Contact with Foster Care and the Juvenile Delinquency Court: A Prospective Examination from Birth through Age 18.
Saved in:
| Title: | Contact with Foster Care and the Juvenile Delinquency Court: A Prospective Examination from Birth through Age 18. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Eastman, Andrea Lane1 andrea.eastman@usc.edu, Park, Keunhye2, Herz, Denise3, Dierkhising, Carly B.3, McCroskey, Jacquelyn1, Guo, Lillie1 |
| Source: | Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal. Jun2025, Vol. 42 Issue 3, p375-388. 14p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Juvenile offenders, *Statistical correlation, *Child welfare, *Foster home care, *Courts, *Experience, *Longitudinal method, *Research, *Adverse childhood experiences, *Adolescence, Juvenile delinquency, Legal procedure, Sex crimes, Sex distribution, Housing, Human trafficking |
| Geographic Terms: | California |
| Abstract: | Purpose: Research has demonstrated a link between out-of-home foster care and subsequent juvenile justice involvement. Understanding factors that may contribute to dual system involvement for young people who entered foster care is essential for disrupting this relationship. Method: We used population-based linked administrative records to examine the prevalence of juvenile delinquency court petitions among individuals placed in out-of-home foster care in Los Angeles County from birth to age 18. By integrating records from child welfare and probation, this analysis of individuals born between 1998 and 2001 and who lived in the county's out-of-home foster care system (N = 29,434) showed that 2,554 (8.7%) had encountered a juvenile delinquency court petition prior to turning 18. Results: Regression results showed an increased rate of dual system involvement among young people in foster care who experienced unstable living conditions, periods of absence from care, commercial sexual exploitation, or group homes. Instability in living situations (staying in care for more than a year, with three or more homes or placements; RR = 1.31; CI = 1.16, 1.48) and history of group home care (RR = 1.43; CI = 1.25, 1.64) were significantly associated with a heightened rate of dual system involvement. As shown in the gender-stratified models, the magnitude of associations between dual system involvement and foster care experiences differed by gender. Discussion: The current study aligns with prior studies showing a relationship between residential instability and group homes to subsequent delinquency court involvement. Findings set a baseline so future work can explore if policies aiming to reduce reliance on group care are associated with changes in the likelihood of dual system involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | Purpose: Research has demonstrated a link between out-of-home foster care and subsequent juvenile justice involvement. Understanding factors that may contribute to dual system involvement for young people who entered foster care is essential for disrupting this relationship. Method: We used population-based linked administrative records to examine the prevalence of juvenile delinquency court petitions among individuals placed in out-of-home foster care in Los Angeles County from birth to age 18. By integrating records from child welfare and probation, this analysis of individuals born between 1998 and 2001 and who lived in the county's out-of-home foster care system (N = 29,434) showed that 2,554 (8.7%) had encountered a juvenile delinquency court petition prior to turning 18. Results: Regression results showed an increased rate of dual system involvement among young people in foster care who experienced unstable living conditions, periods of absence from care, commercial sexual exploitation, or group homes. Instability in living situations (staying in care for more than a year, with three or more homes or placements; RR = 1.31; CI = 1.16, 1.48) and history of group home care (RR = 1.43; CI = 1.25, 1.64) were significantly associated with a heightened rate of dual system involvement. As shown in the gender-stratified models, the magnitude of associations between dual system involvement and foster care experiences differed by gender. Discussion: The current study aligns with prior studies showing a relationship between residential instability and group homes to subsequent delinquency court involvement. Findings set a baseline so future work can explore if policies aiming to reduce reliance on group care are associated with changes in the likelihood of dual system involvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 07380151 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10560-024-00964-1 |
