RISK FACTORS FOR RECIDIVISM IN JUVENILE OFFENDERS

The aim of this work is to identify risk factors for recidivism in juvenile offenders. The study was conducted in a juvenile offender's sample (a total of 788) in the Madrid Region who committed their first offense between 2009 and 2011, at the age of 14 or 15 years old. To this end, data from judicial records and from IGI-J was collected and categorized into 32 independent variables, distributed into the following areas: personal, personality, behaviour and mental health, relative to the family context, school and peer's context and related to the infraction. The population was described by descriptive analysis. In addition, it has been verified if there is a significant and relevant relationship between the independent variables and recidivism, by means of test of.2 Pearson. The relevant variables for the recidivism are: respect for rules, parental practices, sociocultural family background, school absenteeism, problems with their peers, and type of first offense. To conclude, the practical implications of the results from this study are addressed in relation to the primary and secondary prevention of juvenile delinquency.