This article examines the relationships between self-reported delinquency and peer, social, and school factors among junior and senior high school students in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, using both cross-tabulation and multiple-regression analyses. A greater number of ninth grade students were delinquent compared to students in the other grades studied. Predictably, peers' level of delinquency correlated strongly and positively with students' level of delinquency. Strong, positive correlations with delinquency also were found for students reporting high levels of involvement in sports, and high levels of involvement in commercial/entertainment activities. Multivariate analyses indicated the strongest predictor of delinquent behavior within the group of peer and social variables was peer delinquency. Within the group of school variables, the strongest predictors of delinquent behavior were how often classes were skipped and the number of times students were suspended from school. However, students' grades in school did not significantly increase the accuracy of the regression equation.

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This article presents findings of a retrospective longitudinal study of youth reoffending in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Increasingly, the examination of risk and protective factors in the youth reoffending literature is grouped into five general domains: individual, family, peer, school, and community. For purposes of the present study, data on each of these factors were obtained from interviews and probation file reviews for a sample of 123 youth who had various levels of involvement in the youth justice system. These baseline data were collected from July 2006 to July 2007. Reoffending was tracked for two years following the interview using police contact data. Descriptive findings indicated that, overall, youth who possessed risk factors in each domain had a higher average rate of reoffending. Stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that in the individual domain, a history of purchasing illegal drugs, stealing a car or motorcycle, and committing an assault with a weapon, as well as a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD, were significantly related to the extent of reoffending. In the peer domain, gang affiliation was significant. In the community domain, the presence of gangs in the community was significant. None of the predictors in the family or school domains were significant. Implications for future Canadian research are discussed.Key Words: youth, reoffending, risk factors, longitudinal study Acknowledgement: The authors would like to acknowledge the City of Calgary and the Alberta Law Foundation for funding this project.

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