The Influence of Social Supports on Youth Violence Risk in Jamaica

• In Event: Cross National Perspectives on Juvenile Delinquency

Abstract

Risk assessment instruments can help criminal justice workers determine the likelihood of recidivism, which can be useful for the effective targeting of preventative and rehabilitative interventions. Social support domains including family, peers, and education, have long been recognized by criminologists, and are typically included in risk assessments. Unfortunately, much of our understanding of the risk and protective factors associated with social supports is drawn from research originating from North America and Western Europe. The effectiveness of Ameri- and Euro- centric risk assessment instruments to accurately predict risk may be weakened when used in the Global South. Drawing from a dataset that included screening and risk assessment documentation and criminal history information on 329 Jamaican youth interviewed by Jamaica’s Citizen Security and Justice Programme (CSJP) in 2016, this study explored the relative influence of gang involvement, family conflict, pro-criminal peers, and educational involvement on violent and general offending. The need for cultural specificity in the development and implementation of risk assessment tools is highlighted.

Authors

• Stephanie M. Kutcher, University of New Haven

• Kevin Barnes-Ceeney, University of New Haven