ASSESSING THE PREVENTION OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY: AN EVALUATION OF A COURT-BASED DELINQUENCY PREVENTION PROGRAM

In 2002, the State of Ohio mandated juvenile courts to provide prevention for at-risk youth. This study examined official court records to evaluate the effectiveness of a prevention program administered by the Greene County Juvenile Court. A sample of 362 youth referred to the program for the years 2002 to 2009 by concerned caretakers, teachers, and police was analyzed. Consistent with intake goals, 81.7% of clients were referred for at-risk but not actually delinquent behaviors. Completion of the prevention program did not predict future court referrals, but neither did seriousness of referral behavior. Children with two biological parents were significantly more likely to complete the program, whereas referrals to Strengthening Families Program and substance abuse screening significantly predicted program noncompletion. Implications for policy and research are discussed. Key Points for the Family Court Community: This article highlights efforts by county juvenile court to implement a secondary prevention program for at-risk but not officially court-referred youth. Delinquency prevention research depends on good juvenile court data and adequate comparison groups. Evidence-based predelinquent interventions with external process and outcome evaluations should be the standard.