NCJ Number
181064
Editor(s)
Alan M. Blankstein,
Lyndal M. Bullock
Date Published
1999
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Returning to the painful memories of the past is the first of four steps used by the Bethesda Family Services Foundation to help troubled youth break free from the hurt-hate-harm cycle.
Abstract
Every juvenile offender has a history of pain, often dating back to his or her earliest years. This pain is most often associated with the relational breakdown of the family. Failed relationships among family members during the formative years have a profound effect on the subsequent behavior of children and adolescents. According to a 1993 study, two of the primary individual risk factors for violent behavior are a personal history of victimization and direct behavior models such as parents and family members. Traumatic events experienced by children are etched into the victim's memory and often have a life-changing effect on the victim's world view of relationships. The hurt-hate-harm cycle of trauma is evidenced by the victim's inability to control his or her behavior, especially during crisis situations. To help troubled youth, the Bethesda Family Services Foundation recommends four steps in treatment: admission and grieving, confrontation and disclosure, forgiveness and reconciliation, and restoration and healing. Specific treatment procedures associated with these steps are described. 3 references and 1 figure