Juvenile risk assessments are becoming increasingly popular in jurisdictions across North America. Court officials use risk assessment scales to predict future crime, identify youth needs, and inform case planning. If risk assessment tools are to be useful, they must demonstrate predictive validity overall as well as demonstrate predictive validity across gender and racial subgroups. Currently, the literature shows that juveniles are typically assessed when they enter court jurisdiction. This initial risk assessment score is the only one used to predict recidivism. This study sought to determine the predictive accuracy of the composite risk score youth received following dismissal from court jurisdiction. The entry/initial and exit/dismissal composite scores were compared to identify their relative validity. Differential predictive validity across race/ethnicity and gender was also explored. Theoretical and policy implications and the impact of court supervision were then discussed.
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