Transition From Juvenile to Adult Criminal Careers

• NCJ Number: 211663
• Author(s): Shuling Chen; Tania Matruglio; Don Weatherburn; Jiuzhao Hua
• Date Published: May 2005
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research
• Sale Source: New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. Crime and Justice Bulletin: Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice, Number 86, May 2005; downloaded October 14, 2005.

Annotation

This bulletin presents findings from a preliminary Australian study of factors that influenced the rate of juvenile offending and the proportion of juveniles whose criminal careers extended into adulthood.

Abstract

The study examined the reoffending of a cohort of 5,476 juveniles ages 10 to 18 who appeared in the New South Wales children's Court (Australia) for the first time in 1995. The criminal offending of these youth was monitored for approximately 8 years, from their first court appearance in 1995 to December 31, 2003. In addition to determining the proportion that subsequently appeared before an adult court, a preliminary assessment examined who was most at risk of making the transition from juvenile to adult offending. Findings show that of those who appeared in a juvenile court for the first time in 1995, 43 percent reappeared at least once in a juvenile court within the next 8 years, and 57 percent had at least one appearance in an adult court over this period; 23 percent of those who came before an adult court received an adult prison sentence. The younger the age at the first appearance in a juvenile court, the greater the number of court appearances over the next 8 years; however, the risk of appearing in an adult court over this period was not related to age at first juvenile court appearance. This was likely due to the fact that appearance at juvenile court at a young age meant less time to come before an adult court during the study period. The most surprising finding was the high percentage (nearly 70 percent) of juveniles who reappeared in court over the 8 years. Males, Indigenous defendants, and those whose first court appearance came at an early age generally reappeared in court much sooner than females, non-Indigenous defendants, and those whose first juvenile court appearance occurred when they were older. 9 tables, 10 figures, and 10 references