Reducing the Risk of Delinquency Among African American Adolescents in Foster Care: What Makes a Difference?

Background/Purpose: The ongoing overrepresentation of African American youth in foster care has direct implications for the overrepresentation of African American youth in other allied service systems such as juvenile justice and adult corrections. These youth are often referred to as crossover youth because of the shift primarily from the foster care system into the juvenile justice system. The present study focuses on factors that decrease the probability of delinquency among African American youth in the child welfare system. Identifying promotive factors that can interrupt the path from the child welfare system to the juvenile justice system is important because this knowledge can help increase the probability that these young people will avoid delinquency and increase their chances at leading successful lives. As males and females have unique experiences that lead them to contact with the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, sex differences will also be examined to determine whether the influence of each promotive factor varies by sex.

Methods: Data and Samples: Participants were 534 adolescents who completed the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths assessment at least twice between 2007 and 2012 while youth were still in foster care. The average amount of time between assessments was eight months. Chi-square analyses and ordinal regression were the statistical approaches used. Maltreatment type, academic achievement, relational permanence and a positive change in relational permanence were individual level predictors in the model. Caregiver resources were caregiver level predictors in the model. The number of placement changes and duration of time in care were system level predictors in the model.

Hypotheses: It was hypothesized that youth have promotive factors at the individual, contextual, and system levels and that these promotive factors would differ by sex. It was also hypothesized that each factor would differ in importance for not being involved in delinquency by sex.

Results: Findings indicate African American adolescents do have promotive factors across a wide range of domains. For all youth, age and time in care were important for reducing the risk of delinquency, while relationship permanence was associated with an increased risk of delinquency. Academic achievement, caregiver resources, and time in care were more influential for African American males, while age was more influential for African American females.

Conclusions and Implications:

Identifying what works for African American youth in reducing the likelihood of delinquency is important because of the societal impact of incarceration at both the individual and community levels. Due to the social and economic disadvantages of contact with the criminal justice system, few are ever able to successfully provide for their families, community, and society as a whole. Targeted evidence-based interventions informed by developmental science may be the most effective strategy in preventing later involvement in delinquency.