NCJ Number
175773
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 40 Issue: 4 Dated: October 1998 Pages: 421-446
Date Published
1998
Length
26 pages
Annotation
Data from 173 males and 30 females ages 15-22 years who had been seen at a Canadian children's mental health center between ages 6 and 12 years for problem behaviors were used to examine the rate of later court contacts and the predictors of an early age for first contact.
Abstract
The participants had been admitted between 1985 and 1992 into a 12-week specialized treatment program in a large Canadian city. The program used a behavioral systems model of the development and treatment of aggression and antisocial behavior. Its three components were group problem-solving and self-control skills training, group parent training and family counseling, and individual befriending through a big brother or big sister type of relationship. The main admission criterion was police contact within 6 months before the referral. Data were analyzed descriptively, through a survival analysis focusing on when specific events such as arrest occurred, and through Cox regression analyses. Results revealed that the probabilities for a male and female to have court contact by age 18 were 65.9 percent and 32.9 percent, respectively. The clinician's rating of the child's likability was a significant predictor of an early age for first court contact for males; a history of abuse was a significant predictor for females. Findings indicated the need for effective early identification programs for certain children and their families. Tables, figures, notes, and 37 references (Author abstract modified)