Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This project analyzes the narratives of 71 African-American, Latino and white women who reside in three high-crime communities in Philadelphia to examine the experiences of young women growing up in these environments. Specifically, we investigate why some young women get into trouble with the law, while many more manage to avoid such difficulties by analyzing the narratives they detail about their community, their experiences with danger and crime, and the factors that they feel propel some young women into wrongdoing or act as protective shields for many others. The central finding of the paper is that the young women who are either officially delinquent or who self-report illegal activity are less likely to have close, supportive relationships with their mothers than those who never get into trouble. Further, we illustrate that it is not just the strength of the mother-daughter relationship that matters, but what this means in concrete protective terms for these young women growing up in dangerous neighbourhoods, and we explore the policy implications that stem from these findings.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Gottfredson and Hirschi’s general theory has amassed an impressive amount of empirical support for their hypothesis linking individual levels of self-control to variation in criminal and delinquent involvement. As a result, more recent research has begun to examine the factors that are related to the development of low self-control. Although Gottfredson and Hirschi argue that self-control is socially-engineered, research has also indicated that the origins of self-control may be partially guided by biogenic factors. We address this possibility by examining whether neuropsychological deficits are associated with levels of self-control. Analysis of data from the National Survey of Children reveals that neurological deficiencies are related to self-control and that biological risk factors are responsible for neuropsychological problems. Additionally, the results also show that self-control is a robust predictor of delinquent involvement. We discuss the potential contributions of a biosocial approach to the study of antisocial behavior.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: There has been some speculation that lesbians are more likely to be labeled delinquent than their straight counterparts, however, research on delinquent youths’ sexual identity is almost entirely anecdotal in nature. In a survey of over 400 delinquent youth in Ohio, there was a significant gender difference in self-reporting a lesbian/gay and bisexual identity. Ninety-five percent of the boys and 73 percent of the girls reported being heterosexual/straight, 22 percent of the girls and 4 percent of the boys reported being bisexual, and 5 percent of the girls and about 1.5 percent of the boys reported being gay/lesbian. This paper examines how the youths’ sexual identities is related to other characteristics about them, including their self-reported abuse victimizations, relationships with parents, self-esteem, abandonment by parents, and criminal histories.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study examines the relationship between minority female adolescent delinquency and association with negative peer groups. Data were gathered from a sample of 208 “at risk” female adolescents, and multiple variables measuring relationships among family and friends were correlated to determine their association with adolescent behavior. Multiple linear regression tests were generated to discover which variables among adolescents were the best predictors of delinquency. Results indicated that a variety of predictors were strongly correlated and as a result, these variables were shown to play a significant role in the behavior of minority female adolescents.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Through its history, the juvenile justice system has evolved from a treatment and rehabilitative orientation to one that has increasingly become more punitive. We are seeing more juveniles being transferred into the adult criminal justice system. Of the juveniles remaining in the juvenile justice system, almost 110,000 were in a residential placement facility in 2003, and during the same year, 62 percent of juveniles leaving a residential facility for the community were reported having at least one prior placement with 23 percent reporting a prior placement for a crime different from the current offense. Reentry back into the community is an essential step in the juvenile justice system. This paper will use data collected from juveniles that have been placed in residential facilities by the Philadelphia Family Courts and will examine factors that contribute to recidivism. The following research questions are being explored: (1) Does attachment, whether to the family or school, predict recidivism among juvenile delinquents? And (2) Does attachment differentially affect juveniles in different levels of risk classifications?