3265University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA.
Child Maltreat. 2021 May;26(2):205-215. doi: 10.1177/1077559520923033. Epub 2020 May 14.
There is evidence that risk for delinquency is elevated among girls with foster care histories, and one correlate of delinquency is affiliating with peers who engage in delinquent behavior. Although intervention studies have shown positive effects of interventions that target delinquent peer affiliation on reductions in delinquency among adolescents with juvenile justice histories, the success of such interventions for younger girls in foster care, without prior involvement with juvenile justice, is unknown. We analyzed data from a randomized clinical trial of the middle school version of the Keep Safe intervention in a sample of girls in foster care ( = 100). The intervention was delivered to girls and foster parents during the transition to middle school. Path analysis suggested a significant intervention effect on reduction in affiliation with delinquent peers at 12 months ( = -.21). No significant mediation effects were identified. The middle school Keep Safe intervention shows promise as a preventative intervention for reducing affiliation with delinquent peers, which importantly is associated with adolescent delinquent behavior. Implications for researchers and professionals who tailor and deliver evidence-based programs for girls in foster care are discussed.
有证据表明，有寄养经历的女孩犯罪风险较高，而犯罪的一个相关因素是与从事犯罪行为的同伴交往。尽管干预研究表明，针对与犯罪同伴交往的干预措施对减少有少年司法经历的青少年犯罪有积极影响，但对于没有少年司法经历的年轻寄养女孩来说，这些干预措施的效果如何尚不清楚。我们分析了一项针对寄养女孩的中学版 Keep Safe 干预的随机临床试验的数据（n=100）。该干预在女孩过渡到中学期间提供给女孩及其寄养父母。路径分析表明，干预对减少与犯罪同伴的交往在 12 个月时有显著效果（β=-.21）。没有发现显著的中介效应。中学版 Keep Safe 干预有望成为一种预防措施，减少与犯罪同伴的交往，而这与青少年犯罪行为密切相关。讨论了为寄养女孩量身定制和提供循证方案的研究人员和专业人员的意义。
