School Engagement as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Temperament and Recidivism Among Adolescents in Community-Based Juvenile Justice Services

Prior research has established the relationship between temperament and recidivism, yet the mechanisms that underlie this relationship have yet to be explored. School engagement represents one possible mechanism and has been shown to be related to both recidivism and temperament. The current study expands research on DeLisi and Vaughn’s temperament theory by utilizing data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice to determine if school engagement effectively mediates the relationship between temperament and continued delinquency. Results provide evidence of a significant mediation effect, controlling for a host of potential confounding variables. Findings suggest that approximately one-third of the total effect of temperament on juvenile recidivism is mediated by school engagement issues, yet a significant direct effect of temperament remains. Policy and intervention implications are briefly considered. Further research is required to determine additional mediators to better understand the processes by which temperament impacts reoffending.