Contemporary research suggests that increased efforts to transfer juveniles to the adult
criminal justice system may backfire because waived youths generally exhibit greater
recidivism as compared to similar offenders retained in juvenile court. One concern
with this research is the possibility of selection bias, meaning that the findings could be
explained as merely a simple consequence of the highest risk youth being transferred.
This study examined this issue for 494 violent youths from Pennsylvania, of which 79
were waived to adult court and 415 were retained in juvenile court. The likelihood,
seriousness, and timing of their recidivism were analyzed, with a statistical control for
selection bias included. The findings still suggest heightened recidivism among the
transferred youths. |