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Brevity on the NetWednesday, July 5, 2006 A weekly newsletter about juvenile justice
from the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges,
Brevity brings you news and information from around the country and on the Internet.
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Teens at the Wheel
The Chicago Tribune reports on teens, driving, and their drivers licenses in a special series of articles looking not only at Illinois, but at the approaches other states have taken to impact the costs of teen accidents. Automobile accidents remain the #1 killer of teens. ++++++++++ Protecting Children from Sexual Exploitation & Sexual Violence in Disaster & Emergency Situations
ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes), a network of organization and individuals working together to eliminate the commercial sexual exploitation of children, recently released this manual intended as a practical tool for better protection children in these contexts. It is based on lessons learned from the Asian Tsunami by experts directly involved with relief efforts there. 84 page pdf file. ++++++++++ The Downside of Girl Power
This article examines mounting reports of girl violence and aggression that can be attributed to a number of factors -- among them an increasingly violent culture, the causes of internal and external aggression in both girls and boys, and the role of the media. The article includes an interview with a psychiatrist who, with his wife, adopted children who were victims of physical and sexual abuse. Two of the girls navigated adolescence with little turmoil. The younger girl was a different story. ++++++++++ THE LINK: Connecting Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare
The lead story in the latest issue of this CWLA online publication deals with improving system responses to crossover youth, youth who penetrate both delinquency and dependency systems. 12 page downloadable pdf file. Back issues available at this page too. ++++++++++ National Family Preservation Network Father Links
Click on the link above to go to a series of links for involving fathers in their children’s lives, teaching parenting skills, and a Native American Fathers curriculum. Also on this page, the Working With Fathers Institute, a resource for practitioners working with fathers. ++++++++++ The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children
This new User Manual from the Office on Child Abuse and Neglect addresses the effective engagement of fathers with their children and the profound impact of fathers on their children. Contains practical guidance on engaging fathers in assessment, case planning, and services when children suffer maltreatment. Downloadable 125 page pdf file. Can also be ordered in hard copy. ++++++++++ Helping Indian Adoptees Find Their Roots
A St. Paul woman has made it her life’s work to help Indians adopted into white families reconnect with their cultural roots. She runs the First Nations Orphan Association, working as an advocate for reconnecting Indian adoptees and foster children with their cultural identities. ++++++++++ The Judges’ Page: Family Visitation of Children and Youth in Foster Care
The latest issue of The Judges’ Page, a jointly produced online publication by NCJFCJ and the national CASA association, deals with issues associated with family visits for children in foster care. All articles are brief, cogent, and highly informative in this special newsletter for dependency court judges. ++++++++++ Staggered Sentences Cut DWI Offenses in Half
Judge James Dehn, a Minnesota district court judge, has developed a way to reach the state’s most dangerous drunken drivers and to cut their repeat offenses in half. His methods are gaining interest nationwide. Instead of diving drunken drivers a traditional jail sentence, he spreads that sentence out over years, jailing them in July and December. Before each jail term, drivers must appear in court. If they can convince Dehn they’ve been sober, employed and otherwise reformed, he can allow them to skip the month in jail until the next time. In Minnesota, one third of the state’s 300 or so district judges have used it. ++++++++++ The Amachi Model: Building from the Ground Up: Creating Effective programs to Mentor Children of Prisoners
Public/Private Ventures’ five years of hands-on experience designing and implanting Amachi program around the country are drawn upon in this best practice model for mentoring children of prisoners. It is a guidebook for learning the professional procedures, standards and administrative tools required for an effective program. Downloadable 45 page pdf file. Can also be purchased in hard copy online. Related Article: Locking Up Parents, Damaging Children
Book review of All Alone in the world: Children of the Incarcerated. From the review, "The unprecedented expansion of the prison population in the U.S. over the last 30 years, driven largely by changes in the way the law treats drug users and drug sellers, has had profound effects on millions of people who have never committed a crime: the children of prisoners, but also their siblings and other family members, friends and neighbors.” ++++++++++ The Family Environment and Adolescent Well-being: Exposure to Positive and Negative Family Influences
Child Trends and the National Adolescent Health Information Center report data on teens’ experiences in their families with a focus on differences across social groups to identify where disparities exist and where needs for intervention are greatest. Highlights from the report: Over three-quarters of all parents report very close relationships with their adolescent children. Many 15-year-olds report difficulty talking with their mothers and fathers about things that really bother them. Adolescents who live with two parents are more likely to have parents who know their whereabouts after school. Hispanic parents are less likely than white and black parents to know who most of their adolescent’s friends are. Foreign-born adolescents are more likely than their native-born peers to eat meals with their family. Adolescents with better-educated parents are less likely to be exposed to smoking and heavy drinking by their parents. Adolescents whose parents exercise are less likely to be sedentary themselves.
Downloadable 12 page pdf file.
++++++++++ New Website: The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare
This website serves as an online connection for child welfare professionals, staff of public and private organizations, academic institutions and others. Provides up to date information on evidence-based child welfare practices. ++++++++ Frequently Encountered Families
A small percentage of families require a disproportionate amount of caseworker time and agency resources. A study of frequently encountered families found three overriding characteristics among them: Extremely low income Emotional fragility Lack of social support
The study includes recommendations for child welfare agencies in dealing with FE families. 63 page pdf file. ++++++++++ Committee Recommends Cancer Shots for Girls
An influential government advisory committee has recommended the routine vaccination of 11 and 12 year old girls against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. The vaccine is approved for females ages 9 to 26. Health officials estimate than more than 50% of sexually active women and men will be infected with one or more kinds of HPV, human papilloma virus, in their lifetimes. Vaccine proponents say it could dramatically reduce than nearly 4,000 cervical cancer deaths that occur each year in the United States. ++++++++++ Easy Access to State and County Juvenile Court Case Counts
This new NCJJ servicegives users quick access to State and county juvenile court case counts for delinquency, status offense, and dependency cases. Data are from 1997 to 2002. At this page, click on the “Access Case Counts” tab.
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Joey Binard, Senior Program Manager
Technical Assistance Resource Center
Juvenile & Family Law Department
NCJFCJ
Brevity is supported by Grant No.2005-JL-FX-0065 from the
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice
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