Sex differences in temperament and career Juvenile offending among justice-involved youth

Abstract

We examine the role of temperament in predicting the severity and chronicity of career juvenile delinquency up to age 18, focusing on effortful control, negative emotionality, and potential sex differences. Using administrative data from 120,971 justice-involved youth assessed with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (FDJJ) Full Community Positive Achievement Change Tool (C-PACT), negative binomial regression models reveal that difficult temperament—marked by high impulsivity, poor frustration tolerance, and emotional dysregulation—is significantly associated with increased rates of misdemeanor and violent felony adjudications. In contrast, the association with non-violent and sex-related felonies is non-significant. Males exhibit higher overall offending rates, but temperament's predictive strength is more pronounced for females when it comes to misdemeanor and violent offending, suggesting sex differences in the pathways linking self-regulation deficits to juvenile delinquency. These findings support a temperament-based model of antisocial behavior and underscore the importance of considering emotional reactivity and self-regulation in juvenile justice interventions. Insights from this study contribute to criminological research and policy by highlighting temperament as a key factor in youth offending and the need for sex-specific prevention strategies.