Validation of the Ohio Youth Assessment System Dispositional Tool (OYAS-DIS): An Examination of Race and Gender Differences

• NCJ Number: 254190
• Journal: Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice Dated: 2019
• Author(s): Christina A. Campbell; Christopher D'Amato; Jordan Papp
• Date Published: 2019
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2016-R2-CX-0045
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Award: The Influence of Race/Ethnicity on Disparities in Correctional Dispositions: Examining How Risk Assessment & Neighborhood Socioeconomic Context Affects Sentencing Decisions of Adjudicated Juveniles

Annotation

This study examined the predictive validity of the Ohio Youth Assessment System Dispostional tool (OYAS-DIS), with a focus on understanding the prediction of recidivism across racial and gender subgroups.

Abstract

The Ohio Youth Assessment System-Disposition Tool (OYAS-DIS) is a juvenile risk assessment that is used in numerous states and jurisdictions to assess the criminogenic risk of juvenile offenders. Still, there is little published research on the predictive validity of the tool. The sample in the current study consisted of 4,383 youth who received a court petition in a single large Midwestern county's juvenile court. The findings indicated that the OYAS-DIS was a statistically significant predictor of recidivism across all racial and gender subgroups; however, there was statistically significant variation in predictive validity across subgroups. For instance, the tool was a statistically significantly better predictor of recidivism for White males compared to Black male youth. There was also statistically significant variation in the predictive validity of certain domains (e.g., juvenile justice history) on the OYAS-DIS across racial and gender subgroups. These findings favor the use of the OYAS-DIS to predict recidivism for adjudicated juveniles. 36 references (publisher abstract modified)