Probation Intensity, Self-Reported Offending, and Psychopathy in Juveniles on Probation for Serious Offenses

The study found that the level of probation officer supervision was not consistently related to the juvenile's risk of recidivism, and level of supervision did not affect self-reported offending; however, risk level was consistently related to offending behavior, more so than the level of supervision and other characteristics of these youths. Level of psychopathy did not moderate the relationship of self-reported offending and level of supervision. These results highlight the need for more integration of risk assessment tools into juvenile probation practices and the possibility of devising methods to focus this practice to make it more effective. (Publisher abstract modified)