Posts Tagged by juvenile delinquency
Lack of Sleep Associated with Risky Behaviors in Teens
| October 4, 2011 | Posted by M. P. under Health, Research, Youth Development |
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A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that nearly 70 percent of high school students in the United States do not get an adequate amount of sleep.
Data from the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated a majority of teens did not get the amount of sleep recommended (8 hours or more), particularly on school nights. Insufficient sleep was linked to reduced levels of physical activity, computer use of 3 hours or more daily, and feelings of despair. High-risk behaviors such as alcohol, marijuana and cigarette use were more likely in students who received less sleep than their peers.
A summary of the study, Relationships between hours of sleep and health-risk behaviors in US adolescent students by Lela R. McKnight-Eilya, Danice K. Eaton, Richard Lowry, Letitia Presley-Cantrella and Geraldine S. Perry is available at the Science Direct website.
A Strategic Approach to Reducing Truancy
| July 13, 2011 | Posted by M. P. under Children and Family, Juvenile Delinquency, Program Model, Youth Development |
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It is not uncommon for school-age children to experience temporary lulls in their enthusiasm toward school or schoolwork. However, if such disengagement from school continues, parents and teachers should not hesitate to explore the reasons behind such a shift in attitude. The issue of truancy, or a student’s absence from school without an approved excuse, is of growing concern to juvenile justice professionals as it potentially leads to more serious risk-taking behaviors. Habitual truancy may have a severe impact on the trajectory of a youth’s life.
An article from Education.com by the National Center for School Engagement (NCSE) reports on the most promising efforts to address and prevent truancy among school-age youth. The piece, Effective Strategies for Working with Truant Youth, provides a meta-analysis of sorts from evaluations of numerous truancy programs nationwide, arriving at the conclusion that meaningful alternative interventions with truant youth are more effective and cheaper than the detention option. The authors also discuss the need for court, agency and community partnerships, and include a list of court-ordered activities (sanctions/rewards) related to truancy reduction goals.
If you work with youth and are interested in additional resources for best practices in addressing truancy, visit the National Center for Criminal Justice Resources web site for the latest research, including a report on truancy reduction demonstration programs.
New Report Highlights Trends in School Crime
| May 5, 2011 | Posted by M. P. under Children and Family, Drug and Alcohol, Education, Youth Development |
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Violent behavior and illegal activity in schools are of utmost concern to parents, educators and community leaders due to their impact on the learning environment as well as the safety and well-being of the youth, school personnel and local residents. The Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics recently announced the release of Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2010 by Simone Robers, Jijun Zhang and Jennifer Truman, an annual report on indicators of and trends in crime and safety in schools nationwide. The publication presents data on criminal activity inside and outside of schools gathered from myriad sources including: the National Crime Victimization Survey, the School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the School Survey on Crime and Safety and the School and Staffing Survey. This report provides the most current detailed statistical information on the nature of crime in schools.
Some of the findings are highlighted below.
- In 2008,1.2 million students ages 12-18 were victims of non-fatal crimes at school (including theft and other violent crimes such as assault, robbery and rape), however, the overall at-school theft and violent crime victimization rate of students in that age range decreased between 2007 and 2008.
- Ten percent of male and 5 percent of female students in grades 9-12 reported experiencing threats or injuries with a weapon while on school grounds in 2009.
There appears to be statistical support for long term trends regarding drugs, weapons and increased security measures including:
- The proportion of students in grades 9-12 who were offered, sold or given drugs dropped from 32 percent in 1995 to 23 percent in 2009.
- Between 1993–2009, students who reported carrying a weapon at least once (anywhere, including school) within the past 30-day-period decreased from 22 to 17 percent, as did the percent of those who reported carrying a weapon at least one day on school grounds.
- An increase in the number of public schools that reported the use of multiple safety and security measures including controlled access to areas inside and outside of the school, mandatory ID badges for staff and/or students, video surveillance and uniforms between the 1999-2000 school year and the 2000-2008 year.
The complete report is available at the National Center for Education Statistics website.
Use of Juvenile Detention Versus Alternative Sentences
| January 28, 2011 | Posted by M. P. under Children and Family, Juvenile Delinquency, Policy, Research |
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In late 2010, the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), an initiative of the Annie E. Casey Foundation dedicated to juvenile justice reform, released its inaugural results report that included data from all of their grantee locations nationwide.
The report, Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative Results Report, 2009, quantifies the impact of the reforms at participating sites including policy and operational changes, use of juvenile detention and public safety. Overall, sites reported a decrease in admission and daily population and 75 percent of the sites claimed a reduction in the average length of stay compared to baseline data from a previous year. The report is available at the Annie E. Casey website.
The use of secure juvenile detention has a high price tag – both fiscally and in the development and safety of the youth the system purports to rehabilitate and protect. Alternatives that balance accountability, cost and public safety, such as those supported by the JDAI, warrant exploration by juvenile justice administrators and other key policymakers.
A Look at Juvenile Detention in Ohio
| December 17, 2010 | Posted by M. P. under Behavorial Health, Juvenile Delinquency, Research, Youth Development |
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The juvenile justice system in American is facing a number of challenges, from overcrowded detention facilities to increasing costs to the delicate balance of demanding accountability while providing rehabilitative services.
A report on the state of juvenile detention in Ohio by the Children’s Defense Fund, Children’s Law Center, Juvenile Justice Coalition; completed with funding by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Cincinnati Bar Foundation, highlights some critical issues facing the juvenile justice system today, including:
- Minority youth being detained in disproportionate numbers.
- Detention being utilized in place of mental health services for difficult-to-place youth.
- Juveniles lacking adequate or ANY legal representation when faced with charges that could lead to detention.
The publication, KIDS COUNT Issue Brief: Rethinking Juvenile Detention in Ohio, recognizes that Ohio is currently implementing juvenile justice reforms, but recommends increased state leadership on this issue and a state-wide system of oversight, assistance and accountability for juvenile corrections. The complete brief is available at the Foundation website.
Trauma-Informed Care for Children
| September 3, 2010 | Posted by M. P. under Behavorial Health, Children and Family, Juvenile Delinquency, Policy, Research, Youth Development |
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A policy brief from the Justice Policy Institute (JPI) explores the complex relationship between childhood trauma and justice system involvement and suggests that more and better early intervention efforts may be required to better serve at-risk children.
According to the report, Healing Invisible Wounds: Why Investing in Trauma-Informed Care for Children Makes Sense, out of the 93,000+ children incarcerated in America, between 75 and 93 percent report at least one traumatic experience in the lives (such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, war, neglect and maltreatment, violence).
The brief examines the effects of trauma on youth and how said effects may influence delinquency. Some highlights from the brief include:
- Traumatic experiences can affect the brain development of children.
- Children who have has traumatic experiences have disproportionate contact with the juvenile justice system.
- The juvenile justice system in America does not adequately address the needs of children who have experienced trauma.
The report is available for download at the Justice Policy Institute website.
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