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A latent variable modeling approach to identifying subtypes of serious and violent female juvenile offenders
Author(s) -
Odgers Candice L.,
Moretti Marlene M.,
Burnette Mandi L.,
Chauhan Preeti,
Waite Dennis,
Reppucci N. Dickon
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
aggressive behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.223
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1098-2337
pISSN - 0096-140X
DOI - 10.1002/ab.20190
Subject(s) - juvenile delinquency , latent class model , psychology , juvenile , poison control , injury prevention , human factors and ergonomics , population , suicide prevention , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , demography , medicine , medical emergency , biology , statistics , mathematics , sociology , genetics
Females have recently become an important population in research related to serious and violent juvenile offending. Although a small body of research exists on girls in the deep end of the system, very few studies have examined the degree of heterogeneity within high‐risk female samples. This study applied latent class analysis (LCA) to identify subgroups of female juvenile offenders based on their self‐report of offending profiles ( N =133). Results supported a three‐class solution with subgroups characterized by patterns of ‘violent and delinquent’, ‘delinquency only’, and ‘low’ offending patterns. The LCA solution was replicated in an independent sample of high‐risk females. The ‘violent and delinquent’ class was characterized by significantly higher rates of DSM‐IV diagnoses for internalizing disorders, affect dysregulation, exposure to violence (within the home, school and neighborhood), and familial histories of criminality. Implications for future research, policy and clinical practice are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 33:339–352, 2007. ©2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.