Does meeting in person matter? Examining youths' perceived support on juvenile probation

Beyond traditional in-person meetings, contemporary juvenile probation officers (JPOs) leverage modern technology to interact with youth via videoconferencing, phone calls, and text messaging. It is plausible that youth feel more-or less-supported by JPOs depending on the format of their interactions. Simultaneously, the procedural justice literature suggests that the quality of JPOs' interactions with youth may be as much or more influential on JPO-youth relationships than interaction format. Given that more positive supervisory relationships are associated with better probation outcomes, it is critical to understand what may shape youths' regard for JPOs. This study examined youths' perceived support from JPOs across four interaction formats. Then, this study examined how two supervisory experiences (interaction quality and frequency) were associated with youths' perceived support from JPOs through each interaction format.

We hypothesized that youth would feel similarly supported by JPOs across all four interaction formats. Per procedural justice theory, we expected that youth who perceived better quality relationships with their JPO (i.e., more procedurally just) would be more likely to feel supported by JPOs across all interaction formats. Last, we hypothesized that youth interacted with JPOs more often digitally, rather than in person, would be more likely to feel supported.

Youth (N = 529) on juvenile probation were surveyed to assess their probation experiences and perceptions of JPOs.

Youth felt similarly supported by JPOs across all four formats. Youth were more likely to feel supported the more often they interacted with JPOs and were much more likely to feel supported by JPOs they viewed as more procedurally just.

This study suggests that digital interactions are prevalent in juvenile probation supervision and well received by youth. Results highlight the potential of two supervisory practices that may help JPOs build better relationships with youth on probation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).