Truant youths are likely to engage in a number of problem behaviors, including sexual risky behaviors. As part of a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded, prospective intervention project, a sample of truant youths' sexual risk behavior was tracked over five time points. Analyses of the data was informed by four objectives: (a) determine…

Substance use and sexual risk behaviors are common among adolescents, but research has focused attention on alcohol use. Much less is known about the relationship of marijuana use and sexual risk behavior among high-risk, especially truant, youths. We report interim findings from a NIDA-funded experimental, brief intervention (BI) study involving…

Truant youths represent a critical group needing problem-oriented research and involvement in effective services. The limited number of studies on the psychosocial functioning of truant youths have focused on one or a few problem areas, rather than examining comorbid problem behaviors. The present study addresses the need to examine the…

Increasing interest has been shown in brief interventions for troubled persons, including those with substance abuse problems. Most of the published literature on this topic has focused on adults, and on the efficacy of these interventions. Few of these studies have examined the critical issues of enrollment and engagement in brief intervention…

Intervention Project. Results identified two classes of youths: Class 1(n=9) - youths with low levels of delinquency, mental health and substance abuse issues; and Class 2(n=37) - youths with high levels of these problems. Comparison of these two classes on their urine analysis test results and parent/guardian reports of traumatic events found…

Reflective of interest in mental health and substance abuse issues among youths involved with the justice system, we performed a latent class analysis on baseline information collected on 100 youths involved in two diversion programs. Results identified two groups of youths: Group 1: a majority of the youths, who had high levels of delinquency,…

The relationship between substance use, mental health disorders, and delinquency among youth is well documented. What has received far less attention from researchers is the relationship between these issues among truant youth, in spite of studies that document truants are a population at risk for negative outcomes. This study bridges this gap by…

We report the results of a test of a structural model reflecting the longitudinal relationships of psychosocial problems among youths involved in a Center for Substance Abuse Treatment funded clinical trial for juveniles that participated in a diversion program. The project is evaluating the efficacy of an intensive 16-week case management service…

Baseline, one-year and two-year follow-up interviews were obtained from 164 arrested youths processed at a juvenile assessment center in a prospective longitudinal study. A structural equation model that included cross-sectional and longitudinal associations among drug (alcohol and marijuana), drug sales and index offenses was supported by the…

Expanded analyses were completed on the efficacy of a family empowerment intervention for juvenile offenders and their families. Results indicate the promise of the intervention in regard to the youth's drug use and involvement in drug sales during a one-year post initial interview follow up period. (Contains 12 references and 1 table.) (Author)

We report the impact of case management services and youth psychopathic features on twelve-month recidivism rates for youths involved in a Center for Substance Abuse Treatment funded clinical trial conducted in a juvenile diversion program. The project is evaluating an innovative intervention service providing 16 weeks of intensive case management…

Authors tested model of the influence of arrested youths' family problem factors, including sexual victimization, physical abuse experiences, drug use, frequency of involvement in index offences. Hypothesized model was supported by data overall for males; female data suggested they use alcohol and marijuana for different reasons. Findings…

Examines the predictors of recidivism of youths at a juvenile assessment center over a three-year period. Significant relationships were found between the youths' demographic characteristics, their dependency referral history variables, and their recidivism to the center. Discusses the service delivery and policy implications of these findings.…

Presents a detailed overview of the Family Empowerment Intervention (FEI), a system-oriented intervention delivered in-home by well-trained nontherapists. A clinical trial of FEI targeted arrested youths and their families. Topics covered included: theoretical foundations and goals of FEI, structural intervention strategies, and phases of the…

This paper reports the results of developing and evaluating a classification of 315 arrested youth processed at the Hillsborough County Juvenile Assessment Center from September 1, 1994 to January 31, 1998. Youth were characterized as physically or sexually abused if they reported abuse or if they had been referred to juvenile court for abuse.…