NCJ Number
228152
Journal
European Journal of Criminology Volume: 6 Issue: 5 Dated: September 2009 Pages: 419-438
Date Published
September 2009
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study examined both long-term and short-term risk factors for serious juvenile delinquency.
Abstract
Findings from the study indicate that serious delinquency was related not only to an accumulation of long-term risk factors, but also to situational factors, such as lack of tangible guardians and having used alcohol or drugs prior to the offense. Short-term factors did play a role in explaining serious juvenile delinquency. The risk factor approach is one of the dominant paradigms for explaining serious juvenile delinquency with long-term risk factors, such as impulsivity, lack of social skills, inadequate parental supervision, and poor school performance emphasized. Only recently has attention been paid to the effects of situational risk factors, such as the presence of co-offenders and the use of alcohol or drugs. This study examined the relationship between short-term risk factors and serious versus moderate delinquency during adolescence, taking into account an accumulation of long-term risk factors. Hypotheses derived from the Integrated Cognitive Antisocial Potential (ICAP) theory were formulated, with regard to long-term and short-term risk factors. The hypotheses were tested using data from the 2005 WODC Youth Delinquency Survey (a cross-sectional survey carried out amongst adolescents between the ages of 10 and 17) of 292 juvenile delinquents. Tables, appendix, and references