Predictors of SVJ Offending
In general, violent behavior results from an interaction of individual, contextual (family, school, and peers), situational, and community factors. The Study Group report yields further knowledge about the predictors of serious and violent offending and how they can inform and guide the interventions of the juvenile justice system, child welfare system, mental health system, and schools. The importance of predictor variables is underscored by the fact that those juveniles with the most risk factors are 5 to 20 times more likely to engage in subsequent SVJ offending than other youth.
There are many other identified predictors of SVJ offending. These include:
Table 2 illustrates the approximate ordering of risk factors associated with SVJ offending and how the developmental sequencing of life experiences and behaviors needs to be considered in developing effective, timely prevention and intervention programs.