The transition towards desistance from crime among serious juvenile offenders : A scoping review

Serious juvenile offenders present high recidivism rates. Much research focus on the processes of desistance from crime in adult populations. However, much less is known about the processes of desistance of adolescents. This scoping review aimed to map available knowledge regarding processes of desistance from crime among serious juvenile offenders. Twenty-six quantitative and qualitative studies were analysed. Results indicate that individual, relational, and structural factors can either facilitate or hinder adolescents’ attempts to move away from crime. During this transitional period, the role of case workers in assisting desistance appears to be essential.

• A better understanding of how adolescent offenders come to move away from crime is essential to develop more humane and effective practices.
• Social workers can play a key role in assisting offenders to identify their strengths and goals for the future in order to help them gradually retake control of their life and become the person they aspire to be.