NCJ Number
68286
Journal
Psychiatric Quarterly Volume: 50 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1978) Pages: 37-43
Date Published
1978
Length
7 pages
Annotation
THE FAMILY COURT SERVICE OF SOUTH BEACH PSYCHIATRIC CENTER FROM STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., EXPLORED CHARACTERISTICS OF ITS PERSONS IN NEED OF SUPERVISION (PINS) CLIENTS IN ORDER TO FORMULATE A PROGRAM FOR CLINICAL INTERVENTION.
Abstract
THE SERVICE'S BASELINE DATA FROM 1975 WERE USED TO COMPARE THE PINS CASES (INVOLVING YOUNGSTERS CHARGED WITH A STATUS OFFENSE) WITH DC (DELINQUENCY CHARGE) CASES (YOUNGSTERS CHARGED WITH AN ACT THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A CRIME IF COMMITTED BY AN ADULT). PINS OFFENDERS WERE INVOLVED IN MORE SERIOUS FAMILY CRISES THAN DC OFFENDERS WHO WERE MORE IN CONFLICT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND REPRESENTED A THREAT TO IT. PINS CRISES MAY INVOLVE ALL MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY EVEN THOUGH THE RESPONDENT IS THE FOCUS OF THE COMPLAINT. THE RECORD CONVEYED AN INTENSITY OF COMMUNICATION WHICH WAS SYMPTOMATIC OF THE CRISIS. MORE OVERT PARENTAL REJECTION APPEARED IN PINS THAN IN DC CASES, AS WAS PREDICTED FROM PINS ALLEGED OFFENSES CONCERNED WITH ACTING OUT AGAINST THE HOME, FAMILY, AND SCHOOL. ALTHOUGH DC CHILDREN HAVE MORE DEVIANT ROLE MODELS (WITH RESPECT TO ACTING OUT AGAINST THE COMMUNITY) THAN PINS CHILDREN, THE PINS FAMILIES SEEM TO BE MORE CONFUSED OVER ROLE EXPECTATIONS. IN 52 PERCENT OF THE PINS CASES AND 92 PERCENT OF THE DC CASES THE RESPONDENTS WERE MALES. FAMILY CONFLICT APPEARS TO BE AS MUCH A PROBLEM FOR GIRLS AS FOR BOYS, WHEREAS ACTING AGAINST THE COMMUNITY IS PRIMARILY A MALE ACTIVITY. THESE DATA SUGGEST THAT THE PINS CASES ARE SUITABLE FOR DIVERTING CASES FROM THE FAMILY COURT. FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS, AND THE COURT BENEFIT FROM THIS APPROACH AS THE FAMILY CAN GET HELP IN RESOLVING THE CRISIS, THE INDIVIDUALS CAN BE SPARED THE STIGMA OF A CRIMINAL RECORD, AND PRECIOUS COURT TIME CAN BE DEVOTED TO HANDLING MORE SERIOUS CASES. A PILOT PROGRAM OF FAMILY-ORIENTED CRISIS INTERVENTION IS PLANNED FOR FAMILY COURT SERVICES PINS CASES. SEVEN REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED.