Source: (2005) International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology. 49: 696-709.
The present study examined the risks and needs of status offenders in comparison to
an at-large juvenile court sample, with specific attention paid to factors related to gender and
ethnicity. Status offenders displayed significantly higher risk scores than the comparison sample
in domains associated with both family and parenting concerns and educational concerns.
In addition, females displayed higher risk levels than males and White youth displayed significantly
higher risk levels than minority youth across a wide variety of risk domains. Further
analyses were conducted regarding the participation of African American males and females
in a program designed as an alternative to detention. For both groups, successful program
completion was accompanied by little or no further court involvement, whereas failure to complete
the program was related to a variety of negative outcomes. However, African American
females and males successfully completing programrequirements displayed different risks and
needs at the outset of their participation.
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