Applying Positive Psychology to Illuminate the Needs of Adolescent Males Transitioning Out of Juvenile Detention

• DOI: 10.1177/0306624X15591242
• Published date: 01 January 2017
• Author: José Hanham,Danielle Tracey
• Date: 01 January 2017
• Subject Matter: Articles

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2017, Vol. 61(1) 64 –79

© The Author(s) 2015

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DOI: 10.1177/0306624X15591242

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Article

Applying Positive Psychology

to Illuminate the Needs

of Adolescent Males

Transitioning Out of Juvenile

Detention

Danielle Tracey1 and José Hanham1

Abstract

Reducing the recidivism of young offenders is a critical research issue, not only to

enhance the future outcomes for the young person but also to reduce the future risk

to the community. Navigating the immediate transition from detention back into the

community is positioned as a critical milestone. This small qualitative study describes

how young offenders participating in a formal mentoring program in Australia

experienced the transition from detention to the community and the intrinsic

drivers of their behaviour throughout this transition. Perspectives of their mentors

and caseworker were also solicited. Importantly, their stories were interpreted

through the lens of positive psychology and self-determination theory to discuss the

relevance of one’s pursuit of autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Increasing our

understanding of these intrinsic motivators will assist young offenders to pursue a

better life away from crime and benefit both themselves and the wider community.

Keywords

positive psychology, transition, juvenile offenders, rehabilitation, mentoring

Introduction

Juvenile offending is a critical issue of our time. Traditionally, research into juvenile

recidivism has adopted a risk and deficit model and focused on how best to deter

1University of Western Sydney, Australia

Corresponding Author:

Danielle Tracey, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Sydney, Penrith, New South Wales

2751, Australia.

Email: d.tracey@uws.edu.au

591242IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X15591242International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative CriminologyTracey and Hanham

research-article2015

Tracey and Hanham 65

offenders from re-offending (Wainwright & Nee, 2014). More recently, however, a

new research trend has emerged that adopts a strengths-based approach rooted in prin-

ciples of positive psychology (Twyford, 2013; Wainwright & Nee, 2014; Ward, Yates,

& Willis, 2012). The present study contributes to the field by adopting a strengths-

based approach to describe the experience and motivation of young offenders as they

move through the critical period of transition from detention to the community.

Gathering the perspectives of the young offenders who were participants in a formal

mentoring program, as well as their mentors and caseworker, increases our under-

standing of how best to encourage a better life for young offenders.

High Rates of Juvenile Recidivism

Adolescents and young adults tend to have the highest offending rates of any age

group (Australian Institute of Criminology, 2012; Shulman, Steinberg, & Piquero,

2014), which can be attributed to a number of co-occurring psychological and social

factors (Sweeten, Piquero, & Steinberg, 2013). Moffitt’s (1993, 1997, 2006) develop-

mental theory posits that juvenile offending can be characterised by both “life-course

persistent offenders,” where a chronic pattern of criminal activity has occurred from

an early age and “adolescence-limited offenders,” where participation in criminal

behaviour is only temporary and occurs as a function of the context of adolescence.

For young people in juvenile detention, the transition back into the community

represents a critical time in which they face challenges on multiple fronts (Unruh,

Povenmire-Kirk, & Yamamoto, 2009). These include the “after-effects” of incarcera-

tion such as psychological displacement, discontinuation of psychological and medi-

cal care (Altschuler, 2008), and social stigma from having spent time in secure facilities

(Unruh et al., 2009). There is also the challenge of progressing from adolescence to

young adulthood (Altschuler & Brash, 2004; Vickers, 2010). In Australia, more than

half of young offenders released from detention will be reconvicted within the first 6

months living in the community (Payne, 2007). With such a high incidence of offend-

ing and recidivism among young people, more research is needed that focuses specifi-

cally on young people (LeBaron, 2002) and the critical transition back to the community

(McGuire, 2010).

Deterring Offenders Away From Recidivism

Research into recidivism has been conducted mainly under the premise of the risk-

prediction tradition. That is, these efforts have largely concentrated on how best to

deter offenders from re-offending (Wainwright & Nee, 2014). This is best demon-

strated by the large number of sophisticated risk assessment tools (Hiscox, Witt, &

Haran, 2007; Richards, 2011) designed to measure the juvenile’s negative personal

and contextual factors that should be managed to reduce the likelihood of recidivism

(Mulder, Brand, Bullens, & van Marle, 2011).

Difficulties with drug use (Snyder, 2004); mental health issues (Snyder, 2004;

Sullivan, 2004); cognitive and emotional deficiencies (Griller-Clark & Unruh, 2010);