Effect of an Injury Awareness Education Program on Risk-Taking Behaviors and Injuries in Juvenile Justice Offenders: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

BackgroundRisk-taking behavior is a leading cause of injury and death amongst young people.Methodology and Principal FindingsThis was a retrospective cohort study on the effectiveness of a 1-day youth injury awareness education program (Prevent Alcohol and Risk-related Trauma in Youth, P.A.R.T.Y.) program in reducing risk taking behaviors and injuries of juvenille justice offenders in Western Australia. Of the 3659 juvenile justice offenders convicted by the court magistrates between 2006 and 2010, 225 were referred to the P.A.R.T.Y. education program. In a before and after survey of these 225 participants, a significant proportion of them stated that they were more receptive to modifying their risk-taking behavior (21% before vs. 57% after). Using data from the Western Australia Police and Department of Health, the incidence of subsequent offences and injuries of all juvenile justice offenders was assessed. The incidence of subsequent traffic or violence-related offences was significantly lower for those who had attended the program compared to those who did not (3.6% vs. 26.8%; absolute risk reduction [ARR] = 23.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 19.9%–25.8%; number needed to benefit = 4.3, 95%CI 3.9–5.1; p = 0.001), as were injuries leading to hospitalization (0% vs. 1.6% including 0.2% fatality; ARR = 1.6%, 95%CI 1.2%–2.1%) and alcohol or drug-related offences (0% vs. 2.4%; ARR 2.4%, 95%CI 1.9%–2.9%). In the multivariate analysis, only P.A.R.T.Y. education program attendance (odds ratio [OR] 0.10, 95%CI 0.05–0.21) and a higher socioeconomic background (OR 0.97 per decile increment in Index of Relative Socioeconomic Advantage and Disadvantage, 95%CI 0.93–0.99) were associated with a lower risk of subsequent traffic or violence-related offences.SignificanceParticipation in an injury education program involving real-life trauma scenarios was associated with a reduced subsequent risk of committing violence- or traffic-related offences, injuries, and death for juvenille justice offenders.

Importance of multidisciplinary trauma prevention program for youth

“…Another study from Australia showed that participation in the P.A.R.T.Y. program was associated with significant reductions in subsequent risks of violence, traffic-related incidents, injuries, and death for juvenile justice offenders, from 26.8% to 3.6% (p=0,001) 14 . A noteworthy aspect of the project is the fact that it was the undergraduate students who organized and delivered most of the information about each day's activities 9 .…”

Factors associated with recidivism among adolescents girls in conflict with the law in an institution in Brasília, Federal District, Brazil

“…It may be that parental restraints or role modeling, or overall dynamics of higher psycho-social stability experienced by living with family at this stage of adolescent life may protect from continued delinquent behavior resulting in repeated correctional admission 26 . In this context, it has been proposed that a multi-system approach might be desirable or effective towards reducing further recidivism in the target population of adolescent offenders 35,36 , for example in the form of community-based supervision and substance abuse treatment, and with family involvement, both during and after the time spent in the correctional system.…”

The Challenge of Normative Influences for Program Design for Youth in Detention

“…Participants visited a hospital to meet patients with transport-related injuries, experienced using mobility assistance devices, and received education about spinal and head injuries. The findings by Ho et al (2012) included a significant change in participant attitude towards risk and injury after the program, indicating that prevention programs are worthy of ongoing research and possible extension to reduce risks to young people in the youth justice system. Their results should be considered cautiously, however, in light of methodological limitations.…”

“…One study, by Ho et al (2012), investigated injury among Australian youth justice populations. This study examined young people's perceptions of risky traffic-related behaviors and the impact of a one-day intervention that targeted alcohol-and traffic-related behaviors.…”

“…In the more general mainstream adolescent intervention field a recently reported program is the Prevent Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma in Youth program (Ho et al, 2012), which is an intervention targeting injury-risk behaviors through directive participant education on spinal and head injuries. It is, however, without a theoretical base or behavior-change skills training.…”