1. Predicting Juvenile Arrest Among Culturally Diverse Youth Referred for Mental Health Treatment
Arely M. Hurtado1,2, Phillip D. Akutsu2, & Deanna L. Stammer1
Uplift Family Services1 & California State University, Sacramento2

2. INTRODUCTION
Up to 70% in juvenile justice have a mental health (MH) problem
Mental health services are often inadequate or unavailable (U.S. Department of Justice, 2011)
Incarcerated youth continue to have problems throughout their life (Health Policy Institute, 2019)
Risk factors include:
Individual (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity)
Peer (e.g., delinquent or aggressive peers)
Family (e.g., parental criminality)
School (e.g., attendance)
Community (e.g., instability)
We know that in the recent years, juvenile arrest has been declining. However, research suggest that as many as 70% of youth with juvenile justice contact have a diagnosable mental health problem.
We also know that there is no single risk factor. It is a complex issue with multiple contributing factors including Individual, Peer, Family, School and Community. For example, research suggests that males are more likely to report being arrested, however, female arrest rates are rising. Also, Ethnic minority groups and mental health problems, we have found that externalizing mental health problems like aggression are more likely to report being arrested than those with internalizing mental health problems such as depression. Other factors including early exposure to violence, school truancy/absenteeism, negative peer influences with others who have negative contact with police, and community disengagement has been found to be correlated to higher likelihood of arrest.

3. Hypotheses Positive Predictors Demographics Males Ethnic Minorities
Middle Age
Older Age
Living Situation: Temporary
Psychosocial Issues
Externalizing MH Problems
Substance Abuse
History of Delinquency
Delinquency Influences
Violence History
School Non-attendance
Negative Predictors
Demographics
Younger Age
Living Situation: Permanent
Psychosocial Issues
Internalizing MH Problems
Resiliency to Violence

4. Method: Participants Participants (N = 1862)
First-time youth (12-19 y/o) referred to a single mental health network in California ( ).
Variables
Percentage
Sex – Female
46%
Ethnicity
African American
19%
Asian American 4%
Latino
52%
White American
26%
Age
Young Age
49%
Middle Age
37%
Old Age
14%
Living Situation – Permanent
89%
Preferred Language – English
Arrested
15%

5. meTHOD: mEASUREs Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) scale
4-point scale
Range: 0 = No Problem to 3 = Severe Problem
Community Life
Higher scores: Greater community involvement
Assessment: First month
Juvenile Arrest: Yes/No
Self-Report

6. Results: Descriptive statistics
Variables
M or % SD
Psychosocial Variables
Externalizing MH Problem
0.93
0.65
Internalizing MH Problem
0.76
0.53
Substance Abuse
0.48
0.73
History of Delinquency
0.20
0.45
Delinquency Influences
0.25
0.57
Violence History
0.14
0.39
Violence Emotional Behavioral Risk
0.19
0.47
Resiliency to Violence
0.61
School Nonattendance
0.72
0.99
Community Involvement
1.87
1.03
Dependent Variable
Juvenile Arrest
15% -

7. Predicting Juvenile Arrest
Logistic regression model
Significant: χ²(11, N = 1,862) = , p < .001
Cox & Snell pseudo-R² = .25.
Variable B
S.E.
Wald
Comparative Group: Young Age
Middle Age
1.06***
0.19
30.07
Old Age
0.74**
0.26
8.48
Living Situation – Permanent
-0.71**
0.22
10.48
Preferred Language - English
-0.70*
0.35
4.02
Externalizing MH Problem
0.94***
0.17
29.90
Substance Abuse
0.65***
0.11
35.84
History of Delinquency
1.09***
0.23
23.21
School Non-attendance
0.23**
0.78
8.84
Community Involvement
-0.37***
0.09
17.26
* p < .05, ** p < .01, *** p < .001
Note: Different asterisks denotes level of significance.

8. DISCUSSION Hypotheses: Partially supported Strongest predictors
Substance Abuse
Middle age
Externalizing MH problems
History of Delinquency
Limitations
Low levels of arrest: 15%
Self-Report
Correlational, not causal relationship
Type of arrest?

9. RECOMMENDATIONS Age effects
Tailor treatment plans to specific age groups
Higher arrest, higher recidivism
Significance of living situation
Higher client monitoring: ↓ Juvenile arrest
Externalizing MH problems
Co-occurring externalizing MH problems and substance abuse

10. THANK YOU! 10