Assessing the Efficacy of a Family-Based Juvenile Court Intervention.

This article evaluates the efficacy of Family Support Services (FSS), a voluntary family-based intervention designed by a Midwestern county court to support parents/guardians of youth on juvenile probation. Analyzing data from 1,844 youth over 15 years, the study found that participation in FSS was associated with an increased likelihood of youth recidivism, particularly among those with low initial family risk scores, while no significant differences were observed based on youth sex or race. Youth whose parents/guardians successfully completed the program did not show significantly different recidivism rates compared to non-participants, whereas incomplete participation correlated with higher recidivism. The findings highlight concerns about the potential iatrogenic effects of court-designed, non-evidence-based family interventions and underscore the importance of implementing and rigorously evaluating evidence-based programs to effectively reduce juvenile offending.