Growing Up In Juvenile Prisons

In this day and time we see so much tragedy and so many troubled souls. When we watch the news we see kids having trouble, KIDS. Sometimes it’s hard to understand how it can get so difficult for such a young soul. Then, they grow up and become troubled adults. How much of a difference could we make if we helped those kids while they are still young?? How much better of a future could they possibly have?? A lot of these children that are struggling are not “heading” in a bad direction, they are already there. They are kids, and just might have seen more than we, have as adults. If there were more places for them to turn, just maybe we could decrease some of this chaos going on around us. Right now, there are some places for struggling children.

Studies show, that when these children are sent to these places, it does more harm than good. Sending these kids off isn’t the answer. Sending them to boot camp isn’t the answer, these results show that merely imposing harsh discipline on young offenders or frightening them is unlikely to help them refrain from problematic behavior. Instead teens must learn enduring tools—including better social skills, ways to communicate with parents and peers, and anger management techniques—that help them avoid future aggression. Several effective interventions do just that, including cognitive-behavior therapy, a method intended to change maladaptive thinking patterns and behaviors, and multi-systemic therapy, in which parents, schools and communities develop programs to reinforce positive behaviors. Another well-supported method, aimed at improving behavior in at-risk children younger than eight years, is parent-child interaction therapy. Parents are coached by therapists in real time to respond to a child's behavior in ways that strengthen the parent-child bond and provide incentives for cooperation. Finding people and services to help them is the answer to make the “change” we