University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign

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Children and Family
Research Center
Child Welfare to Juvenile Justice
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
School of Social Work
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Child Maltreatment and Juvenile Delinquency

• Some of what is documented
• Maltreatment associated with delinquency
• Placement instability increases the likelihood
  of delinquency
• Weak bonds with caregivers increases the risk of
  delinquency
• Child welfare youth more likely to experience
  detention

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• CW to JJ Research in Los Angeles County
• Partnership with California State University at
  Los Angeles, University of Illinois, LA County
  Childrens Court, and Childrens Law Center of LA
• Content Areas
• Profile of youth involved in both systems
• Investigate issues of DMC
• Placement effects
• Subsequent pathways through juvenile justice

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What Happens After Arrest?
Profile of First Time Offenders 2002 -
2005 (n69,009)

DCFS (7) Non DCFS (93) Average Age
(years) 15.0 years 15.6 years Female
37 24 African American 46 21
Hispanic 39 59 White 11 14
Person Violent 22 16 Sex Related Offense
4 2 Threat Related Offense 5 3
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Overrepresentation in Los Angeles County
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The Timing of Delinquency
Data Merging to Investigate Placement Effects
2,106 Dependent Delinquent Youth
20,309 DCFS
82,376 Probation
7-16, at least one placement, no prior
delinquent offense
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What Happens After Arrest?
Investigating Group Home Effects in Child
Welfare 20,309 pre matched and 8,226 matched
individuals

Foster Care Group Home Age at placement 8.9
yrs 8.5 yrs. 8.6 yrs. 8.4 years Male
45 54 54 55 African Amer. 41
48 48 47 Physical Abuse 22 33
31 34 Neglect 50 41 48 44 AWOL
8 13 22 15 Beh. Problems 7 11
18 12 Arrested 5 8 26 20
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What Happens After Arrest?
Investigating Group Home Effects in Child
Welfare 8,226 matched (PSM) individuals

• Adolescents in group homes are 2.5 times more
  likely to be arrested
• 40 of all arrests occur while the child is in
  the group home
• Group home youth more likely to have person
  related offense
• Group home youth more likely to have threat
  related offense

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What Happens after Initial Arrest?

• Matched 3,067 child welfare offenders on age,
  race, gender, offense type, and number of
  charges at arrest
• No difference with regard to case dismissal
• Significant differences with regard to probation
  and placement

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Child Welfare to Juvenile Justice Priority Areas
for Policy and Practice

• Need for systems that are integrated (information
  sharing)
• Financing strategies are coordinated across
  agencies
• Practice models that are clearly articulated and
  have empirical support
• Investment in research and evaluation