Implications of Youth Involvement with the Justice System and Later Transition into Adulthood

• In Event: Touching the System: Examining Intergenerational Contact with the Criminal Justice System, Implications for Policy and Practice

Abstract

Youth involved in the juvenile justice system are at greater risk of experiencing adverse adult outcomes such as economic hardship, unstable relationships, educational setbacks, poor health outcomes, and involvement in the adult criminal justice system. Moreover, most youth in the justice system have experienced some form of early trauma. Despite evidence suggesting a robust pathway from juvenile justice involvement to the adult criminal justice system, to date no single cause of criminality has been identified, nor has a single pathway into or out of justice system involvement been identified. Rather experts know that a multitude of ecological systems influence behavior at the individual, family, and community levels. However, little is known about how contact with the police and the juvenile justice system might interact with contextual factors to exacerbate or reduce an individual’s risk of involvement in the adult criminal justice system or related adverse developmental outcomes. Using data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing (FFCWS), a large-scale longitudinal study including a contemporary, population-based sample and rich measures of justice system involvement, this presentation examines complex trauma and developmentally informed pathways (with an emphasis on police contact and other justice system involvement) to adolescent delinquency and young adult justice system involvement and adverse outcomes. It will discuss implications for juvenile and criminal justice policies and practices.

Author

• Amanda Geller, University of California, Irvine