Youth incarcerated in juvenile detention facilities in Western Pennsylvania completed questionnaires related to family history, educational attainment, and psychological traits. Linear regression models were conducted to examine the influence of family and individual trait factors on youth’s aspirations to attend college. Nearly 90% of youth aspired to attend college. Findings from regression analyses indicate that maternal education, neglect, and youth irresponsibility were significantly associated with aspirations. In particular, juveniles with a mother who completed some college or more had 3.37 times greater odds of aspiring to attend college compared to juveniles with a mother who had a high school diploma or less (OR = 3.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.02, 11.11]). Additionally, juveniles experiencing greater neglect (OR = 0.42, 95% CI [0.18, 0.94]) and reporting higher irresponsibility (OR = 0.84, 95% CI [0.72, 0.99]) were less likely to have college aspirations. Practitioners should capitalize upon aspirations to attend college and help youth establish concrete plans for turning their aspirations into reality.
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