Perpetrator and Victim: Understanding and Managing the Traumatized Young Offender

• NCJ Number: 170505
• Journal: Corrections Management Quarterly Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1998) Pages: 35-44
• Author(s): R A McMackin; C Morrissey; E Newman; B Erwin; M Daly
• Date Published: 1998
• Length: 10 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This article explores the developmental effects of trauma exposure as a correlate of delinquency.

Abstract

Juvenile offenders are being committed to correctional facilities for more and more serious crimes, and recidivism seems almost inevitable. In response, many systems are becoming more punitive and less focused on rehabilitation. This article explores the developmental effects of trauma exposure as a correlate of delinquency. It reviews relevant theory and research and describes the practical implications for correctional services in rehabilitating and managing young offenders who have experienced trauma. The article discusses Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), its symptoms, assessment and treatment, its relationship to delinquency, and how to manage delinquents with PTSD. After conduct disorder, PTSD may represent the most frequently occurring diagnosis within a delinquent population. Exposure to trauma and the subsequent development of symptoms associated with PTSD should be a major concern for all criminal justice professionals who work with delinquent youth. References