Family-Related Adversity and Recidivism among Residentially Committed Youth

• In Event: New Research on the Predictors of Juvenile Recidivism

Abstract

Research has documented consistent effects of adverse childhood experiences on youth offending. Although several theoretical perspectives have been advanced to explain this association, some—such as social learning theory—anticipate particularly strong effects of family-related experiences, such as out of home placements, parental separation/divorce, parental incarceration, parental drug and alcohol problems, and parental mental health problems. This study explores the links between these family-related factors and recidivism among residentially committed youth, who are likely to have high rates of both family-related adversity and recidivism. Descriptive and predictive analyses were conducted using data on a sample of youth released from Florida Department of Juvenile Justice residential facilities between 2012 and 2017 (N > 13,000). We first present descriptive analyses of the co-occurrence of these varied family problems. We then explore the relative predictive strength of these family-related adversities in predicting re-adjudication or reconviction within twelve months of release. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed.

Authors

• Sonja Siennick, Florida State University

• Jacob Judd, Florida State University

• Jennifer Copp, Florida State University