Truancy Offenders in the Juvenile Justice System: A Multicohort Study

Abstract

Truancy remains a persistent concern, with serious consequences for the individual, family, and society, as truancy is often linked to academic failure, disengagement with school, school dropout, and delinquency. This study analyzed large-scale data covering multiple years of cohorts of delinquent youths born between 1981 and 1988. Truancy offenders tend to be referred to the juvenile justice system at an earlier age, be juveniles with a family criminal history, and have received special education services. Caucasians girls, juveniles from lower income families, and juveniles who did not use drugs were more likely to be referred for truancy offenses than for other offenses. Implications of these findings for practice and future research are addressed.