The Impact of Victimization and Mental Health Symptoms on Recidivism for Early System-Involved Juvenile Offenders

Although research has linked mental health symptoms and prior victimization to recidivism for youth on probation or in detention, little attention has been given to these risk factors for early system-involved youth. We conducted a survival/hazard model to estimate the impact of official records of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Law and human behavior 2018-12, Vol.42 (6), p.558-569
Main Authors: Wylie, Lindsey E., Rufino, Katrina A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Child Abuse
Child Neglect
Crime
Criminal Offenders
Diversion Programs
Female
Human
Juvenile Delinquency
Male
Mental Health
Mentally Ill Offenders
Recidivism
Symptoms
Victimization
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Summary:Although research has linked mental health symptoms and prior victimization to recidivism for youth on probation or in detention, little attention has been given to these risk factors for early system-involved youth. We conducted a survival/hazard model to estimate the impact of official records of abuse/neglect, crime victimization, and mental health issues (mood, anxiety, disruptive, and substance use disorders) on recidivism in a sample of 2,792 youth in a large Midwestern diversion program. Results indicated that youth with official records of abuse/neglect, person crime victimization, and property crime victimization were more likely to recidivate sooner than those without these victimization experiences (hazard ratio: 1.37, 1.42, and 1.52, respectively). Findings from the present study also demonstrated that substance use disorder was the only mental health cluster that predicted quicker time to recidivism. As one of the earliest points of entry into the juvenile justice system, diversion programs are in a unique position to address trauma from multiple types of victimization and adapt diversion programming to be responsive to each juvenile's mental health needs. Public Significance Statement Early system-involved youth referred to juvenile diversion had high levels of mental health symptoms and many had prior experiences with various types of victimization that are based on official law enforcement records. Prior victimization significantly predicted whether a youth had future contact with the juvenile or adult criminal justice system, even while considering other factors, such as risk level and youth characteristics.
ISSN:0147-7307
1573-661X
DOI:10.1037/lhb0000311