UC Irvine

The benefits of prevention and intervention programs for juvenile offenders continue to be debated in both research and policy. Existing research shows variation around the circumstances that contribute to the strongest reductions in recidivism for these offenders. Using a rigorous and systematic methodological approach, this overview of reviews explores the effects of rehabilitation and other intervention programs for juvenile offenders. The present research integrates the findings of meta-analyses and systematic reviews (N=53) from a broad range of treatment programs. The mean effects from these reviews reveal that, overall, programs are associated with moderate reductions in recidivism, rΦ = -0.07, for juveniles who participate compared to those who do not. Four moderator analyses were conducted to explore the variation around the overall effect. Decreases in recidivism vary between the levels of the criminal justice system, characteristics of juvenile offenders, types of program philosophies, and methodological quality. The importance of these findings is discussed in terms of theoretical, methodological, and practical implications.