Predicting Burnout Among Juvenile Detention and Juvenile Probation Officers

• Author: Kristin Y. Mack,Gayle Rhineberger-Dunn
• Published date: 01 April 2020
• Date: 01 April 2020
• DOI: 10.1177/0887403419831352
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0887403419831352

Criminal Justice Policy Review

2020, Vol. 31(3) 335 –355

© The Author(s) 2019

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DOI: 10.1177/0887403419831352

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Article

Predicting Burnout Among

Juvenile Detention and

Juvenile Probation Officers

Gayle Rhineberger-Dunn1 and

Kristin Y. Mack1

Abstract

The purpose of our study is to extend the existing literature by assessing the

predictors of burnout among juvenile justice staff. We assess the impact of individual,

job/role-related, and organizational factors on burnout among juvenile probation

and juvenile detention officers. Also, given recent research in the institutional and

community corrections field, we evaluate which set of variables (e.g., individual, job/

role related, and organizational) has a greater impact on burnout. Results indicate

that the only individual-level variable affecting burnout is contact hours, and only for

emotional exhaustion. Role overload is also significant only for emotional exhaustion,

whereas work–family conflict is significant for both emotional exhaustion and

depersonalization. Furthermore, input into decision making and lack of opportunities

are both significant for depersonalization and personal accomplishment. Finally, job

characteristics appear to have a greater impact than organizational variables on both

emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, but organizational variables have a

stronger influence on personal accomplishment.

Keywords

burnout, juvenile probation, juvenile detention

Introduction

Burnout is a known negative consequence of working intensely with people on a daily

basis, particularly among those in the helping professions (Maslach, Jackson, & Leiter,

1University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA, USA

Corresponding Author:

Gayle Rhineberger-Dunn, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology, University of

Northern Iowa, 1227 West 27th Street, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0513, USA.

Email: Gayle.rhineberger@uni.edu

831352CJPXXX10.1177/0887403419831352Criminal Justice Policy ReviewRhineberger-Dunn and Mack

research-article2019

336 Criminal Justice Policy Review 31(3)

1996). It is defined as “a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and

reduced personal accomplishment . . . that can lead to a deterioration in the quality of

care or services provided by the staff” (Maslach et al., 1996, p. 4). Negative conse-

quences of burnout include turnover intention (Lambert, Hogan, & Altheimer, 2010;

Seti, 2008), which has implications for client success as well as financial ramifications

for the institution, reduced life satisfaction (Lambert, Altheimer, & Hogan, 2010),

negative health outcomes (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004), reduced support for treatment

and increased support for punishment (Lambert, Hogan, Altheimer, Jiang, & Stevenson,

2009), and reduced quality of care and relationships between youth and their juvenile

probation officers (Salyers, Hood, Schwartz, Alexander, & Aalsma, 2015). Perhaps,

one of the more concerning consequences is the impact burnout has on juvenile proba-

tion officers’ relationships with not only juveniles but also their parents (Salyers et al.,

2015). The relationship between a juvenile probation officer and his or her clients as

well as their parents is known to be a significant predictor of successful juvenile out-

comes (Salyers et al., 2015; Schwalbe, 2012; Skeem & Manchak, 2008).

Given its potentially far-reaching negative consequences for both individual

employees and the clients with whom they work, it is not surprising that burnout has

been extensively studied among various professions, including mental health counsel-

ors (Lanham, Rye, Rimsky, & Weill, 2012; Thompson, Amatea, & Thompson, 2014),

substance abuse counselors (Oser, Biebel, Pullen, & Harp, 2013; Young, 2015), cor-

rectional counselors (Carrola, Olivarez, & Karcher, 2016), and domestic and sexual

assault advocates (Babin, Palazzolo, & Rivera, 2012; Baird & Jenkins, 2003; Baker,

O’Brien, & Salahuddin, 2007; Brown & O’Brien, 1998; Iliffe & Steed, 2000). Scholars

have also assessed burnout among mainstream criminal justice professionals, includ-

ing police (Brady, 2017; Ellrich, 2016; Gutshall, Hampton, Sebetan, Stein, &

Broxtermann, 2017), judges (Chamberlain & Miller, 2009), and attorneys (Carter,

2006; Morgillo, 2015). In addition, research has evaluated burnout among adult cor-

rectional officers (Carlson, Anson, & Thomas, 2003; Garland, 2004; Greenglass,

Burke, & Ondrack, 1990; Lambert, Altheimer, & Hogan, 2010; Lambert, Hogan, &

Altheimer, 2010; Lambert, Hogan, Barton-Bellessa, & Jiang, 2012; Lambert, Hogan,

Griffin, & Kelley, 2015; Morgan, Van Haveren, & Pearson, 2002; Savicki, Cooley, &

Gjesvold, 2003; Whitehead & Lindquist, 1986) and adult probation/parole officers

(Gayman & Bradley, 2013; Lewis, Lewis, & Garby, 2013; Rhineberger-Dunn, Mack,

& Baker, 2016).

However, very little research has specifically and independently assessed burnout

among staff working in juvenile probation and juvenile detention.1 In fact, there is just

one study that analyzed burnout among juvenile probation officers (Salyers et al.,

2015) and two that examined the impact of specific job-related factors on burnout

among juvenile correctional staff who supervised juveniles who had been tried as

adults (Lambert, Altheimer, & Hogan, 2010; Lambert, Hogan, & Altheimer, 2010).

This relative lack of research is surprising, given the negative consequences of burnout

among staff in similar professions.

The purpose of our study is to extend the existing literature by assessing the predic-

tors of burnout among two groups of juvenile justice staff and to evaluate the impact