ERIC Number: EJ1234799
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Dec
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0012-1649
EISSN: N/A
A Longitudinal Examination of the Association between Intelligence and Rearrest Using a Latent Trait-State-Occasion Modeling Approach in a Sample of Previously Adjudicated Youth
Schwartz, Joseph A.; Beaver, Kevin M.
Developmental Psychology, v55 n12 p2678-2691 Dec 2019
Recidivism remains a serious issue in the modern criminal justice system, with over 80% of those previously incarcerated being rearrested within 9 years of release (Alper, Durose, & Markman, 2018). Although previous studies have identified risk factors that increase the probability of rearrest, much remains unknown regarding the full constellation of risk factors. One potential risk factor that has received limited attention is intelligence, as individuals with lower IQ scores have been found to be more likely to come into initial contact with the criminal justice system. Collectively, previous studies have provided preliminary evidence of intelligence as a risk factor for rearrest but have not fully explored this association. More specifically, it remains unclear whether the association between IQ and recidivism persists after controlling for time-invariant, individual-specific sources of variance in criminal behavior. The current study aimed to address this limitation and more closely examine the longitudinal association between IQ and rearrest with data from the Pathways to Desistance Study (N = 1,331 individuals). To distinguish variance in intelligence from time-stable, individual-specific variance in criminality, we estimated a latent trait-state-occasion model. A subsequent series of survival models, which included the previously estimated measure of criminality as a covariate, revealed a small and negative association between IQ and rearrest (hazard ratio = 0.95; 95% confidence interval [0.92; 0.98]), suggesting that IQ may play only a minor role in recidivism.
Descriptors: Youth, Recidivism, Intelligence, Risk, Longitudinal Studies, Juvenile Justice, Intelligence Tests, Crime, Intelligence Quotient
American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP); National Institute of Justice (NIJ) (DOJ); National Institute on Drug Abuse (DHHS/PHS)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Arizona; Pennsylvania (Philadelphia)
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence
Grant or Contract Numbers: 2007MUFX0002; 2008IJCX0023; R01DA019697