NCJ Number
149486
Journal
Juvenile and Family Court Journal Volume: 45 Issue: 2 Dated: (1994) Pages: 15-27
Date Published
1994
Length
13 pages
Annotation
A case study of a Southeast Asian refugee youth is used to identify factors associated with his delinquent behavior; implications for intervention and juvenile justice are discussed.
Abstract
Based on the case study, various factors that contribute to maladjustment and delinquency among Southeast Asian refugee youth are identified. Most relate to problems of acculturation. They include role reversal with parents, a lack of shared values and normlessness, lack of parental guidance and redirection, lack of school success, and mental health problems. The case study is again used to show how a proper assessment and culturally appropriate intervention plan can lead to rehabilitation. Some intervention suggestions are the use of interpreters to help put parents back into the parenting role, caution in not reinforcing the child's view of parents, the education of youth and their families about the juvenile system, a proper assessment, the education of youth about their own history, and the interpreter's sharing of his/her own migration history. Other intervention measures are the use and development of community resources, the avoidance of formalized conflict resolution, and the use of victim-offender programs. Tables explain how to use an interpreter effectively and provide questions for the intake of Southeast Asian youth.