2019 Volume 57 Issue 1 Pages 17-29
The validity of the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) for predicting the risk of recidivism was tested with Japanese juvenile delinquents who have been sent to Family courts and were not under detention (N＝213). Recidivism was defined as any re-offense after being investigated by a family court officer in a community setting. In addition to information about recidivism, the number of days to recidivate were also recorded. Disposition type (protective measures, non-protective measures, and others), gender and age group (younger, middle, or older adolescents) were assessed as covariates. Kaplan–Meier procedure, Decision Tree analysis, and Cox Proportional Hazard model indicated that participants could be classified into three different risk levels by using the YLS/CMI total scores. Moreover, a one-point increase in the YLS/CMI total score was associated with an 11 percent increase in the hazard ratio (HR＝1.109). These results indicated that YLS/CMI could assess the risk of recidivism in juvenile delinquents that are not under detention. It is suggested that applications of this assessment tool are extended to the clinical practices for juvenile delinquency.
