Does intra-individual change in risk factors and depression predict offending? A longitudinal examination in justice-involved youth
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: To prevent future crime, scholars have focused research on the identification of empirically supported dynamic risk factors.Many dynamic risk factors have been identified; however, a dearth of research exists that examines how changeable they really are, and if this change is associated with a change in offending.The overarching purpose of this dissertation was to assess whether common risk factors for recidivism and an emerging potential risk factor, depression, fit Kraemer et al.'s (1997) criteria for a causal risk factor (i.e., precedes the outcome, varies across time, and a change in the predictor is associated with a change in the outcome).This was examined in a sample of 163 justice-involved adolescents.This dissertation is divided into two studies.The first study examined seven dynamic criminogenic needs and assessed relations at single time points, as well as intra-individual changes across five assessments within one year.A multi-measurement approach was taken, with both the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) risk factors and self-report measures used to assess the criminogenic needs.It was found that generally all the criminogenic needs were robust predictors of concurrent any, violent, and nonviolent reoffending.When intraindividual change across time was assessed, findings showed that, in general, selfreported changes in risk factors were predictive of changes in any, violent, and nonviolent reoffending across the 5 assessments.When change in YLS/CMI risk factors was assessed, findings were more inconsistent.However, intra-individual change in problems with school and employment and poor use of leisure time did not predict changes in any or violent reoffending.This study found evidence in support of substance use, antisocial attitudes, antisocial personality, antisocial peers, and problems with family meeting Kraemer et al.'s (1997) criteria for a causal risk factor.The second study built on this methodology by examining depression, an emerging factor of interest, and its relations across time with offending.The directionality of the relations between depression and offending was assessed with multilevel modelling to determine whether depression is best understood as a potential cause or consequence of offending.The current study found no association between depression and any, violent, or nonviolent reoffending, regardless of directionality.The clinical and research implications of the two studies are discussed, with recommendations for future research provided.
Source: Summit (Simon Fraser University)
Author: Cochrane, Dana Marie
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7139567011