RELATING RISK AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS TO YOUTH REOFFENDING: A TWO-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

Abstract

This article presents findings of a retrospective longitudinal study of youth reoffending in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Increasingly, the examination of risk and protective factors in the youth reoffending literature is grouped into five general domains: individual, family, peer, school, and community. For purposes of the present study, data on each of these factors were obtained from interviews and probation file reviews for a sample of 123 youth who had various levels of involvement in the youth justice system. These baseline data were collected from July 2006 to July 2007. Reoffending was tracked for two years following the interview using police contact data. Descriptive findings indicated that, overall, youth who possessed risk factors in each domain had a higher average rate of reoffending. Stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that in the individual domain, a history of purchasing illegal drugs, stealing a car or motorcycle, and committing an assault with a weapon, as well as a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD, were significantly related to the extent of reoffending. In the peer domain, gang affiliation was significant. In the community domain, the presence of gangs in the community was significant. None of the predictors in the family or school domains were significant. Implications for future Canadian research are discussed.

Keywords

• youth
• reoffending
• risk factors
• longitudinal study