Academic Achievement and School Functioning Among Nonincarcerated Youth Involved With the Juvenile Justice System

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The relationship between academic problems and delinquency is well documented among incarcerated populations but has not been examined among nonincarcerated youth involved with the juvenile justice system. This research examined the school functioning and academic achievement of 157 youth who had brief contact with a state department of juvenile justice and then returned to the community. More than half (62.4%) demonstrated problems in school functioning or academic performance, as measured with well-validated instruments. Standard achievement scores were below average and as low as 5 standard deviations below the normative mean. Non-Caucasian youth, and those who received special education services or lived in an urban area demonstrated significantly lower achievement. Juvenile justice agencies and schools should collaboratively address the education needs of these youth.