Abstract
When trying to understand why juveniles commit crimes, it is important to understand the risk factors that occur most often in juveniles who engage in delinquent behavior. The purpose of this research was to explore the most common risk factors associated with juvenile delinquency in the city of Roseville, California. This quantitative survey research study investigated the perceptions of 62 Roseville Police Department patrol officers. The sampling method was a non-probability purposive sample. The results from the study found that Roseville patrol officers overall did not tend to believe that the seven risk factors indicated were associated with juvenile delinquency. Chi square tests were significant in the association between male and female arrests and their reported mental/emotional issues, male and Caucasian arrests and their self-reporting of current medical conditions, and female arrests and their reporting of parental incarceration. Implications for social work practice and policy are discussed.