Sudeshna Das, University of New Haven
In the United States, juvenile crime is an area of major concern. Research on delinquency often examines indicators existing at the early stages of development (McCluskey et al., 2004). Relatedly, school absenteeism affects students’ performance and can lead to long-term effects (Ginsburg et al., 2014; Aucejo & Romano, 2016). Truancy, for instance, may result in poor academic performance, dropping out of school, substance abuse, and juvenile delinquency (Henry & Huzinga, 2007). Furthermore, chronic absenteeism also is a predictor of students dropping out of school, an increase in sexual risk behaviors, and criminal behavior (Romero & Lee, 2007; Henry et al., 2010).