The problem of this study was to analyze the following five factors related to juvenile delinquency in Montague County, Texas, during 1947 and 1948: first, causes and control of juvenile delinquency; second, personal data about thirty-three juvenile offenders; third, their offenses; fourth, disposition made of the charges by the judge of the juvenile court; and fifth, the present behavior status of the offenders.

At the end of the nineteenth century, individuals identified as child savers pioneered an unprecedented movement to save America’s children from physical and moral harm. The establishment of the juvenile justice system came as a result of the actions of the child savers. Researchers have focused extensively on many aspects of the juvenile justice system including studies on the effectiveness of the system to tracking the changes the system has undergone since its establishment. Numerous other studies examined opinions of the juvenile justice system. However, the research has focused solely on the general public, juvenile probation officers and juvenile correctional staff. The current study examined the actual participants within the juvenile justice system - the juvenile offenders - to gauge their perceptions of the system that was created to protect and turn them into law-abiding individuals. A survey was conducted with juvenile offenders housed within two conservative, Midwestern juvenile correctional facilities. The juveniles believed that rehabilitation should be an integral goal of the juvenile justice system and they endorsed community-based interventions as a means to change behavior. The results indicate that the juvenile offenders are in tune with the general public as seeing the juvenile justice system as a child saving institution rather than as a punitive endeavor.

The purpose of this study was to explore the efficacy of juvenile offender assessments. Data from 104 juvenile offender assessments were analyzed and followed up with placement, subsequent offending, and outcome data from the juvenile and adult systems. Constructs consistently assessed included intellectual functioning, academic achievement, and personality functioning; however, under-diagnosis of intellectual deficits, learning disabilities, and personality disorders was found. Results indicated the assessment of family functioning, substance use, and social functioning should be included in comprehensive assessments, as they may result in alternative placement and treatment options of benefit to the juvenile offender. A juvenile offender typology proposed by DiCataldo and Grisso (1995) was successfully utilized and proved predictive of recidivism, future harm to others, and outcome.

Predictors of institutional adjustment for juvenile offenders were examined using a sample of 120 males in a detention facility. While demographic information failed to differentiate between well and poorly adjusted juveniles, psychological measures appeared to be more effective. Several MMPI-A clinical scales were useful predictors with the overall elevation in clinical scales being one of the strongest predictors. In addition, the Psychopathy Checklist - Clinical Version (PCL-CV) was a strong predictor of adjustment. Major ethnic differences occurred in the prediction of adjustment, with the MMPI-A and PCL-CV scales predicting infraction rates for the African American group but not Anglo American or Hispanic American groups.

The juvenile justice system was established as a result of an unprecedented movement pioneered by the child savers. Child savers strived to protect America's children from physical and moral harm. Since the juvenile justice system's inception, research has focused extensively on the effectiveness of the juvenile system. Numerous studies have observed the perceptions of the general public, juvenile probation officers, and juvenile correctional staff regarding the juvenile justice system. The current study examined actual participants in the juvenile justice system to assess their opinions of the system that was designed to serve, protect, and rehabilitate them into active members of society. A survey was conducted with juvenile offenders who had been placed on court mandated juvenile probation, and their responses were analyzed and compared with previous research regarding the effectiveness of the juvenile justice system.

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Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a major health concern, especially for high-risk populations such as incarcerated youth. DSH refers to socially unacceptable, deliberate behaviour that causes harm to the body regardless of intent to die. There is limited research concerning prevalence rates as well as risk and protective factors for high-risk, adolescent groups. Participants were recruited from a correctional facility for youth aged 12-18. Male (n = 36) and female (n = 51) incarcerated adolescents (N = 87; mean age = 15.9) completed a survey that measured social-demographic characteristics, current depressed mood, lifetime alcohol and drug use, perceptions of social support (availability and satisfaction), approach-avoidance coping, problem-solving confidence, and DSH. The prevalence rates (81% lifetime, 74% annual, and 51% while incarcerated) for this mainly Aboriginal and Métis population were much higher than previous offender, community, and hospital findings. Youth reported much higher rates of DSH on a checklist than in response to a general question previously used in such research, suggesting that previously reported prevalence rates are likely grossly underestimated. Hypotheses regarding risk and protective factors were only partially supported. Depressed mood and drug use were positively, directly related to annual DSH frequency. Depressed mood proved to be a significant risk factor as well for incarcerated DSH. Overall, protective factors did not predict DSH well for this group of offenders. Only approach coping was inversely related to DSH frequency. Participants in this study reported very low levels of protective factors, which likely affected the outcome of statistical analyses. In general, youth reported high rates of risk factors and low rates of protective factors. Rates of DSH warranting medical attention increased with duration and frequency of such behaviour, as did actually receiving medical attention. Although 74% of offenders indicated that medical attention had been warranted at least once, only 50% actually received medical attention. Offenders were equally likely to receive medical attention whether they had engaged in DSH once or repetitively. It is likely that offenders prefer to keep their behaviour private, which affects how often they seek medical attention, even if they believe it is warranted. Recommendations are advanced for detecting and responding to DSH in incarcerated youth.

Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a major health concern, especially for high-risk populations such as incarcerated youth. DSH refers to socially unacceptable, deliberate behaviour that causes harm to the body regardless of intent to die. There is limited research concerning prevalence rates as well as risk and protective factors for high-risk, adolescent groups. Participants were recruited from a correctional facility for youth aged 12-18. Male (n = 36) and female (n = 51) incarcerated adolescents (N = 87; mean age = 15.9) completed a survey that measured social-demographic characteristics, current depressed mood, lifetime alcohol and drug use, perceptions of social support (availability and satisfaction), approach-avoidance coping, problem-solving confidence, and DSH. The prevalence rates (81% lifetime, 74% annual, and 51% while incarcerated) for this mainly Aboriginal and Métis population were much higher than previous offender, community, and hospital findings. Youth reported much higher rates of DSH on a checklist than in response to a general question previously used in such research, suggesting that previously reported prevalence rates are likely grossly underestimated. Hypotheses regarding risk and protective factors were only partially supported. Depressed mood and drug use were positively, directly related to annual DSH frequency. Depressed mood proved to be a significant risk factor as well for incarcerated DSH. Overall, protective factors did not predict DSH well for this group of offenders. Only approach coping was inversely related to DSH frequency. Participants in this study reported very low levels of protective factors, which likely affected the outcome of statistical analyses. In general, youth reported high rates of risk factors and low rates of protective factors. Rates of DSH warranting medical attention increased with duration and frequency of such behaviour, as did actually receiving medical attention. Although 74% of offenders indicated that medical attention had been warranted at least once, only 50% actually received medical attention. Offenders were equally likely to receive medical attention whether they had engaged in DSH once or repetitively. It is likely that offenders prefer to keep their behaviour private, which affects how often they seek medical attention, even if they believe it is warranted. Recommendations are advanced for detecting and responding to DSH in incarcerated youth.

The main purpose of the present study is to examine the predictive validity of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) to Japanese juvenile offender population. Three hundred and eighty-nine juveniles who were released from the five Juvenile Classification Homes (JCHs) were followed for more than one year on average. Results demonstrate that those who show higher score on the YLS/CMI are more likely to recidivate than those who are not. A total score of the YLS/CMI also significantly contributes to predict faster time to recidivate. Furthermore, the superiority of actuarial risk measures over clinical risk judgment is confirmed. The overall findings support the applicability of the YLS/CMI among Japanese juvenile offenders. Practical implications and limitations to the current study are also discussed.

abstract: Ethnic enclaves, or neighborhoods with high ethnic densities, have been linked with positive health outcomes and lower crime rates. Using data from the Pathways to Desistance project, this study tested whether neighborhood Latino concentration prospectively predicted re-offense rates among a sample of Mexican American juvenile offenders (n = 247). Further, I tested whether the effect of neighborhood Latino concentration on re-offense was moderated by ethnic identity, Mexican orientation, and generation status. Covariates included demographics and risk factors for offending. Results showed that neighborhood Latino concentration, ethnic identity, Mexican orientation, and generation status were not predictive of re-offense rates. Gender, risk for offending, and time spent supervised during the follow-up period predicted re-offense rates one year later. The results highlight the importance of risk assessment for this high risk group. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2018