Assessment of a Second-Order Multi-Problem Factor Model Involving Sexual Partners, Marijuana Use, and Post-Arrest Placement Among Persistent Male Adolescent Delinquents

ABSTRACT

Problem-behavior theory suggests problem behaviors (e.g. substance use and delinquency) cluster among adolescents. This study explored a second-order problem behavior model of marijuana use, sexual partners, and post-arrest juvenile justice system placement among male adolescents over three waves. Results confirmed a second-order latent factor of problem behaviors, with male adolescents persistently involved in the juvenile justice system experiencing problems with marijuana use, risky sexual behavior, and increased severity of post-arrest placement. Further, older, Hispanic, African American, and urban persistent male delinquents were more likely to demonstrate continued problem behaviors. We discuss implications for future research and practice.

Acknowledgements

The research reported in this article was funded in part by Florida Department of Children and Families. The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article. We are grateful for the support of the Florida Department of Children and Families, and the Central Florida Behavioral Care Network.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

¹ The Bayesian counterpart to confidence intervals in a frequentist approach (e.g., maximum likelihood) is credibility intervals. Credibility intervals are reported based on the percentiles of the posterior distribution. A 95% credibility interval means there is a 95% chance that the interval reported contains the true value of the parameter on the basis of the observed data (see Gelman et al. 2013; Lynch 2023 for further details).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jennifer Wareham

Jennifer Wareham is a Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Her research focuses on understanding causes and correlates of juvenile delinquency, intimate partner violence, and program evaluation.

Richard Dembo

Richard Dembo is a Professor of Criminology at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He is also an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow who has a long-term interest in developing, implementing, and evaluating intervention programs for at-risk and high-risk youth.

James Schmeidler

James Schmeidler is a statistician who is a Voluntary Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City. He primarily collaborates in research on cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. He was a Research Scientist at the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, where he began his collaborative worked evaluating programs for justice-involved youth.

Jessica Wolff

Jessica Wolff served as a Juvenile Assessment Center Program Director for the Agency for Community Treatment Services, Inc. during this study. Her responsibilities included oversight of Health Coach project services.