The Role of Social Relationships in Reducing Delinquency Among At-Risk Youth

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

There is an ongoing need for effective interventions focused on reducing delinquency among the juvenile justice population. New strategies are needed to guide the development of novel interventions. Many interventions concentrate exclusively on rehabilitating risk factors or preventing the emergence of negative influences. However, only a handful of strategies aimed at justice-involved adolescents focus on building resilience and increasing prosocial beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes. This symposium focuses on the role that social relationships may play as a targeted intervention for delinquency among a diverse population of at-risk adolescents. We focus on the ways in which prosocial beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes may be correlated with a reduction in delinquency. Counterintuitively, we also explore how certain social relationships may play a role in increasing delinquency among at-risk adolescents in the foster care system. This symposium adds to the literature about the importance of understanding the multidimensionality of social relationships for targeted interventions with at-risk and justice involved youth.

Sub Unit

• Area III. Perspectives on Crime / 2. Developmental and Life Course Perspectives

Division of Special Interest

• Division Session of Interest / Division of Developmental/Life-Course Criminology

Individual Presentations

• Prosocial Status and Recidivism in Justice-involved Male Adolescents - Adam Schmidt, Texas Tech University; Geri Hanten, Private Consultant; Jacquelynn Duron, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Abigail Williams-Butler, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

• Social Relationships and the Potential for Delinquency - Abigail Williams-Butler, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Jacquelynn Duron, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Adam Schmidt, Texas Tech University; Geri Hanten, Private Consultant

• Community Mentors Working with At-Risk and Justice-Involved Youth: What Do They Think about Mentoring? - Jacquelynn Duron, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Abigail Williams-Butler, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; Adam Schmidt, Texas Tech University; Geri Hanten, Private Consultant