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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
This article by Taylor examined different types of juvenile offenders, methods of identification, and appropriate treatments. Specifically the author made a distinction between a serious juvenile offender and the less dangerous, chronic offender.
METHODOLOGY:
A non-experimental literature review was done for this study. The author reviewed both psychological and sociological research on youth offenders, causes of their behavior, and the options for treatment.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
It was found that, due to the new awareness of the benefits of community-based alternatives for less serious offenders, there is a need to distinguish between the more and less serious delinquents. While many judge the offender by the severity of the violent act, the author argued that this may be misleading as some youth were never violent before the act, and never will be again. Others look at the recidivism rates, but the author felt this, too, is an incorrect measure due to the fact that chronic, repeating offenders may not be committing any serious, assaultive crimes. Thus, the author argued that when a child has been convicted of a serious, assaultive crime, (and the dimensions of intent, degree of harm, and the victim-offender relationship itself are taken into account), the crime should be the main criteria for his identification as a serious offender, but the juvenile's background behavior history is also critical. Specifically, it was shown that the existence of a history of progressively more assaultive antisocial or criminal behavior offers the best evidence that the youth is a serious offender. In addition, recidivism and the prior non-criminal behavior patterns were also factors in the identification and assessment. Finally, a less serious chronic offender was defined as not as dangerous and committed to the delinquent lifestyle.
AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS:
The author strongly recommended that the treatment be geared to the individual and that the youth's needs be well-matched with the services and treatment response. She proposed prevention, or community-based early intervention, for children who are identified to be at a high risk of becoming assaultive delinquents. In addition, the author recommended that for those who have committed a serious crime and are identified as a violent serious offender, they should be committed to a secure facility for 3 to 6 months, a thorough evaluation should be made, and behavior should be stabilized or brought under control. For chronic, less serious offenders, the recommended treatment was a community-based, controlled, residential setting. It was noted that the treatment model should include the elements of primary relationships, defined as the relationship between the child and a primary counselor, and the element of "milieu", the structured services and contacts in the community. The author recommended that all programs should look at the individual's motivations and problems in order to specialize and individualize the treatments offered.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
Literature Review
Juvenile Offender
Juvenile Treatment
Juvenile Violence
Offender Assessment
Offender Treatment
Treatment Recommendations
Violence Assessment
Violence Treatment
03-05 |