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Adult criminal outcomes of juvenile justice involvement.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Copeland, WE; Tong, G; Gifford, EJ; Easter, MM; Shanahan, L; Swartz, MS; Swanson, JW
Published in: Psychol Med
June 2023

BACKGROUND: The juvenile justice system in the USA adjudicates over seven hundred thousand youth in the USA annually with significant behavioral offenses. This study aimed to test the effect of juvenile justice involvement on adult criminal outcomes. METHODS: Analyses were based on a prospective, population-based study of 1420 children followed up to eight times during childhood (ages 9-16; 6674 observations) about juvenile justice involvement in the late 1990 and early 2000s. Participants were followed up years later to assess adult criminality, using self-report and official records. A propensity score (i.e. inverse probability) weighting approach was used that approximated an experimental design by balancing potentially confounding characteristics between children with v. without juvenile justice involvement. RESULTS: Between-groups differences on variables that elicit a juvenile justice referral (e.g. violence, property offenses, status offenses, and substance misuse) were attenuated after applying propensity-based inverse probability weights. Participants with a history of juvenile justice involvement were more likely to have later official and violent felony charges, and to self-report police contact and spending time in jail (ORs from 2.5 to 3.3). Residential juvenile justice involvement was associated with the highest risk of both, later official criminal records and self-reported criminality (ORs from 5.1 to 14.5). Sensitivity analyses suggest that our findings are likely robust to potential unobserved confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Juvenile justice involvement was associated with increased risk of adult criminality, with residential services associated with highest risk. Juvenile justice involvement may catalyze rather than deter from adult offending.

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Published In

Psychol Med

DOI

EISSN

1469-8978

Publication Date

June 2023

Volume

53

Issue

8

Start / End Page

3711 / 3718

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Violence
  • Psychiatry
  • Prospective Studies
  • Juvenile Delinquency
  • Humans
  • Criminals
  • Crime
  • Child
  • Adult
  • Adolescent
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Copeland, W. E., Tong, G., Gifford, E. J., Easter, M. M., Shanahan, L., Swartz, M. S., & Swanson, J. W. (2023). Adult criminal outcomes of juvenile justice involvement. Psychol Med, 53(8), 3711–3718. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722000393
Copeland, William E., Guangyu Tong, Elizabeth J. Gifford, Michele M. Easter, Lilly Shanahan, Marvin S. Swartz, and Jeffrey W. Swanson. “Adult criminal outcomes of juvenile justice involvement.Psychol Med 53, no. 8 (June 2023): 3711–18. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722000393.
Copeland WE, Tong G, Gifford EJ, Easter MM, Shanahan L, Swartz MS, et al. Adult criminal outcomes of juvenile justice involvement. Psychol Med. 2023 Jun;53(8):3711–8.
Copeland, William E., et al. “Adult criminal outcomes of juvenile justice involvement.Psychol Med, vol. 53, no. 8, June 2023, pp. 3711–18. Pubmed, doi:10.1017/S0033291722000393.
Copeland WE, Tong G, Gifford EJ, Easter MM, Shanahan L, Swartz MS, Swanson JW. Adult criminal outcomes of juvenile justice involvement. Psychol Med. 2023 Jun;53(8):3711–3718.
Journal cover image

Published In

Psychol Med

DOI

EISSN

1469-8978

Publication Date

June 2023

Volume

53

Issue

8

Start / End Page

3711 / 3718

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Violence
  • Psychiatry
  • Prospective Studies
  • Juvenile Delinquency
  • Humans
  • Criminals
  • Crime
  • Child
  • Adult
  • Adolescent