bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting Outcomes with Juvenile Court Case Histories
Authors: Williams James D. , Rogers Joseph R.
Published: July 2009

This report supplements a prior article in this journal (Rogers and Williams, 1994). Utilizing Ted Palmer's 1991 formulation, we identified a set of indicators relevant to juvenile court decision‐making and to policy formulation. Here, through a more stringent statistical technique, we provide additional evidence of the potential that juvenile court histories possess for both theory and practice.

We explore case materials gained and maintained by juvenile probation officers as a way of generating outcome predictors for whether youth receive probation or institutionalization. Using discriminant function analysis, we obtain relatively good prediction. Delinquency history and social psychological variables are found to enhance prediction of case outcomes.

Contrary to some scholars, we believe the juvenile court is here to stay. Thus, the fundamental issue becomes one of making it a more efficient, effective instrument for reintegrating youths it must serve. As this institution approaches its centennial in 1999, we believe the court must become a focal point of research. This article is intended to further that task. After identifying the three strongest predictive variables (offense after first hearing, alienation, and denial of blame), we employ our seven key indicators as a guide for illustrating their everyday application for juvenile probation officers working with their youthful clientele.
The Origin of the Troubles in Northern Ireland: An Historical Background
Authors: McCarney W.
Published: July 2009

It is not possible in a short paper to deal with the nuances and complexities of the Irish situation. I can only hope to provide pointers and some basic facts. Even facts and pointers have to be placed in perspective. The perspective is necessarily that of the author.
At‐Risk Youth and Locus of Control: Do They Really See A Choice?
Authors: Kelley Thomas M.
Published: July 2009

Cognitive learning theory of delinquency proposes mat as a result of early negative conditioning, particularly in the family and school settings, at‐risk youth are more apt to develop an insecure, alienated belief system which increases the likelihood that they will perceive the world as a hostile place where their fate is in the hands of outside circumstances. According to the cognitive perspective, as the at‐risk level of youth increases, their world view or locus of control will tend to become more external. The present study tests this proposition by investigating the relationship of at‐risk level to locus of control for a sample of 196 juvenile shoplifters. The study utilizes an at‐risk scale developed by the author and the Nowicki‐Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children. Results generally confirm the hypothesis that level of risk is positively related to an external locus of control. Ways to reverse the cumulative process of learned insecurity and perceived alienation are discussed.
Cornerstones of a Civilized Society: Law, Morality, Faith and Spirituality
Authors: Maples Mary Finn
Published: July 2009

The linkages among law, morality, faith and spirituality are historically accepted. Yet, the separation between law and morality/faith/ spirituality have also been accepted and expected in order to preserve the traditional separation of church and state.

Nevertheless, application, infusion and adoption of legal, moral, faith and spiritual principles have been the cornerstones of the building of this country for almost three centuries. Recently, and increasingly, those cornerstones are being chipped away. Stated more succinctly by Selleck and Josephson (1995). “There is a hole in the moral ozone and we've got to fix it” (p. 53).

This paper explores and revisits the unique contributions of each and the connectedness among law, morality, faith and spirituality as partners in refurbishing the cornerstones that can support this nation securely into the next millennium. While examined separately, it is clear that these four components of lifespan development are not mutually exclusive and overlap considerably, both historically and in modern society. Included are models of morality, faith development and spirituality which may provide the reader with concrete touchstones for reflective thought.
Court improvement of foster care and adoption projects:Ncjfcj Survey Report
Authors: Gray Ernestine S. , Lewis J. Dean , Mentaberry Mary , Bailey Christine
Published: July 2009

Officials from 48 states and the District of Columbia in 1994 accepted federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help improve courts' handling of cases involving child abuse, neglect, foster care and adoption. Through a survey of participating states, members of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges have been analyzing common themes found in state Court Improvement of Foster Care and Adoption Projects. This article examines key survey results.
The interstate compact on the placement of children:Reduction In Delays
Authors: Barthel Frank D. , Ashdown Samuel G.
Published: July 2009

Juvenile and family courts have witnessed a sharp increase in the number and complexity of dependency cases involving the interstate placement of abused or neglected children. A new provision of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) is designed to speed interstate placement decisions and case processing. The authors review the history, present status, and efforts to improve the ICPC to better serve children and their families.
Custodial Relationships Of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren:Results of a home‐based intervention study
Authors: Yorker Beatrice , Kelley Susan , Whitley Deborah , Lewis Andrew , Magis Jennifer , Bergeron Amy , Napier Carol
Published: July 2009

The phenomenon of grandparents raising grandchildren has increased significantly over the past two decades. The literature documents that health, financial, and legal worries top the list of concerns for grandparents who raise grandchildren. The authors describe the results of a multidisciplinary study that provides home visitation with social, nursing, legal, and educational support to grandparents raising grandchildren in parent absent households. This article examines the custodial relationships of one hundred and sixty‐three children being raised in sixty‐eight families headed by grandparents in an urban population in the South. The data showed that of the 163 children, 70 were in the guardianship of their grandparents, 40 of the children had no legal relationship with their grandparents, 28 were in the custody of the State Department of Family and Children's Services, 21 were in the temporary custody of their grandparents, and four were adopted by their grandparents. Recommendations from this study include educating service providers and grandparents raising grandchildren regarding the potential financial benefits under Title IVE adoption assistance and supporting legislative reform to increase the stability of intergenerational kinship care. This project demonstrates an innovative approach of combining university‐based research with multidisciplinary education while providing cost‐effective support services through a partnership with the community.
A comparison of mediated and non‐mediated juvenile offender cases in California
Authors: Shichor David , Sechrest Dale K.
Published: July 2009

Juvenile delinquency is a major public concern in the United States, and increasingly in many other industrialized countries. The last few years have seen a decline in officially recorded juvenile delinquency (Snyder, 1997). However, projections are that with the anticipated increase of the U.S. teenage population because of the echo baby boom generation, serious juvenile crime will substantially increase in the next few years (see Fox, 1996).
Juvenile Justice Processing:The entangled effects of race and urban poverty
Authors: Wu Bohsiu , Fuentes Angel Ilarraza
Published: July 2009

This study addresses the issue of how race and urban poverty affect minority overrepresentation in the juvenile justice system, using data from 2,003 court cases referred to 13 urban Ohio juvenile courts in 1989. Results of logistic regression analyses show that: 1) minority offenders are more likely to be detained than whites; 2) detention status augments juveniles' chances of being adjudicated and confined; 3) minority juveniles who are from welfare families are more likely to be confined than their self‐sustaining counterparts. A cultural stereotype based on juveniles' race and class constitutes the basis of differential treatment.
Predicting Juvenile Recidivism:Using the Indiana Department of Correction's Risk Assessment Instrument
Authors: Lemmon Robin A. , Calhoon Sharon K.
Published: July 2009

The Indiana Department of Correction uses a Risk Assessment Instrument (RAI) to determine juvenile offenders' risk of recidivism and their placement in an IDOC facility. Although it is used to make important decisions, the RAI has not been well‐validated. This article describes a study of convicted male juvenile offenders to determine how well the IDOC instrument, which is similar to that used in several states, predicted recidivism. We found that the RAI did not predict recidivism in our sample.
ADOLESCENT RISK. The psychological assessment and management of problem areas contributing to adolescent criminal behavior
Authors: WOLBER GREG J. , BANZE BARBARA H.
Published: July 2009

Psychological assessments were completed on fifty adolescent offenders (ages 13 through 18). All evaluations were court ordered to assist with legal disposition and focused on assessment and management of problem areas that were believed to contribute to repeated criminal behavior. A process for the psychological evaluation of problem areas and the development of management strategies to address these areas is described. Frequencies of problem areas are presented with discussion of the most frequent. School problems, past aggressive acts, negative peer influences, and a guarded/ avoiding personality style were the most frequently cited. Management strategies for high frequency problem areas are also discussed.
A COMMENT. The road to court improvement in child protection cases
Authors: YEWELL PATRICK , WILLIAMSON DEBORAH , CORNWALL MICHAEL , KNEPPER PAUL
Published: July 2009

Judges are the key to court reform in child protection proceedings but legislative mandates cannot guarantee the requisite level of judicial commitment. Lack of full implementation of the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 demonstrates that rather than rely on statutory language, court reformers ought to increase judicial understanding of the provisions of federal law through initiatives such as cross‐training. From December 1996 to June 1998, Kentucky's Court Improvement Project delivered 11 regional cross‐training sessions to more than 550 judges, attorneys, social service personnel and other child advocates. Based on a statewide survey, cross‐training increased significantly awareness of federal child protection objectives among the state's judges. Awareness of a policy among those expected to implement it is the first step toward implementation.
Treatment Profiles of Troubled Female Adolescents: Implications for Judicial Disposition
Authors: ELLIS RODNEY A. , O'HARA MAGGI , SOWERS KAREN
Published: July 2009

Increasing numbers of girls are entering the juvenile justice system. This growing number of females creates a dilemma for judges concerned with appropriate disposition to treatment and diversion: since current intervention methodologies were developed primarily for males, how effective are they for females? The current paper describes a research process that addressed this issue. A sample of troubled adolescents was selected from a residential treatment facility. Data were collected from 137 youth between the ages of 12 and 17 (65 female [47%] and 72 male [52%]) regarding variables related to twenty‐three behavioral and psychosocial problems. These data were then subjected to a cluster analysis. Two distinct treatment profiles were formed, each differing in composition by gender. Based on the results of the cluster analysis, the researchers conducted a literature review to determine the implications of those profiles for successful disposition and treatment.
SUPERPREDATORS: ARE THESE OUR CHILDREN
Authors: Elikann Peter
Published: July 2009

Superpredators: The Demonization of our Children by the Law By Peter Elikann
Legal, Psychological, and Behavioral Outcomes
Authors: Redding Richard E.
Published: July 2009

States have responded to the public's outrage at rising juvenile crime by revising their transfer statutes to make it easier to transfer juvenile offenders for trial and sentencing in criminal court and possible incarceration in adult prisons. These changing trends in juvenile justice raise three questions about what actually happens to juveniles once they are in the adult criminal justice system. To what extent does trial in adult court and/or incarceration in adult prisons promote or retard community protection, juvenile offenders' accountability, and the development of competencies in juvenile offenders? This article discusses state transfer laws and the legal consequences of criminal court prosecution, and analyzes current research on deterrence effects of transfer laws, conviction and sentencing in juvenile versus criminal court, recidivism rates in juvenile versus criminal court, and conditions and programming in juvenile versus adult correctional facilities. The research findings have two important implications for juvenile justice policy: the number of juvenile cases transferred to criminal court should be minimized, and imprisonment of juveniles in adult facilities should be avoided whenever possible. These implications are discussed, and directions for future research are identified.
Predicting successful outcomes for serious and chronic juveniles in residential placement
Authors: Sawicki Donna Rau , Schaeffer Beatrix , Thies Jeanie
Published: July 2009

In the past decade, juvenile justice agencies have become more reliant on objective risk scales based on an actuarial approach to assessing risk. Risk assessment scales are used as decision‐making guides at multiple points in the juvenile justice system. However, little research has focused on assessment of more serious offenders facing removal from the community. Enormous benefits can be derived, both in public safety and cost savings, from successful interventions with these offenders. Identifying offenders most amenable to intervention and at lowest risk for offending upon leaving placement represents a significant challenge. In this study, a placement risk screen was developed that assesses amenability to treatment in a residential treatment program and later risk for adult criminality. The relationship between suspected risk factors, success in a residential treatment program, and adult offending was assessed in a population of 81 male delinquent youths. Many factors are believed to have a bearing on success in treatment and later offending behavior, but only a small number of these were statistically significant. The results suggest that success in residential placement can reduce future offending, but that youth should first be screened for amenability to the program so scarce resources can be conserved. The proposed placement risk screen can assist juvenile court judges, officers, and residential treatment staff in identifying youth most suitable for treatment and who represent a lower risk to the community.
The ABCs of increasing motivation with juvenile offenders
Authors: Clark Michael D.
Published: July 2009

This article details strength‐based practice that was recently developed in the juvenile justice field for work with challenging (mandated) adolescents. This approach blends the strengths perspective and the solution‐focused brief therapy methods to offer field workers the “one‐two punch” of theory and methods. This approach will be outlined by discussing six principles organized around the “ABCs” of: Accountability‐Action, Believing‐Brief and Cooperation‐Competency. The article closes by describing four advantages of this approach for direct practice.
Responding to ADHD youth in the juvenile justice system
Authors: Rouse Gerald E. , Goldstein Sam
Published: July 2009

Juvenile justice professionals are increasingly faced with the task of understanding the role of psychiatric disorders in contributing to the behavior of juvenile offenders. Attention‐Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one such disorder that presents at a rate well beyond chance levels in youth in the juvenile justice system. This article provides an overview of the current symptom profile, diagnosis, cause and risk factors for ADHD. The interface of the juvenile justice system and youth with ADHD is described in all aspects beginning with detention through adjudication and disposition.
Determinants of Public Opinion Toward Juvenile Waiver Decisions
Authors: WU BOHSIU
Published: July 2009

This study examines the determinants of public opinion toward three types of juvenile crimes deemed suitable for trial in criminal court. The public overwhelmingly supports juvenile waivers, especially for juveniles charged with violent crimes. However, such an overall consensus in public opinion can be a result of an inadequate survey design. The public needs to be given more contextual information regarding juvenile offenses and possible consequences resulting from transferring juveniles to the adult system.
Forensic Methods and Procedures Applied to Child Custody Evaluations: What Judges Need to Know in Determining a Competent Forensic Work Product
Authors: GOULD JONATHAN W. , BELL JUDGE LISA C.
Published: July 2009

Judges are seeing an increase in the number of forensic reports in the area of child custody. This increase in forensic mental health involvement suggests that judges need to better understand the application of current forensic mental health methodology to assist them in determining a competent forensic work product. Recent literature has argued that child custody evaluators need to craft their reports consistent with scientific methods and procedures as well as legal standards governing admissibility of scientific evidence. This paper provides a framework for judges to assist in determining whether a child custody evaluation has been crafted consistent with current behavioral science literature pertaining to use of forensic mental health methods and procedures.
Developing Court‐Connected Parent Divorce Education Programs: Guidelines For Communities
Authors: CAMBRON MARY LOU , YANKEELOV PAMELA A. , BROWN JOE H.
Published: July 2009

This article answers a myriad of questions that program providers and communities might consider when developing a divorce education program for parents. Questions and answers are considered for the following areas: a) purpose and objectives; b) needs assessment; c) curriculum development; d) program support; e) personnel matters; f) money matters; g) program participants and participation; h) special needs; and i) evaluation. Communities that build consensus around these issues are more likely to develop successful programs.
The Use of Citizen Review Boards with Juvenile Offender Cases: An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Pilot Program
Authors: LITZELFELNER PAT
Published: July 2009

This study evaluates a Citizen Review Board (CRB) program designed to review juvenile offender cases. The sample includes 157 juvenile offenders that were first‐time adjudicated offenders. The youth were randomly assigned by the juvenile judge either to receive review by the CRB or go through the regular court process. Sixty‐eight of the youth were reviewed by the CRB and 89 made up the control group. Data were collected on both groups for more than three years. Program outcomes examined for the study included court processing time, placement and treatment facility changes, and re‐offense rates.

Findings suggest that the youth served by the CRB program had statistically fewer out‐of‐home placements in treatment programs during the course of the study and more time had elapsed between the date of the original offense and the re‐offense for youth reviewed by the CRB. The rise in the number of juvenile offenders going through the nation's court systems, as well as a rise in the number of citizen review boards, indicate a need for further examination about how CRBs can best serve the juvenile court system and the youth served by that system.
Ten Ways to Reduce Detention Population
Authors: ARTHUR JUDGE LINDSAY G.
Published: July 2009

“Juvenile detention is regularly overlooked, maligned, and misunderstood. Its embattled condition is best described as severely abused and neglected. It is underfunded, understaffed, crowded and largely ignored.”1

“Detention caseloads increased 38 percent between 1987 and 1996. The increase in the number of delinquency cases handled by the courts has driven the growth in the number of juveniles in the detention system. In 1987, 1.2 million delinquency cases were disposed of in juvenile courts. By 1996, this number had risen 49 percent, to almost 1.8 million. This increase in the volume of juveniles in the justice system resulted in a 38 percent increase in the number of delinquency cases that involved the use of detention. The number of juvenile delinquency cases detained in 1996 was 89,000 more than in 1987. This has resulted in increased demand for juvenile detention bed space across the country.”2

“Changes in statutes allowing more detainable offenses have significantly increased the number of youths admitted to regional detention centers.”3

“Although minority youth constituted about 32 percent of the youth population in the country in 1995, they represented 68 percent of the juvenile population in secure detention…4
An Evaluation of Teen Court as a Juvenile Crime Diversion Program
Authors: LOGALBO ANTHONY P. , CALLAHAN CHARLENE M.
Published: July 2009

Theories of procedural justice support the American legal system's search for a fair and effective means of diverting offenders from the juvenile court system. Teen Court programs, in which juvenile offenders are tried and sentenced by a jury of peers, are one of the latest developments in attempts to positively influence offenders and direct them free of crime. The present research found that participation in Teen Court increased offenders' legal knowledge and enhanced their attitudes toward some authority figures (i.e., the judge) and themselves to a greater extent than non‐offending juveniles. In addition, only 12.6 percent of juvenile offenders re‐offended within five months of their initial Teen Court involvement. Improved attitudes toward authority and self were associated with a lower incidence of recidivism. Overall, these results contribute to the growing literature indicating that Teen Court can be an effective juvenile crime diversion program. This article also discusses methodological issues for future program evaluations.
An Evaluation of a Delaware Teen Court
Authors: GARRISON ARTHUR H.
Published: July 2009

The Kent County Teen Court Program (teen court) provides sanctions for juvenile delinquency from a panel of a juvenile's peers rather than from a Family Court Judge. Part of the concept behind teen peer courts is that the sanction from one's peers carries more weight than sanctions from adults. The Delaware Criminal Justice Council (CJC) awarded a grant to Delaware ‐ Teen Courts, Inc. to support the operation of the Kent County Teen Court Program. The teen court program was designed to provide participants with hands‐on education in the judicial process, to create a sanction pro‐ gram that will not create a permanent record for a juvenile, and to foster, a sense of community responsibility in the program participants. The teen court program is an adult model teen court in which all of the judicial actors are juveniles with the exception of the judge. This article reflects the results of an evaluation on the Kent County Teen Court program's first two years of operation (Garrison, 2001).
A Primer on Adoption Law
Authors: ABRAMS DOUGLAS E. , RAMSEY SARAH H.
Published: July 2009

This article surveys major aspects of adoption law encountered by judges, lawyers, and child care professionals. The authors, whose new Children and the Law casebook is already required reading in nearly three dozen law schools, analyze both historical and contemporary materials, and both statutory and case law.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum–The Hidden Epidemic in Our Courts
Authors: PAGE KATHRYN
Published: July 2009

This article discusses the basics of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/E): the history, nature, prevalence, causes, and effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol. Some of the unique features of FAS/E are explored, particularly those that make it so hard to spot and those that predispose people to nonproductive or criminal activity. The presentation of FAS/E in Juvenile Court is discussed and put in the context of the multiplicity of factors pertaining to delinquency; finally, innovative interventions, approaches and resources are laid out. Issues surrounding FAS/E as they appear in Family Court are then explored, with emphasis on the intergenerational transmission of this array of conditions and how we might interrupt such transmission.
The Importance of Mental Illness Education
Authors: VICKERS BY ANGELA D.
Published: July 2009

Until our legal community–both lawyers and judges–understands basic truths about the medically based and highly treatable mental illnesses, (depression, manic‐depression [bipolar disorder], schizophrenia, and the anxiety disorders, including obsessive compulsive disorder) our nation does not offer “justice for all” for the more than 27 million Americans who have one or more of these common brain problems. With accurate information, our legal community can restore justice to millions of Americans, children to seniors, and do much to improve health, prosperity, stability, and safety to our nation, through actions and decisions which promote public education and understanding, early recognition and treatment, and which replace stigma, discrimination, wrongful punishment, and failure with understanding, recovery, productivity, and justice.
Influences on Detention Decisions in the Juvenile Justice System
Authors: O'NEILL BRIAN F.
Published: July 2009

This paper examines the pretrial detention of juveniles in County X located in a northeastern state. The sample (N=642) included Black, White, and Hispanic males and females adjudicated delinquent in the summer of 2000. The following independent variables were analyzed with respect to the dependent variable of pretrial detention: age, sex, address, race, current offense (misdemeanors, violent misdemeanors, felonies, violent felonies, and probation violations), prior offense (misdemeanors, violent misdemeanors, felonies, and violent felonies), and previous dispositions (community or placement). Several variables were found to be significant in increasing the odds of pretrial detention: probation violations, prior misdemeanors, prior residential placements, prior community interventions, age, sex, urban address, felonies, prior violent misdemeanors, and prior violent felonies. It was expected that minority youths would be more likely to be detained, but race was only significant in the absence of the variable of address. Urban youths were more likely to be detained resulting in an over‐representation of minorities in detention, since most of the minority population resides in the urban area. Also included is supplemental material based on interviews with defense lawyers, judges, masters, and juvenile probation officers.
Evaluating the Probative Value of Child Custody Evaluations
Authors: GOULD JONATHAN W. , LEHRMANN JUDGE DEBRA H.
Published: July 2009

It has previously been argued that a competent forensic work product is defined, in part, by the evaluator's use of conventional forensic methods and procedures applied to child custody evaluations (Gould, 1998) and that the more judges and other legal professionals understand about forensic methods and procedures, the better they are able to critically weigh the substance and merit of a child custody evaluation (Gould & Bell, 2000). These forensic methods and procedures have their foundation in the behavioral sciences and are characteristic of competent and comprehensive forensic evaluations conducted for other legal purposes. In this paper, we provide a more detailed model for critiquing the forensic competence of a child custody report. Such a model better assists courts and lawyers in understanding how to assess the substance and admissibility of custody reports.
Understanding Recreation and Sport as a Rehabilitative Tool Within Juvenile Justice Programs
Authors: WILLIAMS D J , STREAN WILLIAM B. , BENGOECHEA ENRIQUE GARCIA
Published: July 2009

This article discusses relevant literature on the potential benefits of sport, recreation, and leisure, and how these benefits relate to rehabilitation of juveniles. Many professionals involved in juvenile rehabilitation believe sport and recreation are beneficial adjuncts to treatment programming; however, it can be difficult to structure sport and recreation in ways that directly correspond to treatment goals. The purpose of this article is to provide insights for professionals working with juveniles on how sport and recreation programming can be an effective means of helping to achieve rehabilitation goals. Attention is given to approaches, particularly the Teaching Games for Understanding model (Bunker & Thorpe, 1982), which can be used to effectively link recreation and sport to the rehabilitation process.
Screening the Mental Health Needs of Youths in Juvenile Detention
Authors: NORDNESS PHILIP D. , GRUMMERT MICHELLE , BANKS DENNIS , SCHINDLER MICHELLE L. , MOSS MALLIE M. , GALLAGHER KEN , EPSTEIN MICHAEL H.
Published: July 2009

There is an increasing number of juveniles coming into the justice system with a variety of mental health and substance abuse concerns. While the actual number of youths with mental health disorders in the juvenile justice system has been difficult to determine, it is estimated to be substantially higher than it is for youths in the general population. In addition, researchers have estimated that a high number of these juveniles experience co‐morbid mental health disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the number of youths who present symptoms of a mental health disorder at intake into a juvenile detention center in the Midwest. Two hundred‐four youths were assessed with the Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument‐Second Version (MAYSI‐2; Grisso & Barnum, 2000), a mental health screening instrument. At least 68% of the youths identified symptoms of a mental health disorder at intake. Given the significant number of youths who identified symptoms of a mental health disorder at intake into detention, the need to provide mental health services for juvenile detainees should not be ignored.
Perceived Needs and Interests of Juveniles Held in Preventive Detention
Authors: GIOVANNI ERIC
Published: July 2009

The current study assesses the perceived needs and interests of juveniles held in preventive detention. The study involved 70 juveniles assigned to residential units at a juvenile detention facility. Juveniles were administered a written questionnaire that requested both quantitative and qualitative responses to items related to juveniles' perceived needs and interests. Frequency tests were performed to determine which perceived needs and interests are most and least pronounced among detained juveniles. The areas of need most commonly cited by detained juveniles were learning how to make better choices, learning more about computers, and learning to control anger better. Juveniles expressed an interest in most activities, with children versus staff contests, cultural diversity education, learning new board games and card games, doing arts and crafts, and taking care of a pet being the most popular items. In order to ensure that programs are helpful and enjoyable for detained youth, detention staff members should tailor programs and activities to the perceived needs and interests identified in the current study.
The Impact of Model Court Reform in Arizona on the Processing of Child Abuse and Neglect Cases
Authors: HALEMBA GREGORY J. , SIEGEL GENE C. , GUNN RACHAEL D. , ZAWACKI SUSANNA
Published: July 2009

Arizona juvenile courts have taken a series of steps over the past five years to improve the quality and timeliness of court proceedings in child abuse and neglect matters. These efforts encompass both procedural reforms to front‐load the early hearing process as well as reforms that require a clearly demarcated permanency hearing and permanency determination process. A comparative analysis of the impact of these changes in four selected counties reveals that child abuse and neglect cases are handled in a more timely manner; that children are spending considerably less time in out‐of‐home placements; that courts are becoming more specific in the orders generated at dependency hearings (particularly initial hearings); and that the State and federal governments have realized sizeable savings in placement costs.
System Change through Collaboration…Eight Steps for Getting from There to Here
Authors: TOWNSEND JUDGE SHARON S. , CARROLL KAREN
Published: July 2009

Family courts and child welfare agencies across the country are charged with protecting the safety of our children. That mission has become more challenging with increasing federal legislation and decreasing funding. In Buffalo, N.Y., the Family Court and the Department of Social Services have teamed up to respond to this challenge. With minimal additional staffing and resources, they have led a collaboration of agencies and service providers to change the way business is done in child welfare. By engaging each other in an interagency system change effort, the amount of time children spend in foster care has been reduced. The collaboration has been able to accomplish in a relatively short time what no agency had previously been able to accomplish on its own. The beneficiaries have been the children and families of Erie County.
Mediation in Juvenile Dependency Court: Multiple Perspectives
Authors: EDWARDS JUDGE LEONARD P.
Published: July 2009

For approximately 10 years, the Santa Clara County (Calif.),1 Juvenile Dependency Court has utilized confidential mediation as an integral part of the court process. After hundreds of mediation sessions, we believe it is time for the various participants in the dependency system to reflect on their perspectives on mediation, its strengths and weaknesses, and its future in our court system. Each author, representing a different party or interest in the child welfare system, has a unique perspective on the process. We hope this information will be useful for other jurisdictions utilizing or considering implementing mediation.

Beginning with a description of dependency mediation and the mediation process utilized in Santa Clara County, representatives from each participant in the juvenile dependency process–including the mediators, the social worker, the attorney for the family and children's services agency, the child's attorney, the parents, the parents' attorney, a domestic violence advocate, the child advocate (CASA), and the juvenile court judicial officer–follow with their perspectives on mediation. The article concludes with some general thoughts about mediation, its value, its problems, and its future in Santa Clara County.
Expediting Permanency through Community Decision‐Making
Authors: LANDSMAN MIRIAM J. , BARBER GAIL , THOMPSON KATHY
Published: July 2009

Permanency for children has taken on a renewed urgency since passage of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. This article describes the process of building a community approach to using alternative dispute resolution for expediting permanency, and reports on the initiative's progress to date. Expediting Permanency through Community Decision‐Making, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services‐funded demonstration project, is simultaneously building community collaboration around the specific issue of permanency and establishing alternative dispute resolution models as a key component of permanency planning services. Lessons learned from implementation are instructive for others embarking on a community response to the demands of ASFA.
Girls and Culture˜ in Delinquency Intervention: A Case Study of RYSE
Authors: LE THAO , ARIFUKU ISAMI , NUÑEZ MICHELL
Published: July 2009

Given the growing trend of girls in the juvenile justice system, there has been increasing attention toward providing gender‐specific programming. The Reaffirming Young Sisters' Excellence (RYSE) program was one of Alameda County, Calif., Probation Department's intervention programs designed to address both gender and cultural factors in girls programming. ANCOVA analyses of 350 randomized girls did not provide support for the gender‐specific hypothesis that girls who received RYSE intervention will have a lower recidivism score than girls who received traditional probation services. However, the cultural hypothesis was partially supported with African American girls who participated in the RYSE intervention faring better than Hispanic, White, and Asian RYSE girls, and their African American control counterparts.
Ego Identity Status as an Indicator of Peer Court Efficacy
Authors: JONES RANDALL M. , DICK ANDREW J. , GEERTSEN H. REED , COOK JERRY L. , COYL DIANA D.
Published: July 2009

Peer courts are an alternative to juvenile court, intended to provide less stigmatizing and more individually responsive dispositions for first‐time and early youthful offenders. This study examined the potential usefulness of assessing ego identity status for peer courts. Mailed surveys were sent to attendees of seven Utah peer courts who had their cases reviewed between August 1998 and January 1999. Thirty‐seven percent (N = 120) responded. Chi Square analysis showed that ego identity statuses were related to drug use and previous delinquent behavior, but not recidivism. Foreclosed status youths were statistically unlikely to recidivate, use drugs, and reported fewer previous offenses.
High Conflict Divorce, Violence, and Abuse: Implications for Custody and Visitation Decisions
Authors: DALTON CLARE , CARBON JUDGE SUSAN , OLESEN NANCY
Published: July 2009

Today, judges are faced with the daunting task of determining the best interests of the child and making appropriate custody awards to that end. The best interests of children becomes a critical question when domestic violence is involved; yet, determining what constitutes domestic violence is often debated. Research is often divided on what constitutes domestic violence. One body of research focuses on conflict, another focuses on domestic violence. What the first group identifies as intense emotional distress and disagreement, the other identifies as abuse. Judges making custody determinations in such cases are faced with the difficult challenge of distinguishing between a divorce with “high conflict” and a domestic violence case with ongoing abuse. This article will summarize the legal, philosophical, and historical understandings of the “high conflict” family and its potential impact on children. It will also provide practical judicial guidelines for making the important distinction between high conflict and domestic violence and subsequently crafting appropriate and safe child custody awards.
Common Misconceptions in Addressing Domestic Violence in Child Custody Disputes
Authors: JAFFE PETER G. , CROOKS CLAIRE V. , POISSON SAMANTHA E.
Published: July 2009

Domestic violence has been recognized as an important factor to consider in determining the best interests of children in custody and visitation disputes. However, there remain many misconceptions about the extent and impact of domestic violence in child custody proceedings. Several misconceptions are identified and juxtaposed with the reality of emerging knowledge in this field, and implications are outlined. These issues are illustrated by the perspectives of 62 women victims and 95 children exposed to domestic violence who had to navigate the justice system after separation from an abuser. Recommendations are offered for enhancing professional education, resource development, and collaboration among courts and community service providers.
Gender and the Likelihood of Being Securely Detained for Contempt
Authors: MCGUIRE M. DYAN , KUHN KATHRYN E.
Published: July 2009

Several theorists have hypothesized that juvenile court judges are circumventing the proscription contained in the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (“JJDPA”), which prohibits the secure confinement of status offenders by securely detaining status offenders for contempt. It has also been suggested that girls may be especially likely to be securely detained as a result of violating a valid court order. This study uses descriptive and multivariate techniques to examine the demographic, legal, and jurisdictional variables associated with receiving secure detention for violating a valid court order and to evaluate the degree to which the spirit, if not the letter, of the JJDPA's core requirement of deinstitutionalizing status offenders is being violated because of the exemption permitting juvenile court judges to securely detain children found in contempt. The findings from this study indicate that being female does not contribute to detention for contempt but being accused of a status offense does. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Juvenile Waiver 2003: Where Are We Now?
Authors: STEINER BENJAMIN , HEMMENS CRAIG
Published: July 2009

Juvenile waiver has received much attention from the public, practitioners, and scholars during the last decade. Prior studies have documented the increased use and effects of waiver. In this study we examine the current state of the law regarding juvenile waiver. We replicate a 1995 study of state waiver statutes and detail the changes in prosecutorial, judicial, and legislative waiver since 1995. While the juvenile crime rate has slowed, legislatures' fascination with waiver has increased. In less than 10 years, the number of states utilizing prosecutorial waiver has increased 25%, 27 states have modified their judicial waiver statutes, and 30 states have modified their legislative waiver statutes.
Reeling in Disengaged Students: An Assessment of a Countywide Juvenile Court Attendance Program
Authors: MUELLER DAVID , GIACOMAZZI ANDREW
Published: July 2009

On any given day, thousands of youths are absent from school; many are absent without a legitimate excuse and thus deemed truant. Truancy has been linked to various problem behaviors including academic failure, delinquency, and school dropout. Thus, the prevention of truancy is assumed to have beneficial effects far into the future. This study provides an overview of an innovative truancy abatement program operating in southwestern Idaho known as the Ada County Attendance Court. Qualitative and quantitative data are presented to show how the program operates, its effects, and how it differs from other truancy prevention programs nationwide.
The Impact of Time on Parent Perspectives on the Barriers to Services and the Service Needs of Youths in the Juvenile Justice System
Authors: BENNER GREGORY J. , MOONEY PAUL , EPSTEIN MICHAEL H.
Published: July 2009

The purposes of this study were: 1) to assess the overall perspectives of parents (N=115) of youths in the juvenile justice system on the barriers to and services needs of youths in the juvenile justice system; and 2) to assess the strength of the relationship between duration of time the youth has been involved in the juvenile justice system and parent perceptions of barriers and service needs. The top service need was case management. Statistically significant moderate negative correlations were found between duration of time in the juvenile justice system and Total Barrier score, and all composite barrier scores (i.e., Mismatch, Red Tape, and Inaccessibility). Statistically significant small negative correlations were found between duration of time in the juvenile justice system and the Total Service Needs score and two composite scores: Substance Abuse Services and Out‐of‐Home Services.
Public Opinion of Teen, Classroom, and Formal Court Styles
Authors: HARMON MARK G. , LEMM KRISTI M. , LIPPMAN LOUIS G.
Published: July 2009

The present research examined the views of a community sample regarding teen court, classroom court, and formal/traditional court. Participants read vignettes of teen offenders who had committed crimes of high or low severity and were given relatively severe or mild sentences through one of the three courts. Results revealed stronger support for teen court than the other courts, a general preference for harsh sentences, and a preference for match between crime and punishment. The results of this study indicate that teen courts are seen as providing an appropriate means to sentence juvenile offenders and are likely to receive public support for their continued operation.
Confidentiality and the Juvenile and Family Courts
Authors: EDWARDS JUDGE LEONARD P.
Published: July 2009

Court proceedings and court records are traditionally open to the public. The courts are public institutions, and openness serves a number of important purposes including protection of the free discussion of governmental affairs and the enhancement of the quality and integrity of the fact finding process. But court proceedings also address family matters including adoptions, juvenile delinquency, child protection, and domestic relations cases. These types of cases often involve personal issues, and many family members would prefer that they remain private. In most states, many of these proceedings have been closed to the public.

Strong policy reasons support both openness of family court proceedings and privacy considerations for family members, particularly children. This article addresses confidentiality in the context of juvenile and family court proceedings. It takes the position that the tension between these conflicting policies can be reduced if most family court proceedings are presumptively open, but judges are given the authority to place conditions on the information that can be revealed by observers outside the courtroom. Additionally, the article asserts that if the courts and the media take steps to change their practices and their relationship with one another, both the public interest and the confidentiality interest of the parties can be better served.
Teen Court: What Jurors Can Tell Us About the Process
Authors: FORGAYS DEBORAH KIRBY , DEMILIO LISA , SCHUSTER KIM
Published: July 2009

Teen courts are on the increase throughout the United States. These courts provide an opportunity for youth offenders to receive sentences from their adolescent peers rather than from an adult panel or judge. Yet, we know t very little about the teen jurors' perspective or whether their sentences reflect restorative justice principles. In more than 100 youth juror surveys, t teens describe their experiences as they develop sentences consistent with restorative justice tenets. Through their participation, youth jurors gain practical knowledge about and respect for the judicial system. The efficacy of the sentences is validated by high offender sentence completion.
A Practical Approach to Evaluating and Improving Juvenile Justice Programs
Authors: HOWELL JAMES C. , LIPSEY MARK W.
Published: July 2009

For more than a decade, the juvenile justice field in the United States has been dominated by the seventh “moral panic” over juvenile delinquency. This panic led to an overreaction to juvenile delinquency by legislators and juvenile justice officials. The main consequence is a “crisis of overload” in many state and local juvenile justice systems across the country. Tools are available to help juvenile courts effectively manage the overload of court clients. Most important, a new method has been developed for evaluating existing programs against research‐based standards that have been synthesized from juvenile justice program evaluations. This tool enables states and localities to take a practical approach to improving juvenile justice system programs.