Verified Document

Juvenile Offenders And Rehabilitation Research Proposal

Juvenile offenders have grown to become a serious problem in many countries, especially the United States. Like adult offenders, juvenile offenders are more likely to reoffend, especially without the proper guidance and assistance they need in order to live a law abiding life. Research within the last five years has led to identification of specific program models as well theory-based intervention approaches that not only assist juvenile offenders in leading productive lives but also keeps them from potentially re-offending. This paper will focus on rehabilitation programs for juvenile offenders and prevention programs that help in lessening the number of potential juvenile offenders by proposing alternative means of coping with hardship and stress. Farrington's Integrated Cognitive Antisocial Potential Theory will be examined within the context of juvenile offenders and how this framework may be applied to understanding Juvenile motivations for engaging in criminal activities Importance of rehabilitation will be emphasized because juvenile offenders that are not rehabilitated and are not given the tools to overcome their mistakes will often re-offend and sometimes commit a more serious crime. This research paper will show information from thirty-five articles that explain the advantages of intervention programs, prevention programs, as well as the type of intervention most benefitting for juvenile offenders.

In the last decade, evidence-based practice has been widely acknowledged as the best method for creating effective rehabilitation programs. Of the programs currently available, many frequently ignore evidence-based practices and choose traditional approaches refraining from modification of treatment. This leads to a low-rate of successful rehabilitations of juvenile offenders and a higher than desired re-offense rate among juvenile offenders and those that later offend into adulthood. Research suggests that negative childhood experiences, mental health problems, and psychosocial influences may create an environment where juveniles are more likely to engage in criminal behavior. Evidence-based practice recognizes these potential influences and experiences and works to help juveniles become more self-aware and gain control of their lives and their coping strategies.

Introduction

For over a decade, researchers have recognized program models as well as intervention strategies that reduce law-breaking while encouraging pro-social development. Preventing delinquency and rehabilitating juvenile offenders not only safeguards the public, but also keeps youth from wasting time in detention facilities or jails that do not help them, but instead typically create scenarios leading to youth committing more crimes as the age into adults. Prevention and rehabilitative efforts are key in inhibiting chances for future crime and diminishing the strain of crime on its sufferers and the public at large.

Not only do rehabilitative and preventative efforts help reduce crime overall, but also helps to reduce money taxpayers ordinarily spend on the arrest, prosecution, imprisonment, and later, treatment of criminal offenders. If the end-goal is to reduce or prevent criminal offense/re-offense, programs aimed towards dealing with the reasons behind committing a crime may be more beneficial than those that vie for traditional methods. If programs become available that enable prevention of juvenile offenders from re-offending thus not becoming adult criminals, they could potentially save taxpayers 7-10 dollars for each dollar financed, chiefly in the form of reduced expenditure on prisons and the justice system overall (Baglivio, Wolff, Piquero & Epps, 2015, p. 229).

Such programs should take into consideration for any preventative or rehabilitative approaches, antisocial potential theory (Steinberg & Scott, 2010). Farrington's integrated cognitive antisocial potential theory helps summarize decades of research that shows the development of at-risk working-class London boys and how their documented behaviors provide context into juvenile delinquent behavior and motivations (Borduin, Dopp & Taylor, 2013, p. 194). Delinquent development is complex and involves an understanding of various different scenarios and contexts in order to understand why a juvenile offends and what could be prompting a juvenile to behave in such a destructive manner. This prospectus will highlight antisocial potential theory, evidence-based practices that are effective in preventing juvenile delinquency, and programs that are and are not helping juvenile offenders during the critical rehabilitation process.

Review of the Research

Often times offender programs follow the traditional route and do not consider fully the psychosocial factors that influence individual engagement in intervention settings. While factors related to offending behavior are known throughout the research community, their influence on what causes the behavior or motivational engagement remains unclear. Studies like the (Brooks & Khan (2015) study attempted to examine such impact by interviewing and monitoring 109 juvenile offenders within a non-custodial community intervention and explored antisocial behavior, influence of aggression, and disruptive and problematic behavior during school hours. They also...

These subtypes are amotivation, identified regulation, and extrinsic and intrinsic motivation. Results gathered concerning self-esteem were decidedly mixed and did not reveal any new information. The results suggest the nature of motivation is complex and for intervention strategies to work, they must provide the person with a sense of competence and self-autonomy. "The findings highlight the multidimensional and complex nature of motivation, and support the need to internalize extrinsic motivations through the promotion of self-autonomy and competence within intervention programs in order to maximize engagement" (Brooks & Khan, 2015, p. 351).
This was also seen in another article that highlighted the need for intervention strategies to take into consideration what will motivate adolescents to engage in positive behaviors that will prevent further conflicts with the justice system. What was found, was that juveniles tend to find intervention methods that encourage participation and self-autonomy more interesting and influential than those that merely addressed the "base needs" of an adolescent (Cooper, 2015, p. 285). For example, if an rehabilitation program sought to enable positive coping mechanisms for juvenile offenders, by engaging in thoughtful discussion with them concerning their lives and how they wish to see themselves in the future, this may be more helpful than treating these juvenile offenders as all the same. They need some level of attention and individualization in order to feel motivated enough to follow through the protocol of the program and learn.

Feelings, motivation, they are tied together and if someone does not feel positive towards a program intervention strategy, most likely it will not be effective. A 2014 article by DeLisi & Vaughn show that temperament has been connected to behavior for hundreds of years. However, it has not been clearly discussed and used within a crime theory. This study incorporated research and theory from over three hundred studies in various fields of interest such as genetics, psychiatry, neuroscience, and criminology in order to introduce a criminal justice system implicated, temperament-based theory of antisocial behavior to help discover temperamental constructs that could help identify previously unrecognized connections.

They discovered negative emotionality and effortful control, two temperamental constructs that are major indicators for behavioral problems and self-regulation deficits in infancy all the way to adolescence, as well as across adulthood. "Two temperamental constructs -- effortful control and negative emotionality -- are significantly predictive of self-regulation deficits and behavioral problems in infancy, in toddlerhood, in childhood, in adolescence, and across adulthood" (DeLisi & Vaughn, 2014, p. 10). If these constructs are identified in prevention programs and help to make up assessments of juveniles and juvenile offenders, this may contribute to a more effective intervention strategy.

A theory that may contribute significantly to identifying motivations behind criminal behavior, especially for adolescents, is Farrington's Integrated Cognitive Antisocial Potential Theory. Farrington's antisocial potential, unlike antisocial propensity, suggests antisocial potential has less to do with biological factors and more to do with environment and nurturing. Also, there is long-term AP and short-term AP components to antisocial potential. Meaning, the two components are influenced by different things. For example, long-term AP from Farrington's perspective is influenced by individual characteristics and childhood socialization. Short-term AP is influenced by short-term energizers like being intoxicated or angry (Farrington, 2014, p. 2560).

By examining long-term AP characteristics that are not influenced by outside events like unemployment and loss, Farrington saw that long-term AP was not much of an indicator or delinquency versus short-term AP which is affected by social interaction and environment. By mixing innate characteristics with interaction and environment, Farrington developed a theory that could explain some of the reasons why some youths were more prone to juvenile delinquency than others. He also connected long-term AP with short-term AP (high short-term AP suggests higher incidence of delinquency) by stating long-term AP could contribute to the pervasiveness of short-term energizing factors like ongoing anger issues and repeated drinking, that could cause offenders to seek out the kind of social settings where chances for crime and delinquency are far more common (Junger-Tas & Decker, 2008, p. 305).

For example, black male youths are more likely to get arrested than other population groups. This has nothing to do with race, but merely location and environment and availability of potentially harmful influences. By engaging in street or gang-related activities and following a youth culture that promotes drug use and violence, these at-risk youths could be more likely to engage in criminal activities than those who do not…

Sources used in this document:
References

Baglivio, M., Wolff, K., Piquero, A., & Epps, N. (2015). The Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and Juvenile Offending Trajectories in a Juvenile Offender Sample. Journal Of Criminal Justice, 43(3), 229-241. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2015.04.012

Barnes, A., Campbell, N., Anderson, V., Campbell, C., Onifade, E., & Davidson, W. (2015). Validity of initial, exit, and dynamic juvenile risk assessment: An examination across gender and race/ethnicity. Journal Of Offender Rehabilitation, 55(1), 21-38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10509674.2015.1107004

Borduin, C., Dopp, A., & Taylor, E. (2013). Evidence-Based Interventions for Serious and Violent Juvenile Offenders. An Evidence-Based Approach To Assessment And Treatment, 192-210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781118320655.ch11

Brooks, M., & Khan, R. (2015). Psychosocial influences that motivate young offenders to engage in a non-custodial community intervention. The Journal Of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 26(3), 351-367. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14789949.2015.1013973
Cooper, S. (2015). Rehabilitation and desistance vs. disclosure. Probation Journal,62(3), 285-286. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0264550515599321b
DeLisi, M., & Vaughn, M. (2014). Foundation for a temperament-based theory of antisocial behavior and criminal justice system involvement. Journal Of Criminal Justice, 42(1), 10-25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2013.11.001
Farrington, D. (2014). Integrated Cognitive Antisocial Potential Theory.Encyclopedia Of Criminology And Criminal Justice, 2552-2564. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5690-2_500
Haegerich, T., Salerno, J., & Bottoms, B. (2013). Are the effects of juvenile offender stereotypes maximized or minimized by jury deliberation?.Psychology, Public Policy, And Law, 19(1), 81-97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0027808
Haqanee, Z., Peterson-Badali, M., & Skilling, T. (2014). Making "What Works" Work: Examining Probation Officers' Experiences Addressing the Criminogenic Needs of Juvenile Offenders. Journal Of Offender Rehabilitation, 54(1), 37-59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10509674.2014.980485
Hubbard, D. (2006). Should We Be Targeting Self-Esteem in Treatment for Offenders. Journal Of Offender Rehabilitation, 44(1), 39-57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1300/j076v44n01_03
Iselin, A., Mulvey, E., Loughran, T., Chung, H., & Schubert, C. (2011). A Longitudinal Examination of Serious Adolescent Offenders' Perceptions of Chances for Success and Engagement in Behaviors Accomplishing Goals.Journal Of Abnormal Child Psychology, 40(2), 237-249. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10802-011-9561-z
Jolliffe, D., Farrington, D., & Howard, P. (2013). How long did it last? A 10-year reconviction follow-up study of high intensity training for young offenders. J Exp Criminol, 9(4), 515-531. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11292-013-9191-2
Koehler, J., Losel, F., Akoensi, T., & Humphreys, D. (2012). A systematic review and meta-analysis on the effects of young offender treatment programs in Europe. J Exp Criminol, 9(1), 19-43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11292-012-9159-7
Lambie, I., & Randell, I. (2013). The impact of incarceration on juvenile offenders.Clinical Psychology Review, 33(3), 448-459. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2013.01.007
Leverso, J., Bielby, W., & Hoelter, L. (2015). Back on the streets: Maturation and risk factors for recidivism among serious juvenile offenders. Journal Of Adolescence, 41, 67-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2015.02.008
Loeber, R., & Ahonen, L. (2014). What are the Policy Implications of Our Knowledge on Serious, Violent, and Chronic Offenders?. Criminology & Public Policy, 13(1), 117-125. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12072
Lupton, R., & Kintrea, K. (2011). Can Community-Based Interventions on Aspirations Raise Young People's Attainment?. Social Policy & Society,10(03), 321-335. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1474746411000054
Mann, R., & Barnett, G. (2012). Victim Empathy Intervention With Sexual Offenders: Rehabilitation, Punishment, or Correctional Quackery?. Sexual Abuse: A Journal Of Research And Treatment, 25(3), 282-301. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1079063212455669
Maschi, T., Schwalbe, C., & Ristow, J. (2013). In Pursuit of the Ideal Parent in Juvenile Justice: A Qualitative Investigation of Probation Officers' Experiences with Parents of Juvenile Offenders. Journal Of Offender Rehabilitation, 52(7), 470-492. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10509674.2013.829898
MEARS, D., COCHRAN, J., STULTS, B., GREENMAN, S., BHATI, A., & GREENWALD, M. (2014). THE "TRUE" JUVENILE OFFENDER: AGE EFFECTS AND JUVENILE COURT SANCTIONING. Criminology, 52(2), 169-194. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1745-9125.12034
Mears, D., Pickett, J., & Mancini, C. (2014). Support for Balanced Juvenile Justice: Assessing Views About Youth, Rehabilitation, and Punishment.Journal Of Quantitative Criminology, 31(3), 459-479. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10940-014-9234-5
Morin, S., Cruise, K., Hinz, H., Holloway, E., & Chapman, J. (2015). Content, Structure, and Usefulness of Juvenile Predisposition Psychological Evaluations. Child & Youth Care Forum, 44(6), 893-917. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10566-015-9312-3
Osgood, D., Feinberg, M., Gest, S., Moody, J., Ragan, D., & Spoth, R. et al. (2013). Effects of PROSPER on the Influence Potential of Prosocial vs. Antisocial Youth in Adolescent Friendship Networks. Journal Of Adolescent Health, 53(2), 174-179. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.02.013
PORTNOY, J., RAINE, A., CHEN, F., PARDINI, D., LOEBER, R., & JENNINGS, J. (2014). HEART RATE AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF IMPULSIVE SENSATION SEEKING.Criminology, 52(2), 292-311. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1745-9125.12038
Rajah, V., Kramer, R., & Sung, H. (2014). The Mis-synchronization of Juvenile Reform. CRIMIN, 55(1), 184-202. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azu058
Salyers, M., Hood, B., Schwartz, K., Alexander, A., & Aalsma, M. (2015). The Experience, Impact, and Management of Professional Burnout Among Probation Officers in Juvenile Justice Settings. Journal Of Offender Rehabilitation, 54(3), 175-193. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10509674.2015.1009967
Schwalbe, C., Gearing, R., MacKenzie, M., Brewer, K., & Ibrahim, R. (2012). A meta-analysis of experimental studies of diversion programs for juvenile offenders. Clinical Psychology Review, 32(1), 26-33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.10.002
Sim, J. (2014). Offender Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Communities: Enabling Change the TC Way. By Alisa Stevens (Routledge, 2013, 215pp. £80.00 hb).CRIMIN, 54(5), 972-975. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azu029
Steinberg, L., & Scott, E. (2010). Should Juvenile Offenders Ever Be Sentenced to Life without the Possibility of Parole?. Human Development, 53(2), 53-54. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000288207
Sykes, B., Gioviano, J., & Piquero, A. (2015). The Art of Rehabilitation: Extracurricular Activities and the Disruption of Intergenerational Incarceration.Palgrave Macmillan UK, 123-143. http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137476821_7
Tsang, S., Piquero, A., & Cauffman, E. (2014). An examination of the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) among male adolescent offenders: An item response theory analysis. Psychological Assessment, 26(4), 1333-1346. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0037500
Ward, T. (2012). Moral strangers or fellow travellers? Contemporary perspectives on offender rehabilitation. Legal And Criminological Psychology, 17(1), 37-40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8333.2011.02040.x
Ward, T., Fox, K., & Garber, M. (2014). Restorative justice, offender rehabilitation and desistance. Restorative Justice, 2(1), 24-42. http://dx.doi.org/10.5235/20504721.2.1.24
Welsh, B., Rocque, M., & Greenwood, P. (2013). Translating research into evidence-based practice in juvenile justice: brand-name programs, meta-analysis, and key issues. J Exp Criminol, 10(2), 207-225. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11292-013-9182-3
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Juveniles in Basic Terms, Handling Juvenile Offenders
Words: 689 Length: 2 Document Type: Research Paper

Juveniles In basic terms, handling juvenile offenders remains the key purpose of juvenile courts. Hence these courts are designed not to punish but to treat and guide. However, though juvenile courts have been in operation for over a hundred years, some juvenile offenders still find themselves being tried in adult courts. The question that arises in this case is; should juvenile offenders go through the same criminal justice system as their

Juvenile Offenders and Possibility of Mentorship Program
Words: 513 Length: 2 Document Type:

Juvenile Offenders, an Intervention Analysis The challenge of juvenile offenders, what prompts them into crime and what factors contribute to the repeat of same misdemeanors that led them to the juvenile prison are issues that have for long attracted protracted discussions and even detailed researches. There has been little attention however given to the possible role of mentor programs in keeping the young people off crime. This research proposal hence looks

Juvenile Offenders' Ability to Understand Their Legal
Words: 1160 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

juvenile offenders' ability to understand their legal rights and one issue related to their ability to participate effectively in their own defense. Ability to understand legal rights: Competency Ability to participate effectively in their own defense: Treating juveniles differently According to U.S. criminal law, part of the right to counsel includes the notion that a defendant must be able to participate in his or her defense (Sandborn 2009: 137). However, schizophrenics, persons

Juvenile Offenders and Juvenile
Words: 11154 Length: 37 Document Type: Capstone Project

Relevance Juvenile offenders and reoffenders are an important problem facing the United States criminal justice system. For more than one hundred years, states held the belief that the juvenile justice system acted as a vehicle to safeguard the public via offering a structure that enables the rehabilitation of children growing into adulthood. States identified the difference of children committing crimes versus adult offenders (Loeber & Farrington, 2012). For example, the states

Juvenile Offenders and Juvenile
Words: 12874 Length: 10 Document Type: Capstone Project

Dugan: Should be on its own page. Juvenile recidivism is a prevalent problem in the criminal justice system. Tackling reoffending remains a complex task requiring several strategies and aims. It involves research, acknowledgement of causes, factors, exploration, and evaluation of subgroups to generate long-term, positive changes in the lives of juvenile offenders. From gang violence to Interactive, Constructive, Active, and Passive (ICAP), researchers discover some of the reasons why juveniles

Juvenile Recidivism Methodology Plan
Words: 919 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Project Methodology PlanSelected Project OptionThe proposed project, which is founded on the social learning theory, seeks to reduce recidivism rates among juveniles released from juvenile detention centers. To realize this goal, the study i) determines the factors influencing the risk of recidivism among juvenile offenders and based on these factors, ii) develops an intervention that could effectively minimize criminal elements and hence, the risk of recidivism. In this regard, the

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now