Does Multisystemic Therapy Change Criminogenic Risk Factors? A 10-Year Study Among Norwegian Youths With and Without Offenses

The study investigated outcomes of Multisystemic Therapy (MST), for youths with and without recorded offenses. Over 10 years, 4,103 young people in Norway completed MST, and 5.39% of them had a criminal record. Those with previous offenses had higher scores on most dynamic risk factors. This high-risk group is predominantly boys, below the age of criminal responsibility (15 years) and have substance abuse issues. We observed reductions in risk factors from the beginning to the end of MST for both groups, with the group with offenses showing the most significant improvements. Committing a criminal offense at a young age is strongly associated with later recidivism. This study suggests that MST could disrupt cycles of offending by addressing criminological risk factors.