Author insight from Dr. Luyi Jian (UAlbany) on our latest preprint, Getting Specific about Prosocial Identity Development as a Key Target for Justice-Involved Youth. 

Main point: The protective signal might be compassion. 

Why this work matters: This study provides initial empirical evidence that prosocial identity, especially its other-oriented, care/compassion facet, protects against reoffending among justice-involved youth. It is, to our knowledge, the first to examine this protective mechanism in this population. As Jian notes, “For lower-risk youth, emphasizing compassion and contribution may be more effective than focusing mainly on rule-following.” 

One result that sticks: each 1-point increase on a 7-point moral identity scale was linked to a 23% lower odds of 1-year recidivism (controlling for age, gender, race, SES). 

Takeaway: Don’t stop at compliance, grow other-oriented identity so learning sticks and youth thrive. 

Authors: Luyi Jian (UAlbany), Jennifer Skeem (UC Berkeley), Gina M. Vincent, PhD (UMass Chan) 

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