Focusing on Focal Concerns: An Application of Focal Concerns to Youth Sentencing Decisions.
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| Title: | Focusing on Focal Concerns: An Application of Focal Concerns to Youth Sentencing Decisions. |
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| Authors: | Ruess, Shana L.M. (AUTHOR), Wiley, Stephanie A. (AUTHOR), Love, Helene (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Canadian Journal of Criminology & Criminal Justice. Oct2025, Vol. 67 Issue 4, p59-78. 20p. |
| Subjects: | Criminal sentencing, Rehabilitation, Canada. Young Offenders Act, Crimes against youth, Responsibility, Judicial process, Sentencing guidelines (Criminal procedure), Community safety |
| Abstract (English): | The focal concerns framework is widely used to explain sentencing disparities, yet its direct application to judicial reasoning in trials is less common. To assess whether the focal concerns framework can be used to explain judicial decision-making in sentencing, we analysed Canadian youth sentencing judgments for break and enter and manslaughter cases from 2003 through 2025 (n = 183). An exploratory factor analysis shows that the independent variables coded in our dataset map onto three focal concerns: rehabilitation needs, community protection, and blameworthiness. Subsequent ordinary-least-squares regression models show that rehabilitation needs, community protection, and age are related to an increase in custodial sentence length, while blameworthiness is associated with longer community supervision sentences. By relying on case law as a source of data, we suggest that this widely available but potentially overlooked data source can be used for framing the focal concerns framework and standardizing focal concerns research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Abstract (French): | La théorie des préoccupations focales est largement utilisée pour expliquer les écarts en matière de condamnation, mais son application directe au raisonnement judiciaire est moins courante lors des procès. Pour évaluer si elle peut être utilisée pour expliquer les décisions judiciaires sur le plan de la détermination des peines, les auteurs ont analysé les jugements sur la détermination des peines des jeunes canadiens pour vols avec effraction et homicides entre 2003 et 2025 (n = 183). Une analyse factorielle exploratoire révèle que les variables indépendantes codées dans l'ensemble de données se divisent en trois préoccupations focales : besoins de réadaptation, protection communautaire et réprobation morale. Selon les modèles de régression par les moindres carrés ordinaires subséquents, les besoins de réadaptation, la protection communautaire et l'âge sont liés à de plus longues peines d'emprisonnement, tandis que la réprobation morale est associée à de plus longues peines sous surveillance dans la collectivité. En se fiant à la jurisprudence, les auteurs avancent que cette source de données largement disponible, mais potentiellement négligée, peut être utilisée pour cadrer la théorie des préoccupations focales et en standardiser la recherche. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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