Measurement invariance of the Youth Self-Report across youth who have committed sexual and nonsexual offenses

Justice-involved youth experience high rates of mental health problems that require proper screening and assessment in order to effectively intervene. The Youth Self-Report (YSR) is a general psychopathology rating scale that measures several dimensions of psychopathology and is commonly used in clinical assessments, including with justice-involved youth. Yet, the underlying factor structure of the YSR has not been examined specifically in a sample of justice-involved youth. We examined the factor structure of the YSR using confirmatory factor analysis with a sample of 961 male youth involved with the justice system (12–18 years of age). Measurement invariance of the YSR was also examined across groups of youth who committed a sexual offence and those who committed a nonsexual offence. The eight-factor model presented with optimal fit to the data, consistent with previous research with nonjustice involved samples, and the model demonstrated strong measurement invariance across youth who committed both types of offenses (sexual and nonsexual). Youth who committed nonsexual offenses reported significantly higher degrees of rule-breaking behavior and lower degrees of social problems than youth who committed sexual offenses. The current findings provide strong psychometric evidence that supports the use of the YSR with justice-involved male youth. As such, clinicians and researchers can be confident in using the YSR as a mental health screening tool with male youth involved with the justice system who have committed various offenses

The role of mental health and specific responsivity in juvenile justice rehabilitation

©American Psychological Association, 2017. This paper is not the copy of record and may not exactly replicate the authoritative document published in the APA journal. Please do not copy or cite without author's permission. The final article is available, upon publication, at: https://doi.org/10.1037/lhb0000228Understanding the role that mental health issues play in justice-involved youth poses challenges for research, policy, and practice. While mental health problems are generally not risk factors for criminal behavior according to the risk-needs-responsivity (RNR) framework of correctional psychology practice, prevalence rates are very high and RNR principles suggest that mental health as a responsivity variable may moderate the success of interventions targeted to criminogenic needs. In this study we investigated the relationships among mental health status, criminogenic needs treatment, and recidivism in a sample of 232 youth referred for court-ordered assessments and followed through their community supervision sentence (probation). Youth with mental health needs were no more likely than youth without these needs to reoffend, regardless of whether those needs were treated. Youth who received mental health treatment also more frequently had their criminogenic needs matched across several domains, suggesting an association between mental health treatment and intermediate treatment targets. However, mental health did not moderate the effect of criminogenic needs treatment: youth who had a greater proportion of criminogenic needs targeted through appropriate services were less likely to reoffend, regardless of mental health status. Findings are consistent with the RNR stance that, within a correctional context in which the primary goal of intervention is preventing recidivism, treatment for mental health needs should be in addition to criminogenic needs treatment, not in replacement of it. They also point to the need for continued research to understand precisely how mental health treatment interacts with intervention targeting criminogenic needs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)This research was supported by Grant number 410101516 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to the second and third authors, and a SSHRC doctoral scholarship to the first author

The Relationship Between Changes in Dynamic Risk Factors and the Predictive Validity of Risk Assessments Among Youth Offenders

© 2017 International Association for Correctional and Forensic PsychologyThe Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) is a widely used risk assessment tool for youth offenders. It is intended to be administered regularly to capture changes in criminogenic needs and thus inform case management during a youth’s sentence. However, there is a dearth of research examining whether updated assessments are more predictive of recidivism than initial assessments. We examined whether including dynamic risk factors increased the predictive validity of the YLS/CMI and whether changes in dynamic risk scores improved the prediction of recidivism. Two hundred youth offenders were tracked from their first risk assessment conducted at probation to their most recent risk assessment completed prior to first reoffense or study end date. Inclusion of dynamic risk scores improved predictive accuracy above static risk and updated dynamic risk scores improved accuracy over those obtained from the initial assessment, supporting the utility of the YLS/CMI as a reassessment tool.This research was supported by Grant number 410101516 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada to the second and third authors

A theoretical evaluation of a youth mental health court program model

Mental health courts are a promising new approach to addressing the overrepresentation of mental health needs among offender populations, yet little is known about how they facilitate change, particularly for youth. The current study reports on a process evaluation of a youth mental health court in Toronto, Canada. Drawing upon observations of the court and interviews with key informants, we developed a program model of the court and explored its implementation within the context of empirical evidence for treating justice-involved youth. Findings revealed that the proposed mechanism of change, which focuses on reducing recidivism through the treatment of mental health needs, should also consider factors directly related to offending behavior. Findings further highlight several strengths of the program, including the program's supportive environment and ability to engage and link youth and families with treatment. Areas for continued growth include the need for comprehensive protections of legal rights.This research was funded in part by the Youth Justice and Strategic Initiatives Section of the Department of Justice Canada, the Canadian Mental Health Association, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. The Department of Justice was involved in the development of research questions and interview materials for the study. No other funding sources were involved in the research process

The Relationship Between Trauma, Recidivism Risk, and Reoffending in Male and Female Juvenile Offenders

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40653-018-0238-4Elevated rates of traumatic experience in the juvenile justice population are well established. Nevertheless, the role of trauma and its application to rehabilitation and recidivism in a criminal justice context remains hotly debated, particularly for female youth. The Risk-Need-Responsivity framework, the predominant model for risk assessment and case management in juvenile justice, does not consider trauma to be a risk factor for offending. This study examined– Posttraumatic Stress symptomology, maltreatment history, and childhood adversity – in relation to RNR risk factors for reoffending (criminogenic needs) and recidivism in a sample of female and male juvenile offenders. Rates of PTS symptomology, maltreatment, and childhood adversity were significantly higher in this sample compared to prevalence in the general population. Females were more likely to have experienced maltreatment. Several maltreatment and childhood adversity types were significantly related to criminogenic needs. PTS symptomology and adversity were not significant predictors of recidivism when entered alongside criminogenic needs; however, maltreatment was the strongest predictor of recidivism for both male and female youth in a model that included criminogenic needs. Gender did not moderate the relationship between maltreatment and recidivism. The importance of considering youths’ maltreatment history in their rehabilitative care is discussed.This research was supported by Grant number 410101516 from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to Michele Peterson-Badali and Tracey Skilling, and a SSHRC doctoral scholarship to Nina Vitopoulos

Predictive and Convergent Validity of the Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument in a Sample of Male and Female Justice-Involved Youth

Sufficient evidence exists that gender should and does matter in offender management. This study examined the predictive validity of risk and strength factors extracted from the Youth Assessment and Screening Instrument (YASI) and the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) in a sample of 254 justice-involved youth (148 males, 106 females) from Ontario, Canada. Overall, total risk scores from both measures predicted recidivism (area under receiver operator characteristic curve [AUCs] =.62-.70). Domain-level analyses illustrated that criminal attitudes and associates (scored as risks or protective/strengths) were among the strongest predictors of recidivism in both genders. The YASI demonstrated strong convergent validity with the YLS/CMI. The results support the YASI and the YLS/CMI as viable risk assessment measures for justice-involved male and female youth. Given that the YASI includes both gender neutral and gender responsive items, it may be a particularly good choice for use with justice-involved females

Mental Health in the Context of Canada’s Youth Justice System

The high prevalence rate of mental health difficulties in youth involved in the justice system raises concerns as well as numerous questions for research, policy, and practice. In this article we examine several aspects of the intersection between mental health and Canadian youth justice policy and practice, with a particular focus on describing models of the relationship between mental health problems and justice system involvement and considering the implications of these models for the effective assessment and treatment of justice-involved youth. Our review highlights that research examining this relationship has suffered because of lack of communication between clinical and correctional researchers, and that the assumption regarding the causal role of mental health issues in offending behaviour needs much more attention. Recommendations following this review include widespread mental health screening for justice-involved youth, greater uptake on the available sections of the Youth Criminal Justice Act that allow for specialized assessments and sentencing for youth with mental health concerns, and a research agenda that focuses on the relationship between mental health concerns and criminal behaviour in both boys and girls

sj-docx-1-cjb-10.1177_00938548231165286 – Supplemental material for Assessment of Strengths in Criminal Justice System-Impacted Youth: A Retrospective Validation Study of the SAPROF-YV

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-cjb-10.1177_00938548231165286 for Assessment of Strengths in Criminal Justice System-Impacted Youth: A Retrospective Validation Study of the SAPROF-YV by Sonia Finseth, Michele Peterson-badali, Shelley L. Brown and Tracey A. Skilling in Criminal Justice and Behavior</p

The Reliability and Validity of the Measure of Criminal Attitudes and Associates and the Pride in Delinquency Scale in a Mixed Sex Sample of Justice-Involved Youth

It is unclear if self-report measures of criminal attitudes and associates—developed and validated predominately on adult male offender samples—can or should be used with justice-involved girls. With a sample of 300 justice-involved youth (100 females, 200 males), this study examined the reliability and validity of the Measure of Criminal Attitudes and Associates (MCAA) and the Pride in Delinquency Scale (PIDS). Both measures evidenced reliability and convergent and discriminant validity in both sexes. The MCAA and the PIDS consistently predicted general recidivism for males (majority of area under the curve [AUCs; 7 out of 10] ranged from.60 to.68), but not for females (majority of AUCs [6 out of 8] ranged from.50 to.59). Both measures predicted violent recidivism across sex, with the majority of AUCs ranging from.60 to.67. More work is needed with exclusive female samples to better understand and operationalize criminal attitudes through a gender-informed lens

Program manager perspectives on the service system to meet the needs of youth with concurrent disorders: findings from a Canadian national survey

Abstract Background Concurrent mental health and substance use issues are a serious problem for adolescents and transition-aged youth. Service providers across sectors must be involved in informing system change to meet youth needs. This study examines stakeholder perspectives on services for youth with concurrent disorders including 1) clinical issues in youth services; 2) priority system issues; and 3) optimal knowledge translation strategies to enhance researcher-stakeholder communication. Methods A database of youth clinical services across Canada was developed. Program managers (n = 481) at cross-sectoral (mental health, addictions, justice, child welfare, advocacy, and outreach) youth-serving (aged 12–24) programs were invited to complete an online survey; 232 responded. Survey questions concerned youth needs, program characteristics, priorities for service system enhancement; and usual and preferred knowledge translation methods. Results Across service sectors, the mean estimated proportion of youth using services with concurrent mental health and substance use problems was 55 %. Program managers reported routine screening for mental health and substance use concerns (66 %), referring to other agencies to meet the concurrent disorder needs of youth (54 %), offering specific programming for concurrent disorders (42 %), and program evaluation (48 %). Notably, mental health programs were significantly less likely to offer concurrent disorders services than addictions programs. Where services do exist, most are targeted at youth aged 12–18 years, with fewer services available for transition-aged youth. Endorsement of various system change goals exceeded 80 %, with a particular emphasis on improving access to services (49 %), ensuring a continuum of services for varying levels of severity (37 %), and improved integration across sectors (36 %). Preferred knowledge exchange methods were workshops and websites for receiving information; and focus groups or surveys, rather than intensive participation on research teams, to inform research. Conclusions There is a high need to build capacity across most sectors for meeting the needs of youth with co-occurring mental health and substance use problems, especially for transition-aged youth. In addition, limits in program evaluation should be addressed. Innovative knowledge exchange strategies are needed to better meet the needs of youth with concurrent disorders. Although service providers expressed readiness to participate in service enhancement and knowledge translation activities, effective, feasible approaches must integrate strategies likely to result in desired clinical outcomes, given clinical workload challenges