Violent Juvenile Offenders Research Articles

Discontinuities in and Perceptions of Mental Health Service Path of Violent Young Offenders: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Studies on mental health service use among juvenile violent offenders prior to their acts of violence are sparse. Mostly, their service use seems to be short-term, although there may have been several service periods. Little is known about how they have perceived those services. Using a qualitative content analysis on data from forensic psychiatric examination statements, we studied discontinuities in the use of mental health services of 15-22-year-old violent Finnish offenders and descriptions of their perceptions of those services. There were several types of discontinuities: limited youth engagement and subsequent dropping out from services, or partial or total refusal of the proposed examinations or treatments. Most discontinuations were instigated by the youth themselves, followed by the parents and the service system. The subjects had perceived mental health services to be not beneficial for the most part, although some experienced benefits from medication. When treating children and adolescents with behavioral symptoms clinicians should identify the early signs of the process of disengagement from treatment and pay attention to the perceptions of the treatment of both the youth and their parents. Also, more research is needed on the user experience of mental health services among violent offenders, as well as factors relating to discontinuities along their mental health service path.

Sometimes they Come Back: Recidivism and the Adult Imprisonment of Formerly Incarcerated Serious And Violent Juvenile Offenders

Sometimes they Come Back: Recidivism and the Adult Imprisonment of Formerly Incarcerated Serious And Violent Juvenile Offenders

Does early adversity predict aggression among Chinese male violent juvenile offenders? The mediating role of life history strategy and the moderating role of meaning in life

BackgroundAdolescent aggression has long been of interest to researchers. However, few studies have examined the influencing factors and mechanisms of aggression among violent juvenile offenders. This study tests a moderated mediation model with Chinese male violent juvenile offenders as subjects. Specifically, it explores the relationship between early adversity and aggression, as well as the mechanisms of life history strategy and meaning in life in this relationship.MethodsA total of 537 Chinese male violent juvenile offenders completed the Childhood Environment Scale, the Life History Strategy Short Form Scale, the Aggression Questionnaire, and the Meaning in Life Questionnaire. After controlling for socioeconomic status (SES), the current cross-sectional study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine a moderated mediation model.ResultsThe results showed that life history strategy mediated the relationship between early adversity and aggression, and early adversity affected individuals’ aggression by accelerating their life history strategies. The results also showed that meaning in life moderated the relationship between early adversity and life history strategy. For individuals with high meaning in life scores, the negative predictive effect of early adversity on life history strategy was stronger than that for individuals with low meaning in life scores.ConclusionThe results of this study can advance the understanding of how early adversity affects aggression among violent juvenile offenders and provide theoretical support for prison staff to develop educational strategies and subsequent interventions.

Emotional Behavioural Styles in Violent and Non-violent Juvenile Offenders

Previous studies have found emotional behavioural problems among school children in Pakistan and their impact on academic achievement (Javed et al., 1992; Samad et al., 2005; Soomro & Clarbour 2012; Syed et al., 2007; Syed & Hussein, 2009). The main purpose of the study was to extend the investigation to the juvenile offenders to assess the emotional behavioural problems among violent and non-violent juvenile offenders located in the different prisons of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. T-test and Binary Logistic Regression were used to analyse the data. T-test revealed that there were significant differences among violent and non-violent juvenile offenders on three emotional style factors: malevolent aggression, social self-esteem, and social anxiety. Binary Logistic Regression analysis indicated that violent juvenile offenders exhibited higher levels of malevolent aggression and low levels of social self-esteem and social anxiety than non-violent juvenile offenders. These results may provide empirical evidences for distinguishing between the violent and non-violent juvenile offenders on the basis of emotional behavioural problems and suggest intensive multimodal Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and anger management program to modify the behaviour of violent juvenile offenders.

Homicide and Criminal Maturity of Juvenile Offenders: A Critical Review

In 2012, the United States Supreme Court struck down existing legislative statutes mandating life without parole sentencing of convicted homicide offenders under age 18. The Court’s core rationale credited research on brain development that concludes that juveniles are biologically less capable of complex decision-making and impulse control, driven by external influences, and more likely to change. Closer scrutiny of the research cited in the defendants’ amicus brief; however, reveals it to be inherently flawed because it did not include relevant populations, such as violent offenders; utilized hypothetical scenarios or games to approximate decision-making; ignored research on recidivism risk; made untenable leaps in their interpretation of relevance to the study of homicide, and failed to include contradictory evidence, even from the brief’s authors. In forensic assessment, a blanket assumption of immaturity based on a homicide offender’s age is not appropriate, as research has demonstrated that in relevant respects, older adolescents can be just as mature as adults. An individualized and thorough assessment of each juvenile offender, including an analysis of personal history, behavioral evidence such as pre, during, and post crime behavior, and testing data more accurately inform questions of immaturity and prognosis in juvenile violent offenders.

Extending the long arm of the law: punishment and rehabilitation as motives of public support for handling violent juvenile offenders as adults

Extending the long arm of the law: punishment and rehabilitation as motives of public support for handling violent juvenile offenders as adults

Altered Resting-State Functional Connectivity in the Default Mode Network in Male Juvenile Violent Offenders

Young males are often associated with more violence, leading to some serious negative consequences. However, the physiology and the neuroimaging patterns underlying juvenile violence remain unclear. Of the limited knowledge on juvenile violence, the default mode network has been known to be associated with its pathophysiology. This study aimed to investigate functional connectivity alterations of the default mode network in male juvenile violent offenders. 31 juvenile violent offenders in a high-security facility, who were convicted of aggressive behaviors by court, and 28 normal controls from a middle school were recruited as participants. They underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. And independent component analysis approaches were used to analyze their data. Compared to the normal controls, the juvenile violent offenders showed a different default mode network pattern, with the functional connectivity increased in the posterior cingulate, and decreased in the right middle temporal, left angular, right precuneus and right middle frontal cortex. Our findings revealed that the male juvenile violent offenders were associated with abnormal default mode network functional connectivity, which might be a neuroimaging basis for their tendency to violence.

Childhood maltreatment and violent delinquency in Chinese juvenile offenders: Callous-unemotional traits as a mediator

BackgroundAdolescents in China suffer a high prevalence of childhood maltreatment, which has been shown to facilitate juvenile violent delinquency. Studies have implicated a relationship between callous-unemotional traits and both juvenile violent delinquency and childhood maltreatment. However, the complex relationships among these three variables have not yet been examined. ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the mediating role of callous-unemotional traits in the relationship between different types of childhood maltreatment and juvenile violent delinquency. Participants and settingChildhood maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits were assessed in a sample of 441 juvenile violent offenders and a control group of 543 non-offenders, using questionnaires. MethodsAfter controlling for socio-economic status, a mediation analysis determined the direct, indirect, and total effect of the mediation of callous-unemotional traits in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and juvenile violent delinquency. ResultsThe results showed no mediation of callous-unemotional traits in the relationship between physical abuse and juvenile violent delinquency. However, callous-unemotional traits mediated the relationship between sexual abuse and juvenile violent delinquency as well as between emotional neglect and juvenile violent delinquency. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that sexual abuse has both a direct and indirect effect on juvenile violent delinquency via callous-unemotional traits, whereas childhood emotional neglect had only an indirect effect on juvenile violent delinquency.

Aspectos de Personalidade em Adolescentes Infratores Violentos e Não Violentos segundo Inventário de Jesness: Um Estudo Comparativo

Aspectos de Personalidade em Adolescentes Infratores Violentos e Não Violentos segundo Inventário de Jesness: Um Estudo Comparativo

Field Note—Serving Miller Youth: An Interprofessional Initiative for Educating Law and Social Work Students

ABSTRACT The Miller v. Alabama decision found mandatory juvenile life sentences without the possibility of parole unconstitutional and extended the Graham v. Florida requirements to offenders convicted of a homicidal offense. This development in case law provides law and social work students with opportunities for learning to work together in addressing the needs of serious and violent juvenile offenders. This field note reviews these legal developments and describes a promising interprofessional training program that prepares law and social work students to provide holistic defense services to juvenile lifers eligible for consideration for release from imprisonment. This note also describes an inchoate area of forensic social work practice requiring the services of release planning and reentry specialists.

Vicarious Family Health Strain and Juvenile Delinquency

Research finds that vicarious strain significantly predicts juvenile delinquency. However, no studies have examined the influence of vicarious health strain on youth behavior despite the fact that when individuals directly experience poor health, there is a greater likelihood of crime and delinquency. Using a sample of youth from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) data, we assess the associations between vicarious family health strain (both mental and physical) and juvenile delinquency. We find that vicarious physical health strain is not associated with juvenile delinquency. However, vicarious mental health strain is significantly associated with violent juvenile offending. Based on the results, we highlight various avenues for future research that continues to investigate the link between health and crime.

Emotional Reactivity and Antisocial Behavior Relative to Posttraumatic Stress Symptom Expression: a Latent Profile Analysis.

This study examined whether emotional reactivity was associated with violent juvenile offending in a sample of detained boys (N = 198). It was predicted that Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) would reveal a "low reactivity" group, characterized by symptoms of emotional numbing and callous-unemotional (CU) traits, and a "high reactivity" group, characterized by symptoms of hyperarousal and emotional dysregulation. It was hypothesized that the low reactivity group would have higher rates of violent offending and proactive aggression than the high reactivity group. Contrary to expectations, results indicated that the presence of both emotional numbing and hyperarousal symptoms, but not hyperarousal symptoms alone, were associated with higher rates of violent offending, CU traits, and proactive aggression. Results indicate that the risk of serious aggressive behavior and violent offending may be highest among youth who are easily provoked to respond aggressively (i.e., hyperarousal symptoms) while simultaneously able to maintain emotional detachment (i.e., elevated emotional numbing symptoms and CU traits).

Exploring the Impact of Child Maltreatment and Interparental Violence on Violent Delinquency in an International Sample.

Young people are exposed to violence regularly in their homes, schools, and communities. Such exposure can cause them significant physical, mental, and emotional harm, with long-term effects lasting well into adulthood. Of particular concern is violence within the family, where children are victimized by their parents. Research shows that direct and indirect childhood exposure to violence and maltreatment within the family increases the risk of subsequent violent delinquent behavior. Social learning theory and attachment theory place parenting at the center of the "cycle of violence," and "intergenerational transmission of violence" claims that experiencing violence in childhood will lead to the perpetration of violence in adolescence. Although much research has been done, these assertions have never been tested on a large international sample of young people. The current article fills this void by analyzing surveys completed by 57,892 students who were 12 to 16 years old from 25 countries as part of the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD3). Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test the direct and indirect effects of child maltreatment and interparental violence on self-reported violent delinquency. Mediating effects are proposed for attachment to parents, parental social control (measured by parental knowledge, parental monitoring, and child disclosure), and parental moral authority. Analysis suggests direct effects of child maltreatment and interparental violence, as well as mediating effects of parental monitoring, parental knowledge, and parental moral authority. Child disclosure and attachment to parents do not affect violent juvenile offending. Being a victim of both child maltreatment and interparental violence is found to exacerbate the effect on violent offending. The results support the cross-national generalizability of the "cycle of violence" argument that children tend to reproduce the behavior of their parents.

Evaluative conditioning-induced implicit attitude change in violent juvenile offenders: A randomized controlled trial.

Evaluative conditioning-induced implicit attitude change in violent juvenile offenders: A randomized controlled trial.

Evolving Standards of Decency: Juvenile Risk Assessment, Treatment Amenability, and the Courts

The objectives of this session are as follows: 1) to gain knowledge about the juvenile justice system and violent juvenile offenders; 2) to review the neurodevelopmental literature and the influence on recent landmark case law and legislative trends in juvenile sentencing and transfer to criminal court; 3) to understand the role of risk assessment and evaluating treatment amenability in juvenile offenders; 4) to learn an overview on risk assessment instruments specific to juvenile offenders; and 5) to work through unique cases involving juvenile homicide offenders to increase proficiency in using evidence-based risk assessment instruments.

Distinguishing homicide, violent sexual, and violent juvenile offending

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine temperament differences, notably effortful control and negative emotionality, and correlates that distinguish between homicide, violent sexual and other violent juvenile offenders. Exploring heterogeneity among violent offenders is relevant to intervention strategies and policy implications.Design/methodology/approachDemographic measures, temperament constructs and individual risk factor indicators were assessed across 30,303 violent juvenile offenders (including 397 homicide offenders) in Florida to assess their ability to distinguish among violent juvenile offender subgroups.FindingsAnalyses demonstrated temperament constructs distinguish among classifications of violent juvenile offenders with effortful control differentiating homicide and violent sexual offenders from other violent offenders, and negative emotionality distinguishing violent sexual from other violent offenders, with youth having greater negative emotionality and less effortful control being non-sexual violent offenders. Homicide offenders were more likely to be older, male and had histories of gang membership and weapon/firearm offending than other violent offenders, and evidenced greater negative emotionality than violent sexual offenders.Originality/valueThe differences across violent youthful offender subtypes suggest heterogeneity among violent offenders with distinct correlates more predictive of some subtypes than others. Additionally, the temperament constructs of effortful control and negative emotionality are useful in distinguishing violent offender subtypes, which points toward differing intervention/treatment strategies.

Predicting Reoffending Using the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY): A 5-Year Follow-Up Study of Male Juvenile Offenders in Hunan Province, China.

BackgroundJuvenile violent offending is a serious worldwide public health issue.ObjectiveThe study examined whether the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY) can be used to predict violent reoffending in Chinese male juvenile offenders, and to determine which risk/protective domains (items) are associated with violent recidivism.MethodsA total of 246 male juvenile offenders were recruited. SAVRY domains were scored by trained raters based on file review and interviews with participants and their legal guardians. Information on further arrests, charges, or convictions for violent offences were collected from police records over a five year follow-up.ResultsOver the course of the five year follow-up periods, 63 (25.6%) juvenile offenders were re-arrested for a further violent reoffence. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analyses showed Areas Under the Curve (AUCs) ranging from 0.60 to 0.68 for the SAVRY total, risk and protective score domains. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that 7 of the 30 SAVRY items were significantly associated with reoffending; explaining 36.2% of the variance. Backward stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis showed the independently predictive items were items 2 (‘history of non-violent offending’), 17 (‘negative attitudes’), 18 (‘risk-taking/impulsivity’), and 20 (‘anger management problems’). Together these four items explained 25.0% of the variance in reoffending.ConclusionsThe results suggested that the SAVRY can be meaningfully used to inform the development and evaluation of effective violence risk assessment and management approaches for male juvenile offenders detained in a Youth Detention Center in Hunan province, China.

Children of the Caliphate: Young IS Returnees and the Reintegration Challenge

This research paper focuses on young or juvenile Islamic State (IS) returnees, assessing what sets juvenile returnees apart from adult returnees or the broader population of young criminals, and scoping the potential venues and challenges in their rehabilitation and reintegration. The authors conclude that rehabilitation and reintegration efforts for juvenile violent extremist offenders (including those returning from IS-territory) need to be based on two underlying assumptions: the importance of age and attitudes. Young children (zero to nine years old) who are born in IS-territory or brought by their parents at a very young age, should first and foremost be viewed as victims. For older children, other factors such as indoctrination, training and potential involvement in violent activities are more likely to play a role, demanding an approach that goes beyond the victim-perspective. Professionals need to determine to what extent these children have been socialised into IS-culture and whether they cope with their experiences more internally or externally. To direct rehabilitative efforts for them, it is even more essential to assess their attitude towards violence and to what extent they have accepted IS’ norms and behaviors, compared to adult terrorist returnees. In the end, the authors conclude that it is not necessary to reinvent the wheel, especially where numbers of terrorism convicts in general, and juveniles in particular are low. But rehabilitation is considered to work best when tailored to individual needs, and policymakers need to take into account the very distinctive needs of juvenile offenders as a separate class of offenders while respecting all relevant international law and human rights standards in the fight against terrorism.

The Exploration of Risk and Protective Score Differences Across Juvenile Offending Career Types and Their Effects on Recidivism

Despite an abundance of research on serious and violent juvenile offenders, few studies have linked juvenile offending career categories to juvenile court risk assessments and future offending. This study uses juvenile court referrals and assessment data to replicate earlier categorizations of serious, violent, and chronic offenders; to examine risk and protective score differences across these categories; and to assess whether risk and protective score constructs differentially predict adult criminality across these offender categories. Based on a sample of 9,859 juvenile offenders who aged out of Connecticut’s juvenile justice system between 2005 and 2009, we found that (1) our categorization of juvenile career types mirrored earlier work, (2) comparing risk and protective factors across and within juvenile career types identified distinct patterns, and (3) the juvenile risk and protective assessment subscales were not predictive of adult arrests for chronic offenders but were predictive for nonchronic juvenile career types.

Where Are the Girls? Gender Trends in Juvenile Crime

There is growing evidence that female rates of criminal nonlethal violent offending have increased during the 1990s. However, the debate regarding whether the gender gap in violence is closing is ongoing. This paper examines trends in juvenile violent offending in Israel between the years 1996 and 2012. The findings indicate that female-to-male offending rate ratios have increased over time for simple assaults, aggravated assault and carrying a knife. Moreover, the closing of the gender gap among young minors (ages 12-14 years) principally results from the increase in female rates of offending, which is greater than the rise in male rates of offending. These findings are discussed in the context of existing research on the gender gap in the perpetration of violence with reference to future directions in research.