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Service System Involvement and Delinquent Offending at System of Care Entry

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Abstract

This study examines correlates of delinquent offending among 2,554 youths presenting to community-based treatment in Center for Mental Health Services-funded systems of care. Variables in five key domains, including demographics, family risk, child clinical risk, school, and service system involvement, were examined in relation to severity of offending at treatment entry for early/middle (11–15 years) versus late (16–18 years) adolescents. Significant correlates of offending severity were identified in all domains except family risk for the 11 to 15 year olds and in demographics and child clinical risk for the 16 to 18 year olds. Service system involvement was a unique correlate of delinquency in the younger group. Findings add to other studies showing that correlates of offending appear to differ across stages of adolescence; specifically, school and service system involvement may be less important for older adolescents than for younger adolescents. Service system involvement should be included in longitudinal studies of risk for adolescent offending.

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Notes

  1. All study models were run separately using a weighted version of the Delinquency Survey score as the dependent variable. In this version, delinquency items were weighted by severity using the results of the factor analysis to determine weights. The results of the model did not differ from the results when the model was run with the sum Delinquency Survey score (not weighted). As such, the more simplified version of the analysis using total sum scores is presented here in order to preserve clarity in presentation of analyses and results.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by subcontract # 35126-4S-549 from Macro International, Inc. to Duke University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

    Leyla F. Stambaugh PhD

  2. Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Dannia Southerland PhD

  3. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Sarah A. Mustillo PhD

  4. Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA

    Barbara J. Burns PhD

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  1. Leyla F. Stambaugh PhD
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  2. Dannia Southerland PhD
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  3. Sarah A. Mustillo PhD
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  4. Barbara J. Burns PhD
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Correspondence to Leyla F. Stambaugh PhD.

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Stambaugh, L.F., Southerland, D., Mustillo, S.A. et al. Service System Involvement and Delinquent Offending at System of Care Entry. J Behav Health Serv Res 37, 307–321 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-009-9179-x

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