Identity theories of desistance emphasize a change in self-identity to fundamentally end the criminal behaviors.
Based on the identity theories of desistance, I analyzed a panel data collected from 232 juvenile offenders who discharged from juvenile d...
Identity theories of desistance emphasize a change in self-identity to fundamentally end the criminal behaviors.
Based on the identity theories of desistance, I analyzed a panel data collected from 232 juvenile offenders who discharged from juvenile detention centers in 2018. The results are as follows. First, the 3-year average social support of others, bond with the probation officer, commitment to employment, frequency of drinking before admission to the juvenile detention, and age at admission had a significant effect on average positive self-identity over the 3-year period. Second, positive self-identity decreased for a period of one year after discharge, but it was not statistically significant. Third, the bond with the probation officer showed a significant and positive effect on the development of positive self-identity. Based on the results, a probation plan focusing on the bond with the probation officer, the role of the local community, lifestyle improvement, and employment was proposed.