The Role of Strengths and Barriers in Youth Assessment: Usage Practice, Subgroup Differences, and Case Outcomes.

• In Event: Implementing Evidence-Based Policy and Practice in Juvenile Justice: An Assessment of Varied Initiatives and Outcomes.

Abstract

The Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS) is a collection of instruments developed to assess the risk, need, and responsivity factors of youths across various stages of the juvenile justice system. One recognized feature of the OYAS is the inclusion of items designed to identify youths’ strengths and barriers across various domains, which can then be used to enhance case planning. Though this feature may be advantageous for practitioners, these portions of the assessment are not required to generate an overall risk score. As a result, little is known about the extent to which strengths and barriers are evaluated and used in practice. The study uses data from a large sample of juvenile justice cases and surveys and interviews with system personnel to investigate how practitioners use the OYAS to identify strengths and barriers among adolescents in the juvenile justice system, whether specified subgroups of youths possess similar strengths and barriers, and the extent to which the presence of strengths and barriers influences treatment placement and outcomes. The discussion of these results will focus on their implications for understanding youth risks and needs and related juvenile justice decision making.

Authors

• Jamie Newsome, University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute

• Melissa Lugo, University of Cincinnati

• Jennifer Lux, University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute

• Derek John Mueller, University of Cincinnati

• Christopher Sullivan, University of Cincinnati