asso3ciated risk factors may inform future educational interventions for YEH by ameliorating the barriers which have limited their educational success. This study uses the Homeless Youth Risk and Resilience Survey (HYRRS) dataset, a seven-city sample of 1,426 YEH (aged 18–26) surveyed between June 2016 to July 2017 to study risk factors associated with educational attainment. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess correlates of earning less than a GED. Foster care involvement, juvenile justice system involvement, CAGE score, and earlier-onset housing instability was associated with lower educational attainment (operationalized as earning less than a GED). Findings indicate that interventions supporting YEH in educational systems must be multifaceted, addressing the myriad factors correlated with educational attainment.

Do callous-unemotional traits moderate the effects of the juvenile justice system on later offending behavior?

Research suggests that callous-unemotional (CU) traits, a recent addition to psychiatric classification of serious conduct problems, may moderate the influence of a number of contextual factors (e.g., parenting, deviant peer influence) on an adolescent's adjustment. The current study sought to replicate past research showing that formal processing through the juvenile justice system increases recidivism and tested the novel hypothesis that CU traits would moderate the relationship between processing decision and future antisocial behavior. A diverse sample of first-time male offenders (N=1,216; M age=15.12, SD=1.29) in three regions of the United States was assessed within 6weeks of their first arrest and then at 6-month intervals for 36 months. Compared to those who were informally processed (i.e., diverted), adolescents formally processed through the court were at a higher risk of self-reported offending and rearrests as measured by official records, after controlling for preexisting risk factors. However, baseline CU traits moderated this association such that those with high CU traits reported offending at high rates across the subsequent three years regardless of how the juvenile justice system processed their case. CU traits are important to psychiatric classification for designating a subgroup of antisocial youth who may respond differently to contextual influences, including being less susceptible to the negative effects of juvenile justice system involvement. The public health significance of this moderation is significant by suggesting that previous estimates of the harmful impact of formal processing by the juvenile justice system may underestimate its impact, given that the majority of arrested adolescents have normative levels of CU traits.

A field study of the impact of psychotropic medication on delinquency and juvenile justice system involvement among a high risk sample of children and adolescents

At-risk youth are more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors and be involved in the juvenile justice system (JJS). Improving outcomes for such youth increasingly include long-term administration of psychotropic medications (PM). Current research addresses short-term utility of PM, but evidence is mixed regarding long-term effectiveness. Using a large, cross-national, at-risk youth sample (n = 2065), this study examined how PM influenced total delinquent behaviors in a given year, and JJS entry, over a seven-year time period. PM treatment did not significantly decrease delinquent behaviors among youth; nor prevent entry into the JJS. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Impulsivity Mediates the Link between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Juvenile Incarceration among Low-Income African American Women

ABSTRACT A history of childhood trauma has been found to have a robust influence on juvenile delinquency, and evidence suggests that childhood sexual abuse is particularly common among female youth involved in the juvenile justice system. The current study sought to investigate impulsivity as a potential mediator of the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and juvenile incarceration amongst a community sample of low-income, urban, African American adult women. Although impulsivity has been studied among justice-involved youth, few studies have examined the influence of impulsivity within the relationship between CSA and juvenile incarceration and no known studies have explored their relationship in community populations of African American women with histories of juvenile incarceration. Results revealed that impulsivity mediated the relationship between CSA and previous juvenile incarceration. As an exploratory analysis, overall emotion dysregulation as well as other facets of emotion dysregulation did not serve as significant mediators in this relationship. These findings suggest that difficulties in impulse control may be one mechanism through which childhood sexual abuse increases risk for juvenile justice system involvement among African American women.

Collateral Consequences for Juveniles in the Justice System: Change in Perceptions after an Educational Intervention

AbstractThere is a dearth of empirical research investigating public awareness or perceptions of the impact of collateral consequences of juvenile justice system involvement on youths’ lives. The current study recruited 555 Pennsylvania residents through Amazon Mechanical Turk to participate in a brief, educational intervention on collateral consequences of system involvement. Participants read a short vignette about a hypothetical youth who was adjudicated delinquent in Pennsylvania, answered 20 knowledge‐based questions, and provided pre‐ and postintervention ratings of the impact the delinquency finding would have on the youth's life in the short term and in the long term. Results of linear mixed model analysis revealed significant fixed effects of both phase (pre‐post educational intervention), b = .62, p &lt; .001, 95% CI [.47, .78] and timing (before the youth turns age 18 and after the youth turns age 18), b = –.98, p &lt; .001, 95% CI [–1.18, –.78], on impact ratings (i.e., how big an impact a juvenile adjudication will have on the youth's life). Participants provided incorrect responses to approximately half of collateral consequences, indicating a gap in knowledge. Findings from the current study can inform targeted intervention efforts to increase public awareness of the consequences of juvenile justice system involvement.