Juveniles In Detention Research Articles

Effect of Social Skills Training on Juveniles’ Psychological Problems in a Detention Center in Ghana

Background: In this world it is important to train children to acquire useful skills such that they would take care of themselves tomorrow and show good behaviors. The world can only be a peaceful and developed place if children are trained to acquire social skills that are useful. Therefore, to determine whether social skills training would change juvenile misbehavior this study was conducted.
 Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental design. The sample was drawn from a population of 97 juveniles in detention at a Senior Correctional Center (formally known as Borstal Institute) in Accra, Ghana. The sample was 50 juveniles in a Correctional Center. The outcome measure was Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Test scores on delinquent behavior were compared across the two groups; (1) 25 juveniles who underwent social skills training (SST) and (2) 25 matched control group of juveniles who did not undergo SST. Participants in the training group underwent a one-month SST. The training sessions lasted for 60 minutes and they met three times a week for four weeks. Data collection was from May 2017 to August 2017.
 Results: The results of the experimental group showed that 8 subscales somatization (df = 48; t = 2.39; p < .025), obsessive-compulsion (df = 48; t = 4.32; p < .001), depression (df = 48; t = 4.13; p <.001), anxiety (df = 48; t = 3.80; p < .001), hostility (df = 48; t = 3.74; p <. 001), phobic anxiety (df = 48; t = 3.80; ρ < .001), paranoid ideation (df = 48; t = 2.46; p < .021), and Psychoticism (df = 48; t = 2.28; p < .032) to have statistically significant differences.
 Conclusion: This study found that out of the 9 subscales used only 1 scale was not statistically significant for the experimental group. This study provided evidence indicating juveniles who underwent social skills training (SST) had improvement in their social skills as compared to their colleagues who did not have such training.

Neuropsychological Aspects of Prevention and Intervention for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in Australia

The term fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) was coined in 1973 to describe children with characteristic facial features, growth disorder and developmental delay associated with prenatal alcohol exposure. Yet, it was not until almost 20 years later that Australian researchers published on the public health significance of the range of conditions by then collectively termed fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Similarly, the response to FASD within the government and various sectors of Australian society has been variable. Barriers in addressing FASD in the Australian context include a heavy drinking culture and large populations living in regional or remote communities and addressing FASD in high-risk populations such as juveniles in detention, some Aboriginal communities and “fly in-fly out” mining communities. Early Australian research was epidemiological, documenting notifications of FAS to birth defect registries and pediatric surveillance systems. The past decade has seen a rapid growth in Australian research into the full spectrum of FASD. Australian FASD diagnostic guidelines have recently been developed, a national FASD Action Plan has been endorsed, national and population-based data on FASD prevalence has been reported and large FASD intervention and prevention studies are underway within a National Centers of Research Excellence framework. In recent years, there has been a greater focus on neuropsychological aspects of FASD in diagnosis and intervention, with pediatric neuropsychologists playing a key role. A multidisciplinary model in the implementation of FASD prevention, diagnosis and therapy approaches is considered best practice. A key challenge for Australian clinicians, policy makers and researchers is to collaborate on a coordinated, national response to FASD that is data-driven and aligned with international guidelines and study protocols.

An investigation of gender differences in a representative sample of juveniles detained in Connecticut

As the number of females served by the juvenile justice system in the United States continues to grow, both in absolute terms and relative to the number of males, it is important to understand both the general and specific characteristics of delinquent girls and boys regarding their patterns of offending and risk variables. Using systematic random sampling, 20% of all admittees to the state-run juvenile detention centers in the state of Connecticut, USA, were included in a chart review study, forming a sample (n=371, 30.2% girls, age range 11–19years; mean age=14.45, sd=1.05) that was analyzed for gender differences with regard to characteristics of offenses. These characteristics were examined for their potential associations with indicators of risk that are routinely collected at admission to detention. Findings indicate a complex set of associations between indicators of offense and risk, highlighting the importance not only of gender, but also of racial/ethnic differences, whose modulating effects appear to be important in understanding these associations. Specifically, girls in detention are characterized by a number of dimensions, some of which align with those for boys and some that are more gender-specific. For example, girls, as a group, demonstrated higher levels of substance abuse, suicide ideation, victimization, and mental-health variability, but these higher scores are more characteristic of girls from minority backgrounds. More research is needed to understand the profiles of juveniles in detention as the variables considered in this work that map onto the literature at large have resulted in effects of small magnitude.

Cannabis use among juvenile detainees: typology, frequency and association.

As both lifetime and daily use of marijuana remain prevalent among US adolescents and are likely to increase, given the legalisation of marijuana in a number of states, their correlates with other negative (including delinquent) behaviours have been studied. Most of this research has been carried out with general-population-based samples. Thus, little is known about this association among court-involved and detained juveniles. This study aimed to assess lifetime and daily marijuana use among detainees aged 10-16 years. Our hypotheses were that such use would be higher among youth who had been in detention than in general population samples and that it would be associated with other mental health indicators and criminal justice indicators, such as total number of detentions and number and types of charges. The records of a random 20% sample of all juveniles in detention in Connecticut's state facilities were studied. Data extracted included self-reported information on lifetime and daily use of marijuana, mental health indicators, lifetime psychiatric diagnoses and criminal justice indicators. Rates of both lifetime (54%) and daily (16%) use of marijuana in this sample of 371 young people were substantially higher than previous studies have reported in general population samples. As a group, daily users of marijuana demonstrated a more negative mental health profile but did not differ from the rest of the sample in their criminal justice indicators. Our findings suggest that it is unlikely that cannabis use by young offenders can serve as an independent factor in understanding the frequency and severity of delinquency, although it might be associated with the severity of mental health disorder or dysfunction among them.

Man's inhumanity to children

Man's inhumanity to children

The education of juveniles in detention: Policy considerations and infrastructure development

This article presents a discussion of the state of affairs pertaining to educating juvenile justice-involved youth. It summarizes general observations regarding the schooling of juveniles in pre-trial and post-trial incarceration settings, as well as, juveniles on probation or in community settings. The article selectively presents relevant regulations on educating juveniles and various local realizations of these regulations, and comments on the dearth of relevant empirical studies on the population of court-involved youth, their special educational needs, and best practices that are effective with this population. The article ends by telling one state's story, through a policy analysis framework, about the impetus for action, the identification of challenges, and the strategies initiated to develop an infrastructure to meet the needs.

Prevalence of and Gender Differences in Psychiatric Disorders Among Juvenile Delinquents Incarcerated for Nine Months

Prevalence of and Gender Differences in Psychiatric Disorders Among Juvenile Delinquents Incarcerated for Nine Months

Developing an integrated substance use and mental health service in the specialised setting of a youth detention centre

This article describes the frequency of co-morbid substance use and mental health problems of young people within the youth justice system and demonstrates that mental health and drug and alcohol services can be integrated and work effectively. The establishment of an integrated Mental Health Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs Service (MHATODS) to juveniles in detention represents a shift away from the traditional paradigm of separate services frequently found throughout Australia. The development of referral procedures and adolescent-focused treatment programmes that are tailored to the specific needs of this disadvantaged population are discussed. A wide-ranging literature review illustrates the consequences of the high prevalence of co-morbid substance use and mental health problems in juveniles within the youth justice system. A retrospective and descriptive account is given of the expansion of the MHATODS, including the recruitment of an Indigenous health worker, the incorporation of an automatic referral process for young people with substance use problems and the development of a brief four-session drug and alcohol counselling programme and a group relapse prevention programme. The proportion of Indigenous clients referred to MHATODS is now equitable to referrals of non-Indigenous youth. The introduction of an automatic voluntary referral process resulted in an increase in referrals for drug and alcohol assessment and counselling from 17% to 64% of total referrals. Of those young people commencing the drug and alcohol programme, 32% completed all sessions. While young people reportedly enjoyed the group programme, feedback from participants indicated that they felt vulnerable in a group setting. MHATODS recognises the limitations of the prevailing paradigm of separate service delivery for mental health and drug and alcohol treatment, and has developed an integrated treatment service for juveniles in detention. The service has expanded its referral base for substance use problems by employing an Indigenous health worker, and initiating an automatic referral process for young people admitted into detention who have a history of significant substance use. Early evidence indicates increased utilisation of drug and alcohol services by young people in detention.

Juveniles in Detention: How Do Girls Differ From Boys?

The number of adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system is increasing dramatically, particularly among female juveniles. Little is known about the extent to which findings from research c...

A Preliminary Case Series on the Use of Quetiapine for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Juveniles Within a Youth Detention Center

Juveniles within the youth justice system have high rates of psychiatric morbidity, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This case series describes 6 young people aged 15 to 17 years within a youth detention center who met the criteria for PTSD and reported an improvement in symptoms after 6 weeks of treatment with low-dose quetiapine. The primary outcome measure used was the Traumatic Symptom Checklist in Children. The dose of quetiapine ranged from 50 to 200 mg/d; T scores for PTSD symptoms decreased from 75 (SD, +/-5.2; range, 68-82) to 54 (SD, +/-7.4; range, 43-62) (P < 0.01). Significant improvements in symptoms of dissociation (P < 0.01), anxiety (P < 0.01), depression (P < 0.01), and anger (P < 0.05) were also noted over the 6-week evaluation period. Low-dose quetiapine was tolerated well, with no persisting side effects or adverse events. Nighttime sedation was reported, although this was viewed as beneficial. All young people opted to continue with treatment after the assessment period. This preliminary case series suggests that juveniles in detention who have PTSD may benefit from treatment with quetiapine. Caution is needed in interpreting these findings. Both larger open-label and blinded trials are warranted to define the use of quetiapine in the treatment of PTSD in the adolescent forensic population.

The Use of Imprisonment in Asia and the Pacific

Abstract In recent years, as part of the preparations for the annual Asian and Pacific Conference of Correctional Administrators, basic statistics have been collected from each nation in the region and compiled for circulation at the conference itself. Data collected for the 14th conference that was held in Darwin in September 1994 are summarized in this paper. These data include the numbers of male and female prisoners, and the imprisonment rates, for 26 nations in the region. Wide differences in these rates are noted. For a slightly smaller number of nations, data are also presented relating to the numbers of remandees, or unconvicted prisoners, the numbers of offenders serving probation and parole orders as well as juveniles in detention.

Sexual behavior and sexually transmitted diseases among male adolescents in detention.

Youth in detention represent a medically underserved population at risk for a variety of medical and emotional disorders. To determine prevalence of STDs and high-risk sexual behaviors for HIV/STD among adolescent males admitted to a juvenile detention facility. Cross-sectional study of behavioral risk factors and STD prevalence among detained males, 11 to 18 years of age. Study subjects were interviewed for behavioral history and screened for STD. The median number of lifetime partners of the population was 8 (range 1-100), the number of partners in the preceding 4 months was 2 in median (range 0-30), 59% used a condom with their last sex, and consistent condom use in the past 4 months was reported by 37%. A history of sexual intercourse within the last one week was reported by 43%. Chlamydia trachomatis infection rate was 6.9% (66/957), Neisseria gonorrhoeae 4.5% (42/940) and syphilis 0.9% (8/930) including one who seroconverted while in detention. Overall, 12% (109/908) of subjects tested for all three infections were positive for at least one STD. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that greater than one partner in the previous 4 months (OR 1.53, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.18-1.98), inconsistent or no condom use in the preceding 4 months (OR 1.77, 95%CI 1.37-2.28), a history of recent STD (OR 1.80, 95%CI 1.33-2.42) and greater than five lifetime partners (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.41-2.92) were independent predictors of these STDs in this population. Detained juvenile males in our study were at a high-risk for STD/HIV infections and probably form a core group of STD transmitters. Vigorous attempt to reduce STD reservoir and change behavior of juveniles in detention, such as our study subjects, is urgently needed for the control of the STD/HIV infections.

Crime and Delinquency in the Roaring Twenties

This paper reports the existence of a wealth of data on crime and delinquency for the 1920s and earlier. It attempts to demonstrate the validity, and hence the value, of these old and forgotten data by "reverse" replication-by showing that these data yield results identical with a number of our recent studies based on contemporary data thought to be of good quality. This also provides us the opportunity to test and expand further our propositions about the nature of "moral communities" and their effect on crime and delinquency. In addition, we are able to test and clarify further our thesis that there are two fundamentally different forms of deviance, only one of which is pertinent to sociological theories. Finally, examination of rates of juveniles in detention at the turn of the century and in detention now permits reconsideration of the "child-saver" thesis.