The Juvenile Justice Division of the Child Welfare League of America

The Juvenile Justice Division of the Child Welfare League of America

Effective Interventions for All Youth: Is It Too Much to Ask?

________________________________________

John A. TuellDirector, CWLA Juvenile Justice Division

The Washington PostApril 11, 2002

“School ReachesInto the Past to Craft Futures”

Boat Building LessonsGive Youths a Fresh Start

Juvenile Justice Division

The Child Welfare League of America is the nation's oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization.

We are committed to engaging people everywhere in promotingthe well-being of children, youth, and their families, and

protecting every child from harm.

We envision a future in which families, neighborhoods, communities, organizations, and governments ensure that

all children and youth are provided with the resources necessary to develop and grow into healthy, contributing

members of society.

MISSION and VISION


The Juvenile Justice Division will serve the overall mission of the Child Welfare League of America on behalf of children and families involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems by:

MISSION and VISION (CONT)

•Providing national leadership in promoting juvenile justice and child welfare systems coordination and integration.

•Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information on child welfare and juvenile justice practices and policies that promote positive youth development.


•Advocating for implementation of sound legislation, policies and procedures that contribute to juvenile justice system reform and improvement and to the development of effective delinquency prevention and intervention programs and practices.

MISSION and VISION (CONT)

•Providing consultation, training, and technical assistance resources to implement systems integration and reform and to implement appropriate and effective responses to reduce juvenile delinquency and juvenile victimization.

•Promoting the development of intra- and interagency strategic collaborative partnerships to establish (through demonstration projects) best practices, proven effective strategies, and standards of excellence for the field.

Office of Juvenile Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention

Office of the Deputy

Administrator

State & TribalAssistance Division

Formula GrantsProgram

Title VPrevention

ChallengeGrants

JAIBGProgram

EUDLProgram

Tribal Youth Program


The juvenile arrest rate for murder decreased a

remarkable 68% from 1993 to 1999.

The number of juvenile arrests have declined in every

violent crime category despite an 8% growth in the

juvenile population from 1993 to 1999.

The juvenile Violent Crime Index arrest rate (murder,

non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and

aggravated assault) was at its lowest level since 1988 -

36% below its peak year in 1994.

Only One-third of 1% of juveniles ages 10-17 were

arrested for a violent crime in 1999.

NATIONAL JUVENILE CRIME TRENDS

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.“Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report (December 2000).


Between 1994 and 1999, the juvenile Property Crime Index (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson) rate dropped nearly 30% to its lowest level since the 1960’s.

1 in 4 reported juvenile murders in 1997 occurred in just 5 of the United States more than 3,000 counties.

670,000 arrests of females were made in 1999. This figure now accounts for 27% of all juvenile arrests.

Approximately 4 million youth suffer from a major mental illness resulting in significant impairments at home, school and with peers; it is estimated that 1 in every 5 youth (20%) in the juvenile justice system has serious mental health problems.

NATIONAL JUVENILE CRIME TRENDS (CONT)

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.“Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report (December 2000).


There were estimated to be nearly 3,000,000 referrals for child maltreatment received in 1999, almost one-third (29.2%) resulted in a disposition of substantiated or indicated child maltreatment (total of 826,000 victims nationwide)

In 1999, an estimated 1,100 children died of abuse and neglect, a rate of approximately 1.62 deaths per 100,000 children in the general population

Children younger than one year accounted for 42.6% of the child maltreatment fatalities and 86.1% were younger than age 6 years of age

As of September 30, 1999, there were an estimated 568,000 children in foster care

NATIONAL ABUSE AND NEGLECT DATA

Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics (5th annual report) entitled: America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2001


NATIONAL JUVENILE CRIME TRENDS

U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of investigation (FBI). “Crime in the United States 2000.” Uniform Crime Reports (October 2001).

UPDATE

• The Crime Index (composed of murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft) decreased 0.2 percent from 1999 to 2000 - the smallest year-to-year decrease in volume since 1991.

• 3 of the nation’s 4 geographic regions experienced decreases in crime volume (only the Western Region experienced a 1.0% increase).

• Total juvenile arrests declined 4.8 percent from 1999 to 2000 (violent crimes - declined 4.4 % / property crimes - declined 5.3%).


AN UPDATE ON THE “CYCLE OF VIOLENCE”The Connection Between Child Maltreatment and Juvenile Delinquency

Childhood victimization represents a widespread, serious social problem. General delinquency research shows that childhood abuse (physical and sexual) is often associated with delinquency and that the early onset of maltreatment may increase the variety, seriousness, and duration of problems. It is also widely suggested that violence begets violence - that today’s abused children become tomorrow’s violent offenders.

National Institute of Justice, Research in Brief: An Update on the Cycle of Violence (Widom, C.S. and Maxfield, M.G. (February 2001)

Premise



The study followed 1,575 cases from childhood through young adulthood comparing the arrest records of two groups:

• Study group of 908 substantiated cases of childhood abuse or neglect processed from the courts from 1967 through 1971 and tracked official juvenile and criminal records.

• Comparison group of 667 children not officially recorded as abused or neglected, matched to the study group according to sex, age, race, and approximate family socioeconomic status.




•Being abused or neglected as a child increased the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 59 percent,as an adult by 28 percent, and for a violent crime by 30 percent.


Findings

•Maltreated children were younger at the time of their first arrest, committed nearly twice as many offenses, and were arrested more frequently.

•Physically abused and neglected (versus sexually abused) children were the most likely to be arrested later for a violent crime.




•Those who had been abused or neglected as children were more likely to be arrested as juveniles (27 percent versus 17 percent), adults (42 percent versus 33 percent), and for a violent crime (18 percent versus 14 percent).

•Abused and neglected cases were younger at first arrest (mean = 16.5 years versus 17.3 years), committed nearly twice as many offenses (mean = 2.4 versus 1.4), and were arrested more frequently (17 percent of abused and neglected cases versus 9 percent of comparison cases had more than five arrests).



• Mental health concerns (suicide attempts and posttraumatic stress disorder).

• Educational problems (extremely low IQ scores and reading ability).

• Occupational difficulties (lack of work, high rates of unemployment, and employment in low-level service jobs).

• Public health and safety issues (prostitution in males and females and alcohol problems in females).

This information is important because of the finding in the general delinquency literature that shows early onset is associated with increased variety, seriousness, and duration of problems. Other negative outcomes may be common as well:


Free Appropriate Public Education – Children cannot be denied service because there is not enough money or because services for certain disabilities have never before been provided. All eligible children must be served.

Evaluation – each child must be evaluated for consideration for special education services and the evaluation must produce an overall picture of the child. Clearly promoting individualized assessment.

Individualized Education Plan - each child receiving services must have them documented in an IEP.

Least Restrictive Environment - children with disabilities must be educated with their non-disabled peers to the “maximum extent appropriate.”

Parents are Partners – parents are to be partners in the planning and decision-making process, recognizing a holistic approach to education, and

Due Process – requires hearings for disputes be conducted by a qualified, impartial examiner.

Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA)

Effective Programs, Practices, and Systemic Solutions

Nurse Home Visitation (Blueprints for Violence Prevention Series)

High/Scope Perry Preschool Project (RAND Research Brief)

Targeted Early Intervention (Institute of Criminal Justice,MN& the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, MN)

Project Confirm (Vera Institute of Justice, New York)

Therapeutic Intervention for Delinquent Foster Care Youth (KY DJJ and Necco & Associates)

Wraparound Milwaukee (Milwaukee County Human Service Department)

Iowa Decategorization Project (Iowa Division of Criminal Justice Planning)

Maryland Youth Strategies Initiative (MD Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention [GOCCP])

OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT WORK OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE DIVISION

NURSE HOME VISITATIONBLUEPRINTS FOR VIOLENCE SERIES

Targeted to low-income, at-risk pregnant women bearing their first child. Designed to help women:

- improve their pregnancy outcomes- improve the care & development of their child- improve the women’s development (i.e., educational

achievement, participation in the workforce, &future family planning

Outcomes for a 15 year follow-up of study v. comparison group:

- 79% fewer verified reports of child abuse and neglect- 56% fewer arrests on the part of the 15-year-old children- 69% fewer maternal arrests - 44% fewer behavioral problems due to alcohol and

drug abuse- 60% fewer instances of running away and 56% fewer

days of alcohol consumption on the part of the

15-year-old children Blueprints for violence prevention: Overview of the prenatal and infancy home visitation by nurses program (fact sheet) (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2001, from the University of Colorado at Boulder website: http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/model/ten_nurse.htm

HIGH/SCOPE PERRY PRESCHOOL ROJECT (RAND Research Brief)

Studies examine the lives of 123 African-Americans born in poverty and at high risk for academic failure. At ages 3 & 4,persons were divided into 2 groups:

- study group received a high-quality, active learning program (teachers made weekly home visits and had monthly meetings with parents)- control group of students received no preschool program

Outcomes for study group at age 19 years demonstrated:

- lower rates of placement in special education classes- significantly higher scores on measures of academic

achievement & literacy- better high school graduation rates- lower rates of welfare assistance

TARGETED EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM

(Institute of Criminal Justice, MN & the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, MN)

Premise for Action: Between 1988-1997, arrests for very young offenders (ages 7-12 years) charged with a violent crime increased by 45% & juvenile court cases for these youth increased by 33%.

A Hennepin County study found that of 135 children (1995) under the age of 10 years referred to the Juvenile Court during a 19 month period:

- 91% families had received public assistance- 70% mothers in their teens at the birth of the first child- 70% previous criminal or delinquent history of parents or siblings- 85% families had received previous social services for substance

abuse or mental health- 81% families had been the subject of a child protection assessment- >50% had attendance, behavior, or learning problems in school

TARGETED EARLY INTERVENTION PROGRAM

(Institute of Criminal Justice, MN & the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, MN)

With these multiple risk factors present, the TEI model is characterized by its emphasis on:

• assessment & needs of the individual child • family functioning• integration of service delivery systems • community supports, and • long-term intervention in these multiple domains.

The TEI program is carried out by two entities:

• Integrated Service Delivery Team, and

• Primary Organizations (community-based agencies)

PROJECT CONFIRMVera Institute of NY & NY Administration

for Children’s Services

Premise for Action: 15% of the secure custody population (age 12-16 years) were in the child welfare system at the time of detention.

The rate was 8 times higher than the percentage of foster care youth of the same age in the overall population (1.9%). Study also revealed

that these ACS (or foster care) youth were committing less serious offenses.

Initial response brought together:

- Administration for Children and Families - Family Court

- Juvenile Justice System- Mental Health System

Goal: Eliminate the detention bias against foster children.

Iowa Decategorization Project started as an idea that traditional county funding streams going into a county to support children and family services could be consolidated into a single child welfare fund. In 1987, the General Assembly authorized the IowaDepartment of Human Services to develop a new plan for funding child welfare services.

Benefit to implementation: With savings realized throughutilization of less restrictive and less costly services, funding can be redirected to develop alternative services that are more responsive to the needs of clients and their respective communities.

IOWA DECATEGORIZATION PROJECTDepartment of Human Services & the Division of Criminal Justice Planning

Outcomes of the Decategorization Project:

- Required process operating in 57 counties serving over 3/4 of the state population.

- More effective service delivery and resource allocation.

- More flexible development of alternative services tailored to community needs.

IOWA DECATEGORIZATION PROJECTDepartment of Human Services & the Division of Criminal Justice Planning

Child Welfare League of America (2001). The Iowa example: Decategorization and the comprehensive strategy process. The Link, vol. 1, no. 3, 3-4. See also Iowa Department of Human Rights, Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning (2000). Iowa comprehensive strategy for serious, violent and chronic juvenile offenders: 1999-2000 report. Retrieved February 28, 2002, from: http://www.state.ia.us/government/dhr/cjjp/recpub.htm.

http://www.state.ia.us/government/dhr/cjjp/recpub.htm










The Juvenile Justice Division of the Child Welfare League of America

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