Although young males are still the primary perpetrators of juvenile crime, girls are increasingly coming into contact with the criminal justice system. While girls may have different pathways to crime and risks for recidivism than boys, their risk to reoffend is typically assessed using a gender-neutral tool that is based on social learning theory: a theory originally developed and tested on males. With the appropriateness of using gender-neutral tools to assess female criminality coming into question, a number of researchers have searched for a resolution. To date, mixed findings on the predictive validity of risk assessment tools have not provided any definitive answers. To help assess the predictive validity of the Youth Level of Service Inventory, separate meta-analyses were conducted for male and female juvenile offenders using previous studies. The mean effect sizes were compared in order to determine whether the predictive validity is similar for both males and females. With the exception of violent recidivism, results indicate that the YLS/CMI works equally well for male and female offenders. The implications of these findings for theory, research, and correctional policy are discussed.ii

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Studying white-collar crime presents challenges due to definitional disputes, variation in units of analysis, lack of data, and the use of proxy measures. This study employed multilevel meta-analytic methods to shed light on these issues. A total of 602 effect sizes using occupational or corporate crime as the dependent variable were included ( N = 54,205 individuals and 6,425 corporations), with predictor domains reflecting individual and organizational characteristics. Deterrence and positive personal traits showed the largest significant bivariate and multivariate effect sizes, respectively. Moderator analyses suggest that effects are largely stable regardless of whether the dependent variable reflects behavioral intentions or actual behavior, or cross-sectional or longitudinal designs are used.

Teen dating violence (TDV) affects both males and females, and the negative consequences associated with such violence last into adulthood. This study had three objectives: (a) determine the extent of overlap in TDV offending and TDV victimization, (b) test whether social ties explain the TDV overlap, and (c) assess whether the effects of social ties on teen dating violence are invariant between sexes. This study used data from the 2018 Arizona Youth Study ( N = 5,189). The findings confirmed that TDV overlap exists. In addition, social ties appeared to partially explain this overlap. Finally, some social ties appeared more general, predicting TDV for both sexes, whereas others were not. For instance, Paternal Attachment was found to reduce the probability of dating violence among female participants only. The findings lend support to prevention programs that aim to strengthen ties between parents and teens.

While perceptions of the legitimacy of formal authority have been found to influence offending, little is known about the extent to which such perceptions influence the related outcome of victimization. This study addressed this gap by examining how changes in legitimacy affected victimization both within-and between-individuals. This study used 7 waves of the Pathways to Desistance data (n = 1310; 13.85% female; age range 14-22). Youth who have committed serious offenses were surveyed at 6-month intervals during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood. In the full sample, the effects of legitimacy on both victimization and offending remained largely stable over time within individuals. Sensitivity analyses revealed that more positive perceptions of legitimacy significantly reduce offending for boys and reduce victimization for girls during the developmental period under study. Consistent with prior research, between-individual differences appear to be more important than within-individual change for explaining both offending and victimization. The implications of the results for theory, future research, and early intervention for high-risk youth are discussed.