Developmental Maturity and Risk Behaviors of First-Time Offending, Court-Involved, Non-Incarcerated Youth

Authors

  • Kathleen Kemp Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2800-0956
  • Megan Irgens Department of Psychology, University of Arizona Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3568-8883
  • Brittney Poindexter Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital Author
  • Katelyn Affleck Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital; Warren Alpert Medical School, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University Author https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8683-0586
  • Brandon Marshall https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0134-7052 Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0134-7052
  • Daphne Koinis-Mitchell Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital; Warren Alpert Medical School, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University Author
  • Marina Tolou-Shams Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; Division of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2551-609X
  • Marina Tolou-Shams Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; Division of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2551-609X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52935/25.11513.4

Keywords:

Adolescent, Juvenile Justice, Development, Delinquency, Substance Use

Abstract

Objective: Youth in contact with the justice system have higher rates of risky behaviors such as substance use than youth not in contact, yet the mechanisms underlying these behaviors are not clearly understood. Research with incarcerated and post-adjudicated adolescent samples have examined some of the individual level factors by examining the relationship between psychosocial maturity and substance use; however, adolescents at point of first contact with the juvenile justice system, a crucial point of intervention and
diversion, have been given little attention. Method: The current study examined the relationship between psychosocial maturity, including emotion regulation, and high-risk behaviors such as substance use and delinquency in court-involved, non-incarcerated youth at point of first juvenile court contact. Results: MANCOVA analyses and logistic regressions partially supported our hypotheses that lesser psychosocial maturity was associated with earlier onset of substance use and increased delinquent behaviors. Conclusion:
Findings inform potential intervention needs around specific elements of psychosocial maturity for youth involved in the justice system. 

Author Biographies

  • Kathleen Kemp, Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital

    Kathleen Kemp, PhD, is an associate professor (research) in the Brown University Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior. She is the Director of the Success Clinical Research Collaborative and the Rhode Island Family Court Mental Health Clinic. Her research focuses on suicide prevention and the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based interventions with youth involved in the juvenile legal and child welfare systems.

  • Megan Irgens, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona

    Megan S. Irgens, earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Arizona and is currently a Staff Research Associate III at the University of California in the Juvenile (in)Justice Lab. Her research interests include the measurement of psychosocial maturity and the optimization of evidenced based interventions for legally involved youth.

  • Brittney Poindexter, Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital

    Brittney Allen, PhD, is an Executive Advisor for the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. Her work includes leading and supporting the development and implementation of equitable policies and programs that aim to dismantle health disparities and ensure that all Kentuckians have access to quality care.

  • Katelyn Affleck, Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital; Warren Alpert Medical School, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University

    Katie Affleck, PhD, is the lead psychologist for Adolescent Inpatient Services at Bradley Hospital and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University. Her clinical and research interests focus on increasing access to trauma-informed services and improving outcomes for and reducing rates of justice involvement among adolescents in acute care and forensic settings.

  • Brandon Marshall, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0134-7052

    Brandon D. L. Marshall, PhD, is a professor of epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health. He is also the founding director of the People, Place & Health Collective at Brown University. His research focuses on substance use epidemiology, with a specific emphasis on harm reduction research and overdose prevention.

  • Daphne Koinis-Mitchell, Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center, Rhode Island Hospital; Warren Alpert Medical School, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University

    Daphne Koinis-Mitchell, PhD, is a professor (research) in the Departments of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and Pediatrics. She is Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Pediatrics and directs the Community Asthma Program. She also leads a pediatric health disparities research program. Her research investigates multilevel mechanisms that contribute to disparities in pediatric health outcomes in urban children, mainly in the areas of asthma, sleep health, and physical activity.

  • Marina Tolou-Shams, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; Division of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital

    Marina Tolou-Shams, PhD, is the Kilroy Realty Endowed Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vice Chair for Community Engagement, Outreach and Advocacy and Deputy Vice Chair of Research at Zuckerberg SF General Hospital within the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. Dr. Tolou-Shams also leads the UCSF Juvenile inJustice Behavioral Health lab that focuses on research to increase access to behavioral health care and advance health equity for youth in contact with the juvenile legal and child welfare systems.

  • Marina Tolou-Shams, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; Division of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychiatry, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital

    Marina Tolou-Shams, PhD, is the Kilroy Realty Endowed Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vice Chair for Community Engagement, Outreach and Advocacy and Deputy Vice Chair of Research at Zuckerberg SF General Hospital within the UCSF Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science. Dr. Tolou-Shams also leads the UCSF Juvenile inJustice Behavioral Health lab that focuses on research to increase access to behavioral health care and advance health equity for youth in contact with the juvenile legal and child welfare systems.

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Published

04/15/2025

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Vol. 39 No. 1 (2025): JAJJS 2025 Issue

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Developmental Maturity and Risk Behaviors of First-Time Offending, Court-Involved, Non-Incarcerated Youth. (2025). Journal of Applied Juvenile Justice Services, 39(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.52935/25.11513.4

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