Crossover youth: A nationally representative study to identify predictors of crossover from foster care to juvenile justice

Youth in foster care who cross into the juvenile justice system are known as Crossover Youth (CY). Until recently, CY were seldom studied as a distinct population in either system of care. The present study examined two national foster care data sets for predictors of crossover among adolescents in foster care. Logistic regression was used for three outcomes: adjudication as a delinquent, incarceration, and adjudication plus incarceration. Outcomes indicate that predictors of risk vary across outcomes but become more pronounced for youth with more involvement in the juvenile justice system.