Citation

Bullock R, Gaehl E. Child. Youth Serv. Rev. 2012; 34(9): 1947-1955.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.06.003

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article charts the offending and mortality rates over a 25-30 year period of children admitted to care in England and Wales in 1980. The study examines UK criminal records and the Death Index for England and Wales of two groups of children: ones that stayed in care for more than two years, and ones that stayed for less than six weeks. The study shows that all of the children experienced an increased risk of offending and premature death compared with the general population but that it is not possible to evaluate the outcomes without taking account of the their characteristics and risks these pose. The rates for the subsequent offending of children presenting delinquency and other difficult behavior, especially irregular school attendance, and who stay long in care is 2.7 times higher than for those coming into care because of neglect and abuse and 1.6 times higher than for those coming into care due to family breakdown. There was no evidence that being in care per se reduces or increases the risk of offending, as criminal behavior is not constant and the risks associated with it vary over time with much depending on the child's predisposition, life events and the quality of interventions received. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. KW: Juvenile justice; Juvenile delinquency;

Language: en