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Key DDAP Concepts The dependent variable in the study was recidivism, which was operationally defined as a referral to the juvenile court on a new offense (youth committing technical violations but not charged with a specific delinquent offense were not counted as recidivists) subsequent to the original referral to either DDAP or to the comparison group. Data were not available (because of either time or monetary constraints) on other possible measures of recidivism (e.g., "police contacts" and arrests as an adult). Recidivism was subsequently subdivided into serious recidivists and minor recidivists. Serious recidivists included youth referred to court on felonies or other serious charges (e.g., robbery, murder, burglary, grand theft, and drugs), while minor recidivists included youth who committed misdemeanors (e.g., petty larceny and simple assault). Other measures of recidivism were subsequent petitions to juvenile court and subsequent out-of-home placements. The nature of previous offenses for youth with prior referrals was included among the independent variables. Previous offenses were categorized as serious violent (e.g., robbery, murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and rape), serious other (e.g., burglary, grand theft, and drugs), minor (e.g., petty larceny, simple assault, and disturbing the peace), and technical (e.g., violating a court order). Another key independent variable was risk scores, which, for research purposes, were listed on various printouts of data compiled by the juvenile probation department and divided into four major categories: less than 10; 10 to 14; 15 to 19; and 20 or more. During the course of the research, it was discovered that in filling out the "risk assessment" forms, some intake workers stopped adding up the points once a youth reached a score of 10 (the minimum score needed for youth to be detained), so an exact score of 10 could theoretically be a score of 15, 20, or more. Therefore, it was decided to change the categories for this variable to low risk (less than 10) or high risk (10 or more). This method was chosen because, according to the risk assessment form (which was originally designed by NCCD and is used across the country), a score of 10 or more indicates that the youth is a "danger to self or others," is likely to "abscond," or is "without adequate adult supervision" and, therefore, requires incarceration in a juvenile detention facility (Wiebush et al., 1995).
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