Criminal recidivism in Colombian juvenile offenders: Related risk and protective factors

Abstract

Research with adolescent offenders is concerned with identifying risk and protective factors that influence recidivism and desistance from crime. A quantitative and cross-sectional investigation designed to examine the influence of risk and protective factors on recidivism in Colombian adolescents is presented. In seven regions of Colombia, a convenience sample was obtained, and 646 adolescents aged 14 to 19 years (M = 17.08; SD: 1.23; 15 % girls) belonging to the Sistema de Responsabilidad Penal para Adolescentes (SRPA) participated. The Communities That Care Youth Survey (CTCYS) was used for the evaluation. It evaluated a broad set of risk and protective factors identified through the community, school, family, peer group, individual conditions, and behavioral outcomes, including drug use, antisocial behavior, and delinquency. Descriptive analyses were conducted, and all CTC-YS factors were correlated with antisocial behavior. The results show varying degrees of relationship between the factors assessed and antisocial behavior. Binary logistic regression was used to determine which risk and protective factors influence recidivism. It was noted that favorable parental attitudes towards drug use and antisocial behavior, early onset of drug use, low school engagement, and interaction with antisocial peers increases the probability of recidivism. Recidivism was identified as being affected by, among other factors, favorable parental attitudes toward drug use and antisocial behavior, early onset of drug use, and low school engagement. It was also observed that beliefs in a moral order, opportunities for prosocial school participation and lower drug use frequency reduce the probability of recidivism. According to the results, the factors that influence criminal recidivism are multiple, and social, family, school, and individual factors need to be addressed. The need to intervene in attitudes favorable to antisocial behavior on the part of parents, strengthen school services, and carry out treatment for drug use to favor the reduction of recidivism in Colombian adolescents is discussed © 2023, Interdisciplinaria.All Rights Reserved.