Can at-risk youth be diverted from crime?: a meta-analysis of restorative diversion programs

Existing reviews of the impact of restorative justice programs on juvenile recidivism have reached mixed conclusions. The present meta-analysis identified relevant studies through a systematic search of 20 databases over a 25-year period as well as the ancestry method. Application of inclusion crite...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Wong, Jennifer S. (Author) ; Bouchard, Jessica (Author) ; Gravel, Jason (Author) ; Bouchard, Martin (Author) ; Morselli, Carlo (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2016
In: Criminal justice and behavior
Year: 2016, Volume: 43, Issue: 10, Pages: 1310-1329
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Keywords:
Mediation
Meta-analysis
Restorative Justice
Systematic Review
youth diversion
Description
Summary:Existing reviews of the impact of restorative justice programs on juvenile recidivism have reached mixed conclusions. The present meta-analysis identified relevant studies through a systematic search of 20 databases over a 25-year period as well as the ancestry method. Application of inclusion criteria resulted in a set of 21 studies contributing 21 independent effect sizes. Programs were found to be overall effective at reducing recidivism, with a pooled odds ratio of 1.28. Subgroup analyses indicate strong evidence that study and treatment characteristics play a role in evaluation results, such as strength of research design and racial/ethnic mix of program participants. Overall quality of the literature is relatively weak, with the large majority of studies derived from non-peer-reviewed sources and a lack of detail presented on treatment characteristics. Limitations with respect to exclusion criteria, sample sizes, and between-study heterogeneity are discussed.
ISSN:1552-3594
DOI:10.1177/0093854816640835