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Juvenile correctional programs and treatment
Juvenile correctional programs and treatment
Juvenile correctional programs and treatment
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Introduction
At-risk youths are adolescents experiencing acute behavioural problems and emotional problems, causing them to be a safety liability to both themselves and others (Janis, 2002). This also impedes their ability to learn and cope in various social settings. Often at-risk youths end up incarcerated in a juvenile facility and are often labelled as a menace to our society. They are prone to suicidal behaviours that sometimes leads to a fatal outcome. According to the CDC, suicide is the third leading cause of death between the ages of 15-24 and sixth leading cause of death between the ages of 5-15. At-risk youths also typically engage in drug use, drop out of school, and practice early un-protected sexual behaviour as well as violent crimes.
Advocacy
At risk youths require special attention from the people who surround them on a daily basis. Having consistent, positive influence and guidance will enable them to mature responsibly and make better decisions. Advocacy programs have played a large role in helping the youths at risk. Youth advocates offer individual and family counselling as well as a variety of other helpful services. They help connect the youth and their families to existing community programs. They work towards creating an environment where everyone works together to provide coordinated support for the youth. In addition, they provide counselling services to all ages through elementary, middle and high school. They are also involved in alcohol and drug prevention and intervention, juvenile court diversion and family support and assistance.
During this intervention social worker advocate employs various methodologies. One of the methodologies used by the advocates is development approach. It involves the advo...
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...s supposed to be voluntary and have the informed consent. Since Josie is a minor the consent of the parents is required.
Conclusion
Adolescence is a unique period of the lifespan. It is full of changes and challenges, but also of growth and opportunities. Adolescents are particularly susceptible to high-risk behaviours. so it is imperative that parents and other concerned adults support youth as they go through this period. The process surrounding high-risk behaviours can be complex, and often it is not enough just to tell a child to ‘say no’ to engaging in these behaviours. Risk-behaviour prevention must cover a wide range of issues that adolescents face in order to be most effective. This is because, the well-being of our society depends on our ability to prepare well adjusted; responsible, well-educated young people to step forward as the older generation passes.
Programs, policies, and practices are developed for at-risk youth, based on the evidence and research generated from this approach. The basis of such evidence is not to be the deciding factor, as stated above, but to help us identify programs, and policies that benefit our youth in positive ways.
Progar, J. (2012). Review of juveniles at risk: A plea for preventive justice. Journal Of Youth And Adolescence, 41(12), 1702-1704. doi:10.1007/s10964-012-9841-0
The definition of motivation according to Kennedy (2000), “[t]he internationalist view asserts that internal and external factors influence the change process From this perspective, motivation is seen as an interpersonal process that can be influenced in a positive way by the professional (para.18). A high-risk youth is defined as a male or female between the ages of 12-17 years old who has had some contact with the law or is at risk of becoming an offender. There is a lack of motivation in some high-risk youth to positively change their lives around. According to Stinson (2009), risk factors associated with juvenile delinquency include “poor academic performance, early childhood aggression, and hyperactivity; lack of parental involvement/interaction and inadequate parental supervision and monitoring; and community/environmental factors, including access to drugs and weapons, and lack of access to community resources due to poverty” (p. 11). At risk youth that engage in community based programs in Ridge Meadows, B.C. such as KidStart, Connex, Yardworks, Community Work Service, sports and leisure and counseling, are more successful later on in their young adulthood versus high risk youth who do not attend such programs. The KidStart program is a mentoring and one-on-one program that works with youth who are at-risk and experiencing difficulties in their lives. According to PLEA (2010), “[t]he primary objective of the program is to strengthen the young person's resilience to the risk factors that are known to lead to victimization, violence and criminal activities” (para. 1). Yardworks is a program that provides youth with work experience and life skills to allow them to enter the workforce and work alongside with a PLEA staff membe...
A 17 year old boy, Douglas Stewart, came home from school to find his mother lying on the sofa with a strained back. Being concerned for her he rubbed her back briefly then put on some easy listening music. Douglas then proceeded downstairs to his bedroom. Two of his friends came to the door. His mother waited to see if he would return to answer it; minutes later she answered and then yelled for him to come up. When he did not come, she went downstairs to get him. That is when she found him strangled and her son’s body dangling from the ceiling. This is a senseless tragic sight for a mother to endure. The mortality rate from suicide in 1996 showed 9.5 per 100,000 for 15-19 year olds. This also shows boys are four times more likely to commit suicide then girls. However, girls are twice as likely to attempt suicide. (American 1996) It is imperative to reverse this trend and in doing so we need to understand the characteristics, behaviors and events associated with youth suicide.
One of the fasting growing juvenile treatment and interventions programs are known as teen courts. Teen courts serve as an alternative juvenile justice, to young offenders. Non-violent, and mostly first time offenders are sentenced by their peers’ in teen courts. Teen courts also serve as juvenile justice diversion programs. Teen courts vary from state to state, and sometimes within the same state. With this program, all parties of the judicial setting are juveniles with the exception of the judge. Each teen court, is designed specifically to meet the needs of the community it serves. Teen courts were created to re-educate offenders throughout the judicial process, create a program with sanctions that will allow the youth not to have a juvenile record, and to also instil a sense of responsibility.
Youths who have entered the justice system have often been diagnosed with mental disorders or diseases. “A majority of adolescents formally involved in juvenile court have at least one, if not more than one, significant emotional or learning impairment, or maltreatment experience” (Mallet, 2013). The existence of these diseases often effect the juvenile’s stability and ability to make rational decisions. Which may result in them engaging in criminal activities The prevalence of disruptive behavior disorders among youths in juvenile justice systems is reported to be between 30 percent and 50 percent (The mental health needs of juvenile offenders). The difficulties of these disorders are often
The majority of youth can be served by these community-based services. Too often incarceration is used as a first step rather than a last resort. By using the money currently spent on incarceration and focusing it on community-based options for treatment and supervision that keep youth close to home should lead to more productive future adults.
The reason for this program is to use innovative approaches in developing programs, which will teach youth alternatives to violence, substance abuse, anger issues, low self-esteem, and the consequences as a result of making bad choices. During, the program non-violence, team building, leadership development and communication skills is promoted. A neutral and positive setting is provided for young people, so they are able to come together from different gangs throughout the city to work on their issues and programs together. When a youth is referred to the program they have an Intake-Assessment with the family. “Together, a Program Contract/Service Plan will be developed based on the individual needs of the youth/family. If the youth is on probation/parole all requirements of the courts will be incorporated into their contract. Services offered are case management, mediation, innovative focus groups, presentations, collaboration with other youth service organizations, and attendance at court hearings” (Stop ABQ Gangs,
This class, Social Work Theory & Practice was made to be able to introduce me to social work theories, ideas, and skills needed to work in the social work profession. This class main tool used was a book called A Brief Introduction of Social Work Theory by David Howe which discusses social work theories in a compressive and explainable way. This class is important to my higher learning because it break down the theories that I will need to use during my practice and a...
Adolescent mental health for at risk youth is important to the wellbeing of an adolescent who is growing and developing. Most adolescents who can incur mental health issues can be based on several factors such as: poverty, poor relationships, lack of health care, and inheritance. An adolescent is defined as: a young person who is developing into an adult (Merriam-Webster, 2017). The adolescent stage of development is a complex stage of a person’s life and can be viewed as the most difficult stage. At risk adolescents are likely to have a higher risk for mental health issues.
The events may pile up, as the student may not know how to externally or internally handle the situation. If the adolescent does not have a healthy way of managing the stressors, than he/she may turn to self-destructive behaviors. These behaviors may include alcohol and personal drug use, prolonged crying and sadness, running away from home, and impulsivity or recklessness. In today’s society, adolescents may turn to the use of marijuana, alcohol and tobacco because these substances provide an opportunity to demonstrate autonomy, challenge authority, or simply relieve the stress of growing up (Wilson, Hockenberry, & Wong, 2015, p.
transcends into adulthood (Casey, 2008). During adolescence there are examinable changes in various areas of life. These changes occur physically as the adolescent goes through puberty, as well as psychological changes where high emotional reactivity emerges, and social development is at its height (Casey, 2008). Adolescents are more likely than adults or children to engage in risky behaviour that can subsequently lead to death or illness by drunk driving, carrying weapons, using illegal drugs, and engaging in unprotected sex, which in turn can lead to STD’s and teenage pregnancies (Eaton, 2006). The prior is proof that adolescents do engage in risky behaviour. Through this essay we will explore the various theories of why risky behaviour is at its height during adolescence.
Now the eighth-leading cause of death overall in the U.S. and the third-leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years, suicide has become the subject of much recent focus. U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, for instance, recently announced his Call to Action to Prevent Suicide, 1999, an initiative intended to increase public awareness, promote intervention strategies, and enhance research. The media, too, has been paying very close attention to the subject of suicide, writing articles and books and running news stories. Suicide among our nation’s youth, a population very vulnerable to self-destructive emotions, has perhaps received the most discussion of late. Maybe this is because teenage suicide seems the most tragic—lives lost before they’ve even started. Yet, while all of this recent focus is good, it’s only the beginning. We cannot continue to lose so many lives unnecessarily.
There is a great deal of responsibilities given to a youth advocate. Throughout the day, youth advocates are in their weekly meetings with students to review grades, attendance, social skills, and future plans. They are also in meetings with teachers and administrators getting relevant information about their students and planning service-learning projects and social-life activities. Service-learning projects include: pre-employment readiness training, certification classes, and other such activities. Youth advocates provides transportation services for students to attend tutoring services, enrichment activities, an...
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year olds, and the sixth leading cause for 5 to 14 year olds. Suicide accounts for twelve percent of the mortality in the adolescent and young adult group. Young males are more common than young woman suicides. These are only children who followed through with the suicide. For every successful suicide there are fifty to one hundred adolescent suicide attempts. In other words, more than five percent of all teenagers tried to commit suicide, and the number is still rising. It is scary to think that four percent of high school students have made a suicide attempt within the previous twelve months. In a small safe town like Avon, in the Avon High School where you and I practically live, you can see the faces of 22 students that have tried to commit suicide. That is enough to fill a classroom.