Citation

Voisin DR, Sales JM, Hong JS, Jackson JM, Rose ES, DiClemente RJ. Behav. Med. 2015; 43(1): 71-78.

Affiliation

The University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration , Chicago , IL.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/08964289.2015.1065789

PMID

26244631

Abstract

Youth with juvenile justice histories often reside in poorly resourced communities and report high rates of depression, gang involved networks, and STI-sexual related risk behaviors, compared to their counterparts. The primary aim of this study was to examine the relationship between social context (i.e., a combined index score comprised of living in public housing, being a recipient of free school lunch and witnessing community violence) and risk factors that are disproportionately worse for juvenile justice youth such as depression, gang involved networks and STI sexual risk behaviors. Data were collected from a sample of detained youth ages 14 to 16 (N=489). Questions assessed demographics, social context, depression, gang-involved networks and STI risk behaviors. Multiple logistic regression models, controlling for age, gender, race, school enrollment and family social support, indicated that participants who reported poorer social context had a 2 times higher odds of reporting being depressed; 3 times higher odds of being in a gang; 3 times higher odds of personally knowing a gang member; and 2 times higher odds of having engaged in STI-risk behaviors. These results provide significant information that can help service providers target certain profiles of youth with juvenile justice histories for early intervention initiatives.

Language: en