Psychosocial, substance use, and delinquency differences among Anglo, Hispanic White, and African-American male youths entering a juvenile assessment center

Child maltreatment and substance-use-related negative consequences: Longitudinal trajectories from early to mid adolescence

BACKGROUND

Child maltreatment is associated with adult substance use disorders (i.e. alcohol and/or illicit drug use). Little is known about the behavioral pathways characterizing adolescent substance users who were subjected to childhood maltreatment. Here, we investigate the longitudinal trajectories of substance-use-related negative consequences (SURNCs) in adolescence in relation to childhood maltreatment.

METHOD

We drew the data (N = 1515) from the longitudinal multidisciplinary research program LoRDIA (Longitudinal Research on Development In Adolescence), of which 406 reported substance use and were included in the presented analyses. The data were collected via self-report questionnaires in classroom settings at three time points (mean age: 13.5, 14.4 and 15.0). We obtained information for childhood maltreatment using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) and data of frequencies of SURNC with a questionnaire scale.

RESULTS

Estimates from zero-inflated Poisson growth curve model revealed no baseline differences in SURNCs across children reporting none, single, or multiple maltreatment before the age of twelve. However, children experiencing multiple maltreatment displayed a greater increase in the frequency of SURNCs during the transition from early to mid adolescence than did those reporting no maltreatment. These estimates were only partly influenced by the inclusion of frequency of alcohol and substance drug use to the model.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings imply that children suffering maltreatment are at a higher risk of experiencing SURNCs, a factor known to elevate the risk of substance use disorders later in life, as they transition from early to mid adolescence.

Patient Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes for African American, Hispanic, and White Adolescents in DATOS-A

This study attempts to extend what is known about adolescent substance abusers in adolescent-oriented substance abuse treatment by describing and comparing background and pretreatment characteristics and posttreatment outcomes of African American (n = 213), Hispanic (n = 108), and White adolescent (n = 773) substance abusers who participated in the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Studies for Adolescents (DATOS-A). The pretreatment data indicated that patients in each group were similar only with respect to basic demographics. Posttreatment comparisons revealed racial/ ethnic differences in serious illegal activity only. Logistic regression results indicated that African American adolescents had a lower likelihood of engaging in serious illegal activity as compared to White adolescents during the posttreatment period. The results of this study provide a mechanism for more comprehensive understanding of adolescent substance abusers, their treatment needs, and their treatment outcomes.

Demographics

There is a large proportion of minority youth involved in the juvenile justice system. Disproportionate minority contact (DMC) occurs when the proportion of any ethnic group is higher at any given stage in the juvenile justice process than the proportion of this group in the general population. There are several theories explaining the presence and persistence of DMC. This article reviews the history of DMC and the theories and implications of this problem. It discusses several targets for interventions designed to reduce DMC and offer resources in this area.

Substance Use in Ethnic Minority Youth

As evidenced in the literature, there has been a recent interest in understanding drug and alcohol use in ethnic minority populations, particularly among adolescents. Although epidemiological and treatment outcome research involving substance use and abuse has improved among ethnic minority groups, this information has yet to be sufficiently integrated. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the extent of drug and alcohol use and related problems among ethnic minority youth, including patterns of use and treatment implications and recommendations.

Depressive Symptoms Among Delinquent Youth: Testing Models of Association with Stress and Support

The high prevalence of depression among incarcerated youth indicates a need to better understand factors that contribute to depression within this vulnerable subgroup. Previous research in general community samples has suggested that high levels of stress and low levels of parental support are associated with depression in young people, but it is unclear whether or how they might be associated with depression among incarcerated youth who are already vulnerable. Using a sample of 228 adolescents (aged 13-18 years) who were detained in the juvenile justice system, stress and support were modeled as independent main effects and as interactive risk factors in relation to depressive symptoms. More stressful life events and less caregiver support were each independently associated with depressive symptoms, but no evidence was found for the buffering hypothesis in this sample. Stressful life events were more strongly associated with depressive symptoms among boys compared to girls.

Positive adolescent life skills training for high-risk teens: results of a group intervention study

INTRODUCTION

This study tested the addition of a cognitive-behavioral skill-building component called Positive Adolescent Life Skills (PALS) training to an existing intervention for urban adolescents to enhance resiliency. In previous pilot work with the existing intervention, called "Teen Club," it was found that participants in group meetings and intensive case management reported an enhanced ability to connect with positive resources.

METHOD

Sixteen adolescents aged 12 to 16 years (10 boys and 6 girls) attending an urban secondary school were randomly assigned to Teen Club or Teen Club plus PALS. Boys and girls met separately in one of the two conditions for 30 weeks. The Problem-Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT) subscale scores were measured at baseline and at the completion of the program.

RESULTS

The sample consisted of 11 Black and five Hispanic teens. Between-group differences in the POSIT subscale scores were not significantly different in this small sample. Group interviews conducted at the conclusion of the intervention revealed that participants found the PALS intervention to be relevant and useful.

DISCUSSION

Results suggest that the PALS component strengthened the existing intervention and lend preliminary support for the continuation of this combination of interventions. Future research with larger numbers is needed.

Can better mental health services reduce the risk of juvenile justice system involvement?

OBJECTIVES

We evaluated how improved mental health services affect justice involvement among juveniles treated in the public mental health system.

METHODS

Our analyses were based on administrative and interview data collected in 2 communities participating in the evaluation of a national initiative designed to improve mental health services for children and youths.

RESULTS

Results derived from Cox proportional hazard models suggested that better mental health services reduced the risks of initial and subsequent juvenile justice involvement by 31% and 28%, respectively. Effects were somewhat more pronounced for serious offenses.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that improved mental health services reduce the risk of juvenile justice involvement.

Accuracy of actuarial procedures for assessment of sexual offender recidivism risk may vary across ethnicity

Little is known about whether the accuracy of tools for assessment of sexual offender recidivism risk holds across ethnic minority offenders. I investigated the predictive validity across ethnicity for the RRASOR and the Static-99 actuarial risk assessment procedures in a national cohort of all adult male sex offenders released from prison in Sweden 1993-1997. Subjects ordered out of Sweden upon release from prison were excluded and remaining subjects (N = 1303) divided into three subgroups based on citizenship. Eighty-three percent of the subjects were of Nordic ethnicity, and non-Nordic citizens were either of non-Nordic European (n = 49, hereafter called European) or African Asian descent (n = 128). The two tools were equally accurate among Nordic and European sexual offenders for the prediction of any sexual and any violent nonsexual recidivism. In contrast, neither measure could differentiate African Asian sexual or violent recidivists from nonrecidivists. Compared to European offenders, AfricanAsian offenders had more often sexually victimized a nonrelative or stranger, had higher Static-99 scores, were younger, more often single, and more often homeless. The results require replication, but suggest that the promising predictive validity seen with some risk assessment tools may not generalize across offender ethnicity or migration status. More speculatively, different risk factors or causal chains might be involved in the development or persistence of offending among minority or immigrant sexual abusers.

Prevalence of alcohol and drug use in an adolescent training facility

This study investigates substance use and crimes among incarcerated adolescents. Chart reviews were conducted between 1997-2000 with 186 adolescent, male offenders, including information on demographics, substance use, and crimes. Results indicate that use of alcohol (88.7%) and marijuana (95.7%) was highly prevalent. The most widely committed crimes included possession of a controlled substance (31.8%), receiving stolen goods (17.8%), and violation of probation (17.2%). Significant differences were observed across racial/ethnic groups; White nonHispanic adolescents were more likely to use cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin than adolescents of other races. Future research examining relationships between criminal behavior, substance use, and cultural variations in use patterns and delinquency will allow more relevant intervention and prevention strategies in this population.

Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument for mental health needs of juvenile justice youths

OBJECTIVE

This report describes the development of the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument-Second Version (MAYSI-2), a brief screening measure to identify youths with potential mental, emotional, or behavioral problems at entry points in the juvenile justice system.

METHOD

This 52-item self-report measure, with content relevant to common mental health problems in delinquent populations, was administered to 1,279 male and female youths, aged 12 to 17, in Massachusetts juvenile justice facilities. A subsample of youths also received the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) and the Youth Self-Report (YSR). The instrument was subsequently administered to 3,804 male and female youths in California Youth Authority custody.

RESULTS

Factor analyses of the 52 items identified seven scales that were conceptually associated with various mental, emotional, and behavioral problems of youths, which were generally confirmed by separate factor analyses with the California sample. The scales manifested adequate internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Most scales were substantially correlated with conceptually similar scales in the MACI and YSR, and they identified most youths who scored at clinically significant levels on those instruments.

CONCLUSIONS

The MAYSI-2 shows promise as a reliable and valid screening tool to assist juvenile justice staff in identifying youths who may need an immediate response to mental or emotional problems.