Understanding violence in juvenile correctional facilities: A National study of victim-offender overlap in the United States

Abstract

The phenomenon of victim-offender overlap within juvenile correctional facilities is an underexplored area in criminological research. This study examines the prevalence and correlates of victim-offender overlap using data from two collections of the National Survey of Youth in Custody conducted in 2008–2009 and 2012. Our findings reveal that the victim-offender overlap group constitutes a significant proportion of incarcerated youth. Multinomial logistic regression analysis indicates that institutional factors, such as correctional officer legitimacy, in-facility gang membership, fear of inmate assault, experience of filing complaints against staff, and time served, significantly differentiate victim-offenders from the three other groups: victims-only, offenders-only, and those not involved. The results lend support to the relevance of the deprivation model in understanding institutional violence, particularly when viewed through the lens of victim-offender overlap. They also suggest that correctional environments may contribute to the perpetuation of violence, highlighting the need for a reevaluation of incarceration policies, particularly for non-violent juvenile offenders. These implications align with ongoing juvenile justice reform efforts aimed at providing smaller, therapeutic facilities and expanding community-based alternatives to incarceration. Finally, significant racial differences were identified, with Black youth more likely than White youth to be offenders-only and less likely to be victims-only or neither-victims-nor-offenders when compared to being victim-offenders. These patterns raise concerns about systemic inequities within juvenile correctional facilities that require future investigation.