Treatment, Services, and Intervention Programs for Child Delinquents

Abstract

Compared with juveniles who start offending in adolescence, child delinquents (age 12 and younger) are two to three times more likely to become, tomorrow's serious and violent offenders. This propensity, however, can be minimized. These children are potentially identifiable either before they begin committing crimes or at the very early stages of criminalitytimes when interventions are most likely to succeed. Therefore, treatment, services, and intervention programs that target these very young offenders offer an exceptional opportunity to reduce the overall level of crime in a community. This Bulletin is part of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency. Prevention's Child Delinquency Series, which presents the findings of the Study Group on Very Young Offenders. This series offers the latest information about child delinquency, including analyses of child delinquency statistics, insights into the origins of very young offending, and descriptions of early intervention programs and approaches that work to prevent the development of delinquent behavior by focusing on risk and protective factors. The Bulletin reviews treatment and services available to such child delinquents and their families and examines their efficacy. At a time of limited budgets, it is imperative to consider the cost effectiveness of specific programs because children who are not diverted from criminal careers will require significant resources in the future. The timely provision of the kinds of treatment, services, and intervention programs described in this Bulletin while child delinquents are still young and impressionable may prevent their progression to chronic criminality, saving the expense of later interventions. (Contains 73 references.) (GCP) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Treatment, Services, and Intervention Programs for Child Delinquents by Barbara J. Burns

Developmental Pathways to Conduct Disorder

“…This focus on a comprehensive and individualized approach to treatment may be particularly important for enhancing the effectiveness of existing treatments for older children and adolescents who show severe antisocial and delinquency behavior. For example, a recent study group commissioned by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the United States Department of Justice reviewed four juvenile justice programs that provided individualized and comprehensive services to adjudicated youth under the age of 13 years [87]. This summary outlined several features of such comprehensive models that seemed to be critical to their success.…”

Violence Exposure Among Children with Disabilities

“…More than 50,000 children with emotional and behavioral problems have been placed in psychiatric settings and residential group homes (U.S. Public Health Service 2000). Children who are not identified or do not receive services for their mental health problems through intervention and treatment are likely to be incarcerated (Burns et al 2003).…”

Current perspectives on conduct disorder

“…Similarly, a recent study group commissioned by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention of the United States Department of Justice evaluated several model juvenile justice programs. The critical characteristics of these programs were that 1) they provided individualized and comprehensive services that included mental health, medical, child welfare, and educational components, and 2) they included a strong case-management system for ensuring that services were provided in an integrated and coherent manner [109].…”