The state of Connecticut detained 1,444 children and youth and committed approximately 270 to the Department of Children and Families for out of home placement in the 2007-2008 calendar year. A significant number of children and youth have special education needs that are often unidentified by home school districts. State and federal law mandate…

Objective: This study describes the development of an engagement scale for use with youth in residential treatment centers. Engagement includes attitude about treatment, bond with providers, and participation in treatment activities. Method: Interview data were collected at the midpoint in residence of 130 youth in two centers. Items were selected…

Examines the deterrent effects of imposing juvenile versus adult status on youth offenders. Sugqests that, because the adult law enforcement system may be reluctant to handle younger delinquents as harshly as older youth, adult status can serve as a deterrent to juvenile crime only for youth aged 17 or older. (Author/MJL)

In this article, the author recalls many acts of school violence. He states that while the dramatic school killings at Colorado's Columbine High School in 1999 and at Minnesota's Red Lake Reservation in 2005 were tragic, the most horrific school violence in history, measured by loss of life, occurred nearly a half century ago at Our Lady of the…

A cognitive approach to anger management was applied to juvenile offenders with histories of violent criminal referrals to the juvenile court. STOP, a six-session group-intervention model was developed. The model is discussed. Evaluation results with a small sample suggest that further study is warranted. (EMK)

A discriminant function analysis identified eight statistically significant variables which differentiated adolescents placed in mental health or juvenile justice systems. In order of decreasing importance they are: ethnicity, gender, depression, previous mental health history, productivity, drug use, parental marital history, and parental…

Presents the results of a longitudinal experiment focused on the relative efficacy of varying treatments for juvenile offenders (N=213). All treatment conditions involving a specific intervention model located outside the formal juvenile justice system produced lower recidivism rates than the attention-placebo, treatment-as-usual control, or…

Two program goals were: (1) providing a community-based alternative for arrested juveniles who otherwise would have been referred to the juvenile justice system; and (2) reducing juvenile delinquency. Results from various measures indicated the program had little success in decreasing referrals but produced positive delinquency reduction effects.…

Adopting the perspectives of the philosophers Plato and Rawls, addresses the issues of juvenile offenders' rehabilitation and consent. Focuses on paternalistic intervention, autonomous decision-making ability, and moral immaturity. Discusses Plato's theme of rehabilitating offenders' sick souls, whether they agree or not, and Rawls more democratic…

Shows how a multimodal treatment approach that utilizes a broad range of behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and psychological skills training methods can eliminate assaultive behavior among incarcerated juvenile offenders. The study found that those youths who received the multimodal treatment showed significant or at least considerably better…

Investigated effectiveness of expanded juvenile court services (job preparation, outdoor experiential, and family skill building components) program versus traditional probation supervision in reducing probationer offense activities of adolescent offenders (n=45). Found intervention failed to yield desired effects although experimental subjects…

The primary objective of Project About Face, a program of Youth Services, Inc., is to reduce the rate of recidivism among juvenile offenders assigned to the program by the Juvenile Court of Memphis/Shelby County, Tennessee. Another purpose is to establish a profile of the type of offender who would be most likely to benefit from the academic,…

The purpose of this study was to examine the way youths who had been to the Berrien County Juvenile Center evaluated the impact of the treatment program. Of the 104 youths who had been in the center between 1974 and 1976, 38 completed questionnaires. Repeaters were interviewed at the center while one-time offenders were visited at their homes.…

Families of female juvenile status offenders were administered the Moos Family Environment Scale. The families could be described as moderately cohesive and adaptive. Results suggest that the dysfunctioning family may not be the primary cause of status offenses and that family-oriented treatment is possibly not the choice treatment for status…

Study explored the applicability of client participation in the supervision process with young probationers who are usually regarded as immature and lacking both the self confidence and the ability to make "right" decisions. Findings indicate that youth probationers can participate in the service if allowed to, and support the promotion…