Minn-LInK Report Brief—Special Topic No. 39, Summer 2019
Authors: Cho, M., Haight, W., Choi, W., Hong, S., & Piescher, K.
Maltreated youth tend to enter into the juvenile justice system at younger ages than non-maltreated youth. Early onset of delinquency among maltreated youth compounds their risk of adverse developmental outcomes, including serious and continued offending. This study prospectively examined risk factors for maltreated youth who have their delinquency cases adjudicated for the first time between ages 9 and 14. The research questions are:
- What proportion of maltreated youth first cross over to the juvenile justice system by age 14?
- What factors predict early onset of delinquency among maltreated youth?