NCJ Number
178348
Journal
Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 26 Issue: 1 Dated: March 1999 Pages: 44-68
Date Published
1999
Length
25 pages
Annotation
The usefulness of separate risk assessments for classifying male and female juvenile delinquents on probation was examined using data collected from a large metropolitan juvenile court in the Southeast.
Abstract
The sample included only cases referred during 1993 and subsequently placed on formal probation or referred to the States' Department of Juvenile Justice. The final sample included 388 randomly sampled male cases and all 112 female cases. The juvenile court records provided information on offenses and social histories. The independent variables included factors related to home environment and family functioning, school performance, peer associations, drug abuse, juvenile court contacts, prior offenses, and focus offenses. The research used a scaled measure of reoffending as the dependent variable. The research focused on whether separate instruments classified juveniles' recidivism risks better than does a combined instrument and whether risk factors differed for female and male juvenile recidivists. Results indicated that separate risk assessment instruments improve classifications of risk for reoffending, especially among females. Furthermore, female risk factors differed substantially from those of males; child abuse and running away appeared only with the female model. Findings emphasized the need for risk assessment instruments that recognize gender differences and indicate the need to modify general theories of crime in ways that account for the unique risks associated with female offending. Tables, appended list of offense categories, and 54 references (Author abstract modified)