Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents: Profiles of Juvenile Offenders

Abstract

An exploratory study of resiliency profiles of male and female juvenile offenders committed to a juvenile correctional facility was conducted. The goal of the present study was to examine juvenile offenders’ positive characteristics (e.g., adaptability, optimism, self-efficacy, tolerance of differences). To assess positive characteristics and vulnerabilities, 215 male and female juvenile offenders completed The Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents . K-means cluster analysis identified four resiliency profiles among the sample of juvenile offenders. The clusters were analyzed using ANOVA to determine how they differed on the Resiliency Scales for Children and Adolescents, as well as demographic factors (e.g., age, age when incarcerated, number of months incarcerated prior to survey completion, number of educational credits obtained) and behavioral indicators (number of major infractions and visits to segregation 30 days before survey completion). Differences in the four resiliency profiles are discussed in respect to these factors. Discussion of the four resiliency profiles illuminates the importance of identifying areas of strength to help mitigate against risk factors for juvenile offending and to prevent recidivism.

Polish Version of the Resilience Scale (RS-14): A Validity and Reliability Study in Three Samples

“…For example, in other studies “fostered youth scored similar levels of depression and self-esteem compared to non-fostered youth, but revealed discrepancies in other adaptive domains (i.e., educational)” (Wright and Masten, 2005; Luthar, 2006; Surtees et al, 2006; Jain and Cohen, 2013; Zuill, 2016). Therefore, it is important to differentiate “the resilience subtype and context under investigation, e.g., psychological resilience, educational resilience, foster and custodial resilience, etc.” (Mowder et al, 2010; Gibson and Clarbour, 2017).…”

“…It is also a supporting factor for adolescents to be invulnerable to adverse situations and “to be less likely to engage in risky behaviors” (Coleman and Hagell, 2007a,b; Earvolino-Ramirez, 2007; Gardner et al, 2008). Mowder et al (2010) “found that ‘average’ resiliency was associated with less serious discipline problems” (Mowder et al, 2010). “Resilient youth exhibit fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression and a significantly reduced risk of suicidal behavior” (Sharaf et al, 2009; Salazar-Pousada et al, 2010; Hjemdal et al, 2011).…”

“…Hall and Webster (Hall and Webster, 2007a,b) reported that resilience factors serve often “as buffers to life stressors and can serve as a protective mechanism for alcohol use, age at the onset of drinking, and affective factors.” The findings of the research have also shown that protective factors are important in understanding desistance from offending (Carr and Vandiver, 2001; Borum et al, 2002; Lodewijks et al, 2010; Fougere and Daffern, 2011). Mowder et al (2010), when exploring the resiliency aspects and vulnerabilities of juvenile offenders, identified different cluster profiles of internal and external variables labeled to vulnerability and resilience, i.e., low resource vulnerability and average resiliency having influence on behavior. Not many studies have focused on the role of, nor characterized the measurement of resiliency aspects within youth and adolescents who have special needs, who are in foster care, who have externalized problem behavior or who, because of legal offenses, have come into contact with the Justice (Wright and Masten, 2005; Gibson, 2016; Gibson and Clarbour, 2017).…”

Crime and Place: A Longitudinal Examination of Street Segment Patterns in Vancouver, BC

“…In a more recent article, Mowder, Cummings and McKinney (2010) implemented the k-means statistic to explore the resilience of 215 male and female juvenile offenders who were committed to a juvenile facility. Each participant completed the Resiliency Scales for children and adolescents.…”

The Trajectories of Crime at Places: Understanding the Patterns of Disaggregated Crime Types

“…2 In addition toCurman et al (2015), k-means clustering has been used in the criminological literature to investigate the offending trends of youth(Huizinga et al 1991) and the resilience of male and female juvenile offenders who served time in a detention facility(Mowder et al 2010).…”