Longitudinal associations between a health risk factor and juvenile justice placement among persistent juvenile offenders
Jennifer Wareham
Criminology and Criminal Justice Department, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Richard Dembo
Criminology Department, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
Correspondence
Richard Dembo, Department of Criminology, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave, SOC 107, Tampa, FL, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorJames Schmeidler
Psychiatry Department, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
Search for more papers by this authorJennifer Wareham
Criminology and Criminal Justice Department, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Richard Dembo
Criminology Department, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA
Correspondence
Richard Dembo, Department of Criminology, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave, SOC 107, Tampa, FL, USA.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorJames Schmeidler
Psychiatry Department, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Health criminology explores the connection between crime and health factors. Less is understood about longitudinal health risks and adolescents entering the juvenile justice system. This study used a sample of n = 388 males involved in the juvenile justice system to examined longitudinal associations of a latent health risk factor, comprised of depression, marijuana use, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), with post-juvenile assessment center (JAC) intake placement. Results using Bayesian estimation indicated the health risk factor was relatively stable over three time points of JAC entry and associated with present and, indirectly, future justice system placement. Youths who were Hispanic, Black, older, or living with a family member struggling with alcohol use had higher health risk. These findings underscore the need for juvenile justice system services that address health risks among persistent juvenile offenders, with consideration of cultural and family dynamics.
CONFLICT OF INTERESTS
We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The materials used for data collection are primarily from publicly available sources and have been cited within the body of the text. The data are not publicly available to due concerns regarding confidentiality of the adolescent and at-risk sample; however, they are available upon reasonable requests from the corresponding author. Researchers desiring to conduct meta-analyses of the results reported in this study should contact the corresponding author for any additional information.
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