The occurrence and timing of juvenile reoffending: social and clinical circumstances at supervision intake

Community supervision takes place within the family, school, peer, and clinical circumstances that juveniles bring at intake. This study examined whether these circumstances were associated with the occurrence and timing of reoffending during community supervision among 623 juveniles transitioning from residential placement in South Korea. Administrative probation data were analyzed using logistic regression for reoffending occurrence and Cox proportional hazards regression for time to first reoffending. During supervision, 217 juveniles (34.8%) reoffended, and psychiatric diagnosis was associated with higher odds of reoffending (OR = 1.53) and a higher hazard of earlier reoffending (HR = 1.47), as were younger age and male sex. In contrast, administrative indicators of family, school, and peer circumstances did not independently differentiate either outcome when considered simultaneously. Findings suggest the importance of mental health screening at intake and timely clinical follow-up, with attention to the pace of the supervisory response.