Recidivism among First-­‐Time Offending Truant Youth with Mental Health Symptoms

Authors

  • Hannah Doucette Northeastern University Author
  • Marina Tolou-Shams University of California, San Francisco Author
  • Christie J. Rizzo Northeastern University Author
  • Selby M. Conrad The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52935/18.41521.01

Keywords:

Juvenile justice, Predictors of recidivism, Psychological disorders, Reoffend, Status offenses

Abstract

Little is known about which first-time offending truant youth re-offend, especially in comparison to youth with first-time  delinquent offenses. The purpose of this study was to compare rates and risk factors for recidivism between youth with first-time truancy offenses and delinquent offenses. All youth included in this study were referred for forensic mental health evaluation due to mental health concerns. Findings revealed that rates of 12-month recidivism were comparable and both
groups were more likely to commit a future delinquent offense than a truancy or status offense. Risk for recidivism among truant youth was higher for those with an externalizing disorder and those who witnessed domestic violence. Within truant recidivists, being male and having a history of substance use increased likelihood of future delinquency. Study findings suggest that universal screening for truant youth upon court contact is justified and may be useful for selecting targeted recidivism prevention and intervention efforts. This may be particularly important for truant youth with mental health concerns, as indicated by the sample used in this study.

Author Biographies

  • Hannah Doucette, Northeastern University

    Hannah Doucette, M.A.
    Hannah Doucette is a Counseling Psychology Doctoral Student at Northeastern University. Her research interests include interpersonal trauma in close relationships and adolescent risk behavior prevention. Currently, Hannah is researching parent-­‐based interventions for adolescent dating violence prevention.

  • Marina Tolou-Shams, University of California, San Francisco

    Marina Tolou-­Shams, Ph.D.
    Dr. Tolou-Shams is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California,
    San Francisco and Weill Institute for Neurosciences and Division Director of Infant, Child and Adolescent
    Psychiatry at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Dr. Tolou-­Shams is an active clinical researcher
    who focuses on developing evidence-based mental health, substance abuse and HIV risk reduction
    interventions for community-supervised justice-involved youth.

  • Christie J. Rizzo, Northeastern University

    Christie J. Rizzo, Ph.D.
    Dr. Rizzo is an Associate Professor of Applied Psychology at Northeastern University. Dr. Rizzo’s research
    focuses on the development and implementation of evidence-based, violence and risk behavior prevention programming for youth, including technology-based initiatives. Her prevention work
    centers around the use of skills-­based approaches to both reduce risk and promote resilience among
    our most vulnerable youth including those involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

  • Selby M. Conrad, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

    Selby Conrad, Ph.D.
    Dr. Conrad is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School and Staff
    Psychologist with Rhode Island Hospital Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and  Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center. She is also an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Roger
    Williams University. Her research interests include the intersection of trauma, substance use, high-risk  behaviors and gender for juvenile justice involved youth.

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Published

01/01/2018

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Vol. 32 No. 1 (2018): JAJJS 2018 Issue

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Recidivism among First-­‐Time Offending Truant Youth with Mental Health Symptoms. (2018). Journal of Applied Juvenile Justice Services, 32(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.52935/18.41521.01

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