Problem
Lecture Summary This chapter is about delinquency prevention and intervention. Delinquency prevention is the subject of strong opinions and political arguments. The idea is simple enough: the best way to deal with juvenile delinquency is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. The philosophy behind many delinquency prevention programs is very appealing: teach juveniles the skills they need, educate juveniles so they will not recidivate, and provide programs to occupy their time so they will not commit crimes.
There are several different types of general delinquency prevention programs. Many programs fall under the heading of diversion, the idea that first-time juvenile offenders deserve a second chance. Many others attempt to identify juveniles who are most at risk of becoming delinquent and try to intervene before it is too late. Still, others focus on those juveniles who have already committed a variety of delinquent acts, typically minor, and attempt to change their behavior.
Delinquency prevention and intervention programs can be grouped into several different categories. First, a growing number of programs are focusing on early pre-delinquent intervention and prevention where attempts are made to target pregnant mothers and children in the very early stages of life. Second, a large number of programs fall under the general heading of diversion where first-time offenders are diverted away from formal processing in the juvenile justice system and into a number of service programs. These programs are at every level of government, and there are also a substantial number of private programs involved in prevention. The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is responsible for coordinating and conducting research on delinquency prevention.
Many programs in delinquency prevention are designed for youths who come into contact with social service agencies or police very early in life. Some research findings indicate that most physical development in the brain occurs by age 3. Therefore, the textbook presents programs like the Perry Preschool Program and Project Head Start.
A growing trend is for delinquency prevention programs to focus on the risk factors associated with committing delinquent acts. The Strategic Home Intervention and Early Leadership Development (SHIELD) program uses the contacts that police officers make in the course of their duties to identify youth who are at risk of becoming involved in violent behavior, substance abuse, gangs, or other delinquent activities.
Efforts in the area of risk-focused prevention have attempted to integrate a wider variety of services and agencies to help deal with potentially at-risk children. The Children At Risk (CAR) drug and delinquency prevention program for high-risk adolescents 11 to 13 years of age is such an effort. The program and subsequent evaluations tested the feasibility and impact of integrated delivery of a broad range of services to at-risk youths and all members of their households.
Many experts are now advocating a more holistic approach to delinquency prevention that involves more than just treating the juveniles themselves. The two most prominent sources of interaction with juveniles are in the home and at school. The Families and Schools Together (FAST) program is a holistic program that attempts to build and enhance the juveniles' interactions with their families, peers, teachers, and other members of the community.
Diversion programs attempt to keep juveniles who commit crime out of the formal juvenile justice system. The basic theory that guides diversion programs is that most youths will at some point commit some type of delinquent act or otherwise make a mistake. The guiding principles of diversion are rooted in labeling theory. Most diverted juveniles are first-time offenders.
In an effort to develop a more holistic approach to delinquency prevention, many jurisdictions attempt to move beyond the juvenile justice system alone and involve more community groups and organizations. The Communities That Care (CTC) program in Pennsylvania is designed to bring together key community leaders to work on mechanisms for delinquency prevention.
The Hands Without Guns program is a public health and education campaign that gets youths involved in violence prevention in their communities. A series of sessions teaches youths about the problems of violence and guns and trains them to initiate a violence prevention program in their neighborhoods.
Many other community-based programs attempt to bring about greater involvement and accountability of youth in their communities. One example of this type of program is Youth Advisory Councils (YACs), which are composed of juveniles who regularly advise policymakers on youth issues. Another example is Youth Town Hall Meetings (YTHMs), which are one- to two-hour discussions between panels of youths and adults and diverse audiences about "hot" topics such as gun violence, curfews, and substance abuse.
Another technique for dealing with juveniles is mentoring programs. The Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) was created and continues to operate today as the largest mentoring organization of its kind. Research indicates that children involved in BBBSA were less likely to skip school and/or initiate alcohol and drug use. The chapter continues with an overview of job services programs and recreational and time-occupying programs.
The chapter further covers teen courts and explains how they differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Teen courts usually handle first-time offenders charged with minor offenses. Research on the effectiveness of teen courts has resulted in mixed findings.
The chapter ends with a discussion on deinstitutionalization and a debate on what works and what does not work in delinquency programs. The chapter includes a list of program principles that lead to positive outcomes for young people.
Task
Answer the following questions:
Describe the different types of delinquency prevention programs.
Explain the concept of diversion.