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Publication

Juvenile delinquency and rehabilitation: Examining the Good Lives Model

Book - Dissertation

Juvenile justice systems in a number of Western societies oftentimes apply a rehabilitation model known as the 'Risk Need Responsivity' (RNR) model. Offender rehabilitation interventions based on the RNR model focus heavily on eliminating empirically derived dynamic risk factors that are directly linked to delinquency and recidivism (i.e., criminogenic risk factors). However, a large proportion of young offenders placed in residential juvenile justice settings, are also diagnosed with psychiatric disorders (prevalence rates varying between 50% and 90%). Common diagnoses include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and conduct disorder, but (comorbid) depression and anxiety disorders are prevalent as well. Additionally, having experienced childhood maltreatment or other traumas are also common. Both mental health problems and trauma have not only been related to an increased recidivism risk, but also to a decreased quality of life and well-being in adolescents, especially for those in residential settings. This poses a challenge for the juvenile justice system as it creates a tension between the need to care for and treat 'patients' (a welfare-focused approach) and the need to reduce risk and protect society from 'offenders/recidivists' (a risk-focused approach). An upcoming theoretical framework, the 'Good Lives Model of offender rehabilitation' (GLM), could potentially overcome this tension. The GLM suggests that effective rehabilitation interventions should adopt a dual focus: both reducing recidivism risk and enhancing the offender's well-being, by prosocially meeting a universal set of human needs called 'primary goods'. A focus on primary goods attainment and well-being is believed to reduce the risk of recidivism more sustainably by promising a happier and prosocial life, rather than merely a less risky one. Moreover, not only working on risk factors (determined by professionals), but also on personally relevant needs and well-being, is thought to contribute to higher levels of treatment motivation and (subsequently) enhance recidivism (risk) reduction. Although these ideas are promising, clear evidence for the underlying assumptions of the GLM is still lacking, especially in adolescents. Consequently, in this dissertation, we examined the underlying assumptions of the GLM about the explanation of criminal behavior from the associations between primary goods, psychopathology, and well-being in adolescents. In addition, we examined whether satisfaction with primary good attainment, and changes therein, in detained adolescent delinquents are related to their well-being, treatment motivation, and recidivism risk over time. To this end, we used a mixed method approach in a sample of adolescents from the general population and a sample of detained adolescent offenders. The hypotheses regarding the role of primary goods and well-being in explaining juvenile delinquency, were empirically tested based on survey data of a large sample of adolescents residing in the community (N = 4,260) in Flanders, Belgium. Additionally, we conducted a quantitative (N = 170) and qualitative study (n = 31) with recently arrested and detained male adolescent offenders regarding their primary goods satisfaction, well-being, mental health problems, criminogenic risk (factors), and committed offense(s). These studies were conducted in two juvenile detention centers: one in Flanders, Belgium and one in the Netherlands. In a third study, we examined the longitudinal associations between (changes in) primary goods satisfaction, overall well-being, mental health problems, treatment motivation, and recidivism risk, based on the follow-up data of detained adolescents (n = 62), who were followed during their residential stay in the juvenile detention centers. Taken together, our findings support the idea that adding a strengths-based approach such as the GLM to the RNR model could indeed bridge the gap between the risk-focused approach and the welfare-focused approach in juvenile justice. The findings provide initial evidence that promoting well-being can lower the recidivism risk of young offenders. Moreover, they suggest that working on 'non-criminogenic' factors, such as mental health problems and primary goods satisfaction, may improve juvenile offender rehabilitation.
Publication year:2022
Accessibility:Closed