Drug-exposed infant cases in juvenile court: risk factors and court outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine which factors were significantly associated with court outcomes for drug exposed infants in dependency court.


METHODS
A longitudinal study of 118 drug exposed infant social services and juvenile court files of petitioned cases through all court hearings, using chi-squares and logistic regressions data analysis.


RESULTS
There was an overrepresentation of minority mothers who were poor, unemployed, undereducated, and single, with prior referrals to the dependency system and criminal records. The chi-square analysis suggested that variables such as ethnicity, past referrals, and criminal record were significantly associated with court outcomes for all hearings, with minority cases less likely to receive family maintenance orders, and more likely to have their children placed out of home. The regression analysis however showed a different pattern. Ethnicity and prior referrals disappeared as significant risk factors altogether. Only at the initial dispositional hearing did a criminal record significantly influence court decisions. In subsequent hearings, mothers' compliance with court orders and attending court hearings became the significant factors associated with court outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Mothers' behavior was more important for court outcomes than ethnicity, past referrals, and criminal record. It is therefore imperative that mothers are motivated to successfully comply with court orders by offering culturally appropriate services and facilitating attendance at court hearings.
Sagatun-Edwards
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I
Administration of Justice Department, San Jose State University, CA 95192-0050, USA.
Saylor
C
C
D003416:Criminal Law; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003657:Decision Making; D005006:Ethnicity; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D012307:Risk Factors; D012947:Social Work; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders