NCJ Number
101980
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 26 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1986) Pages: 157-163
Date Published
1986
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study, conducted in 1981-1984, examined whether 110 at-risk Irish youth would be more likely to commit major criminal offenses following their continuous association with convicted delinquents in a community-based intervention program.
Abstract
The male subjects, 15 to 21 years old and matched for sociodemographic background, were assigned to 1 of 4 groups: those who received the program (43 convicted and 31 at-risk youths), and those assigned to a waiting list (19 convicted and 17 at-risk youths). At 16-month followup, no significant difference in conviction rate was found between at-risk youth who participated in the program and those who did not (9.7 and 11.8 percent, respectively), nor between convicted participants and nonparticipants (48.8 and 47.4 percent, respectively). The length of association (14 or 28 weeks) did not increase the likelihood of major criminal involvement. Results suggest that where preprogram free association fails to influence at-risk youth to commit major offenses, then mixed participation in a more structured and controlled setting is just as likely to do so. There was evidence that recent-infrequent offenders who received the program were more likely to be reconvicted during followup than were both frequent and, especially, nonrecent offenders. It is tentatively hypothesized that it is the recent-infrequent offenders who may have the highest risk of being adversely influenced by association with frequent offenders in community-based programs. 12 references. (Author abstract modified)