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++++++++++ In China – Research Shows China’s Juvenile Delinquents Have Bad School Experiences . A Chinese researcher has found poor grades and other unpleasant experiences at school are, for many minor offenders, a starting point on the road toward delinquency. A study that tracked more than 2,000 juvenile delinquents across China found 74.2% of young offenders had quit primary or junior high school before they became involved in various crimes. Guan Ying, the researcher, said the children are often regarded as outcasts at school and are constantly reproached and punished at home. ++++++++++ JUVENILE JUSTICE OJJDP’s Journal, JUVENILE JUSTICE, just published and available online for download, features two these two in-depth articles: - The Causes and Correlates Studies: Findings and Policy Implications – Developing effective intervention programs based on scientific understanding of the originals of delinquency to prevent delinquent behavior.
- Strategic Risk-Based Response to Youth Gangs – Strategic risk-based responses to youth gangs.
38 pages. Pdf file. ++++++++++ Firesetting and Animal Cruelty Linked to Poor Parenting A study by researchers at the University of Hawaii analyzed information provided by 363 mothers and one of their 6-to-12-year-old children as part of a 10-year study into the impact of marital violence on children’s mental health. The results: - Children residing in homes where marital violence prevailed or where the father abused the family pet were more likely to set fires than children residing in homes in which they were not confronted with these behaviors.
- Having a father who drank alcohol also increased the odds of firesetting behavior.
- Children from violent homes were 2.3 times more likely to be cruel to animals than were those from nonviolent homes.
- “Harsh parenting” also significantly increased the likelihood that a child would be cruel to animals.
- Children who set fires were 3 times more likely than non-firesetters to be referred to juvenile court and 3.3 times more likely to be arrested for a violent crime.
The authors say that this study shows that firesetting behavior ‘is a statistically significant predictor for juvenile delinquency.” The study appears in the July 2004 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. ++++++++++ Books Not Bars Books Not Bars is a statewide California campaign to eliminate over-incarceration of youth in California by shutting down the CYA (California Youth Authority) and replacing it with a model that works, one based on helping troubled kids instead of punishing them. This site includes footage of a video taken within one of the facilities that shows a severe beating under way. You may recall the headlines in recent months about maltreatment of youth in CYA facilities throughout the state. Thanks for the email about this, Nikki. ++++++++++ Differences between Delinquent Youth with and without a Parental History of Incarceration This study by Anne Dannerbeck, Ph.D., is available for download at the web site of the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association. From the Introduction: Children who grow up in families where a parent has been incarcerated may have experiences that do not promote development into a well-functioning adult. They may experience the insecurity of economic strain, the instability of disruption in their lives as adults move in and out of their homes and as the home itself changes unpredictably.” Of the 1112 juveniles in the study, 31% had a parental history of incarceration (346 juveniles). ++++++++++ The Link The Link is a quarterly online newsletter published by CWLA connecting juvenile justice and child welfare. The Spring 2004 issue reports on Oregon’s guidelines for girls’ programming, the role of placement in increased delinquency rates, and the Coalition for Juvenile Justice report, “Unlocking the Future: Detention Reform in the Juvenile Justice System.” Click on the link to The Link above to read/download the newsletter. ++++++++++ Family Disruption and Delinquency This Juvenile Justice Bulletin looks at delinquency research findings that indicate that children in families disrupted by divorce or separation have a greater chance of exhibiting problem behavior, including delinquency, than children being raised by two parents. 6 page pdf file. ++++++++++ Sins of the Fathers: A Look at the Relationship between Child Abuse and Delinquency Thanks to the Brevity reader who brought this new book to my attention. The book’s author, Dane Petersen, has thirty years experience working with delinquent youth and presents a unique perspective on the pathways to delinquency. Petersen has developed a new typology of abused delinquents, a subject that is covered in some detail. An excerpt from the forward: The basis of this book is the premise that delinquent children, as all other humans, strive to make sense of and find meaning in their lives. Their actions grow out of the way they make sense of their world and the meaning of their perceptions to them. I posit that delinquent youth, who perceive themselves as abused, shape their senses and meanings from these abusive experiences. Thus, their delinquencies must be understood from their histories. You’ll find more details about the book and two excerpts to read at the APPA website, where the book is on sale. ++++++++++ Looking Backwards: A Sentencing Report on Behalf of Nathaniel Brazill The executive director of the Sentencing Project and an attorney from the Shellow Group prepared this sentencing report. The report examines the events in Nathaniel Brazill’s life that led to the shooting death of teacher Barry Grunow and 25 years in prison for Brazill. +++++++++++ More juveniles claim that media made them commit crimes This article from the Christian Science Monitor reports that studies suggest that as many as one-quarter of juveniles involved in criminal cases now cite films, videogames, or songs to explain their crimes. ++++++++++ Study Says Songs with Violent Lyrics Increase Aggressive Thoughts and Emotions In a series of five experiments involving over 500 college students, researchers from Iowa State University and the Texas Department of Human Services examined the effects of seven violent songs by seven artists and eight nonviolent songs by seven artists. The students listened to the songs and were given psychological tests to measure aggressive thoughts and feelings. Among other results, the study demonstrated that college students who heard a violent song felt more hostile than those who heard a similar but nonviolent song. Full text of the article at www.apa.org. Scroll down to the middle of the American Psychological Association home page for links to the article and the press release. +++++++++++ The Child Abuse/Delinquency Connection I was asked this week if there was any research linking an abusive childhood with later delinquent behavior. Below are links to a selection of the materials I forwarded to the person who asked: ++++++++++ Children, Television, and Violence New research published this week in Developmental Psychology, the journal of the American Psychological Association, adds new information about the connection between aggression in children and television violence. For the first time researchers focused on the long-term effects of violent TV viewing in childhood. Researchers from the University of Michigan examined the longitudinal relationship between TV-violence viewing at ages 6 to 10 starting in 1977, and adult aggressive behavior about 15 years later. The research reveals that childhood exposure to media violence predicts young adult aggressive behavior for both males and females. Read the research results in Longitudinal Relations Between Children’s Exposure to TV Violence and Their Aggressive and Violent Behavior in Young Adulthood: 1977-1992. If you’re interested, here are three sites with information about Children and TV Violence: Children and TV Violence ( American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry) Children and Television Violence (American Psychological Association Family and Relationships pages) Children and Television Violence – Children NOW report. ++++++++++ Kids and Crime in New Zealand Below, from the New Zealand Ministry of Youth Affairs. Tough is not Enough – Getting Smart About Youth Crime – Literature review of what works to reduce crime by young people. ++++++++++ Father Steals Best: Crime in an American Family An article in the New York Times this week by Fox Butterfield examines the Bogles, a family of criminals in which crime runs through three generations. Rooster Bogle, the family patriarch, arrived in Oregon in 1961 from Texas , where he had already served hard time in prison, with a habit of beating his wife and teaching his children to steal. By the time his sons were 10 years old they were breaking into liquor stores for their dad or stealing tractor-trailer trucks. The girls turned to petty crimes to support their drug addictions. Over time, everybody went to jail or state prison, 28 of them all told, including several of Rooster’s grandchildren. Take the time to read this article. It’s worth it. | According to the NY Times article by Butterworth, Bureau of Justice Statistics figures show that: 47 percent of inmates in state prisons have a parent or other close relative who has also been incarcerated. The link between generations is so powerful that half of all juveniles in custody have a father, mother or other close relative who has been in jail or prison. |
++++++++++ Causes & Correlates of Delinquency OJJDP’s ongoing research into the causes of delinquency is featured at this site. Research teams in Denver , Colo. , Pittsburgh , Penn. , and Rochester , New York interviewed 4,000 youth and their caretakers to analyze the prevalence of delinquent behaviors and drug use and the number of family transitions the youth had experienced. The result has been a number of reports that increase our knowledge about the sources of delinquency. Links to some of them are shown below: Developmental Pathways in Boys’ Disruptive and Delinquent Behavior – This study from the Pittsburgh site documents three developmental pathways that boys follow as they progress to more serious problem behaviors. The Pathways: conflict with authority (defiance and running away), covert actions (lying and stealing), and overt actions (aggression and violent behavior). Twenty pages. Downloadable. Family Disruption and Delinquency – This report finds that the 4000 young people at the three sites had faced a substantial number of family transitions, which can result in decreased financial security and increased stress and conflict. In Denver and Rochester the number of transitions had a significant effect on delinquency and drug use. Pittsburgh data show the same trend. Six pages. Downloadable. In the Wake of Childhood Maltreatment – Explores the connections between childhood maltreatment and subsequent problem behaviors. Sixteen pages. Downloadable. Each of the following two page reports is different from the others in substantive ways: |
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