NCJ Number
169049
Date Published
1998
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This chapter describes new findings regarding treatment for the most recalcitrant juvenile offenders, with suggestions for integration with other emerging treatment modalities.
Abstract
The chapter outlines the ways in which violent conditions inflicted upon youth interact with other societal and individual factors to perpetuate adolescent involvement in crime, and the implications of those interactions for treatment of youthful offenders. For youth who have committed only minor offenses, some form of diversion program (e.g., youth service or job training) to prevent the development of more serious delinquent behavior is preferable to incarceration. Many States have adopted an approach that allows for a graduated program of increasingly severe sanctions depending on the nature of the offense, the individual's criminal history, and other risk factors relevant to escalating delinquency behavior. A program of multisystemic therapy has had short- and long-term success in reducing antisocial and violent behavior in youth. The chapter discusses integration of multisystemic and phase-oriented treatment approaches. References