Juvenile Arrest and Its Association with Future Criminal Involvement: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Research has consistently revealed a link between involvement in adolescent delinquency and adult criminal behavior. Even so, there remains much that is unknown about this association, including the potential mechanisms that might explain it. The current study sought to add to this literature by examining the connection between being arrested as a juvenile and future self-reported involvement in adult criminal behavior. To do so, we analyzed data drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). We employed propensity score matching analysis to examine whether participants who were arrested as juveniles had significantly different mean scores on measures of crime (violent, nonviolent, and total) at two different points in adulthood when compared to matched controls. The results of these analyses revealed that participants who had been arrested as a juvenile self-reported greater involvement on four of the six crime measures compared to matched controls although these mean differences were attenuated once participants were matched on key covariates, including adolescent delinquency, low self-control, delinquent peers, and neuropsychological functioning, among others. We discuss the interpretation of these results and draw attention to the role that labeling may play in accounting for the link between juvenile arrests and adult criminal involvement.