A Classification of High-Risk Youths (original) (raw)
Related papers
Psychiatric Symptoms and Substance Use Among Juvenile Offenders: A Latent Profile Investigation
Criminal Justice and Behavior, 2007
The high rate of co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems among antisocial and delinquent youth is a widely recognized problem in the juvenile justice system. Yet few studies have delineated meaningful clinical distinctions in the characteristics of offenders with co-occurring problems. Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups of juvenile offenders based on clinically relevant measures of psychiatric symptoms (including past traumatic experiences), lifetime substance use, and drug-and alcohol-related problems stemming from the use of psychoactive substances in a statewide population (n = 723). Findings revealed that a four-class solution fit the data optimally. The four classes identified represented a severity-based gradient of symptom and substance use endorsement ranging from a mild subgroup (n = 195; 27.0%), to moderately low (n = 250; 34.6%) and high (n = 197; 27.2%) subgroups, and finally, a severely distressed subgroup (n = 81; 11.2%). Implications for identifying and treating young offenders with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems are noted.
… Center for Mental Health and Juvenile Justice, 2003
On any given day, over 100,000 youth are held in custody in juvenile justice facilities across the country, either awaiting trial in detention centers or having been placed in residential facilities after being convicted of delinquencies. A growing body of research suggests that most of these youth meet criteria for at least one mental disorder, and that at least one out of every five have what is considered to be a serious mental disorder often coupled with a co-occurring substance use disorder. Essential to responding to a youth's mental, emotional, and substance use problem is the identification of their problem. Detecting potential mental health and substance use disorders among youth requires reliable and valid screening and assessment instruments, and information on how best to implement the available instruments. This Research and Program Brief is designed to provide clinicians and other professionals working with youth in the juvenile justice system with information about the most effective instruments to use to screen and assess for mental health and substance use disorders among youth at various points in the juvenile justice system. (Contains 10 references.) (GCP) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
A national survey of substance abuse treatment for juvenile offenders
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 2007
Despite consensus about the value of substance abuse treatment for delinquent youth, information about its prevalence and availability is inadequate and inconsistent. This paper presents findings about treatment and other correctional service provision from a national survey of directors of 141 juvenile institutional and community corrections facilities. Educational/GED programming and drug and alcohol education were the most prevalent types of correctional and substance abuse services. Other common services included physical health services and mental health assessment, provided to about 60% of youth across facilities, and mental health counseling, life and communication skills, and anger management, provided to about half the youth. Substance abuse treatment, as with most other services, were more prevalent in large, state-funded residential facilities (where 66% provided treatment), than local detention centers (20%) and community corrections facilities (56%). More detailed data showed that the number of youth attending treatment in all types of facilities on any given day was very low.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2010
Few measures exist to assess risky behaviors and consequences as they relate to substance use in juvenile delinquents. This study sought to validate such a measure on a racially and ethnically diverse sample (N = 175). Results indicate that alcohol-related risky behaviors and consequences comprise a single scale as do marijuana-related risky behaviors and consequences. Furthermore, results suggest that the retention of common items for both scales produces reliable and valid scales and maintains parsimony. Internal consistencies were more than adequate (0.72 -0.83) and test-retest stabilities, even across several months were acceptable (0.52 -0.50). The scales evidenced a high degree of concurrent and predictive incremental validity in predicting conduct disorder, dependence symptoms, and consumption patterns. Researchers can use these scales to measure a generalized construct tapping risks and consequences as related to alcohol and marijuana use. Ease of use may make these scales appealing to clinicians who can provide feedback to clients regarding risky behaviors involving alcohol and marijuana.
Youth Drug Offenders: An Examination of Criminogenic Risk and Juvenile Recidivism
Corrections, 2016
Understanding the criminogenic risk factors and treatment needs of juvenile drug offenders is important because of the myriad negative outcomes that befall juveniles that are involved in drugs. A widely used juvenile risk assessment tool, the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) was utilized to explore criminogenic risk factors and treatment needs to predict recidivism. Demographic differences between drug and nondrug offenders were also examined. Results suggested that of the eight YLS/CMI domains, the substance abuse domain was not predictive of recidivism for juvenile drug offenders. However, peer relationships and attitudes significantly predicted future recidivism, suggesting that case planners should pay particular attention to these domains when designing a treatment plan for this group. Cox Regression Hazard Modeling was also used to estimate risk for recidivism among juvenile drug offenders as compared to other juvenile offenders. Results revealed that while juvenile drug offenders had a significantly higher score for substance use, they were not more likely to recidivate than nondrug offenders. Implications are discussed.
Intensive interventions with high-risk youths: Promising approaches in juvenile probation and parole
Journal of Criminal Justice, 1993
The development of a joint public/private cooperative program involving Amity an Arizona nonprofit agency specializing in' substance abuse Services and the Arizona Department of Corrections is described. The Amity model addresses the multiple factors of chronic adolescent substance abusers who have committed crimes. The traditional adult-oriented therapeutic community modality has been modified for work with adolescent delinquents. The principles and operational components of the model are summarized.
Middle East Current Psychiatry, 2012
Psychometric analyses were conducted using the Addiction Severity Index, the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and The Adolescent and Adult Psychological State Inventory. Results Of the juvenile delinquents, 28% were found to be using nicotine, 22% were using cannabis, and 24% were using polysubstances. They expressed more symptoms of adjustment disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, attention deficiency hyperactivity disorder, and conduct disorder, and the difference was statistically significant between cases and controls. There were statistically significant differences between cases and controls as regards all the personality dimensions, including extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism. In all, 25% of juvenile delinquents suffered from moderate to severe problems with regard to employment, legal, psychiatric, and social problems, as assessed by the Addiction Severity Index. There were statistically significant differences between male and female delinquents as regards employment, psychiatric, and social problems as assessed by the Addiction Severity Index. Conclusion Community and correctional systems must be established to provide psychiatric services to the youth, as juvenile delinquents with psychiatric disorders pose a challenge for the juvenile justice system and, after their release, for the larger mental health system.
74: Prevalence of Substance Use Among Detained Youth: A Midwestern Experience
Journal of Adolescent Health, 2008
referred to as an "established risk factor for [substance] abuse onset" (see Chassin et al., 2003; Ellickson, et al., 2004). Effective encouragement of adolescents to alter their peer group to include less substance-involved peers has proved to be a difficult task for treatment providers (Brown, 1993). However, programs that are able to manage this change have been found to reduce drug use and relapse (Mallams et al., 1982; Godley et al., 2002). The purpose of the present study was to examine the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of adolescents who modified peer group affiliation following an index episode of treatment. Methods: Secondary analysis of data from the Adolescent Treatment Models (ATM, 2002) initiative, a national, multi-site evaluation of adolescents (14-21) in substance abuse treatment. Peer group affiliation was assessed using the Social Environmental Risk Index (SERI) (alpha ϭ 0.79), a measure of exposure to drug-using peers. The SERI is derived from The Global Assessment of Individual Needs (GAIN), a multidimensional, semistructured interview administered to participants. Participants who reduced their involvement with drug-using peers at 3 months following treatment admission were classified as "SERI Decreasers (SERI-D)" (N ϭ 545, 62.1%). Adolescents who increased involvement with drug-using peers over this time period were classified as "SERI Increasers" (N ϭ 260, 29.6%). Adolescents with no change in peer group affiliation (N ϭ 73, 8.3%) were excluded from analyses. Results: SERI-D had more baseline involvement with drug using peers, substance problems, crime involvement, conduct problems, emotional problems, and treatment motivation (all ps Ͻ 0.03). They were more likely to be female (p ϭ 0.010) and non-Hispanic (p ϭ 0.047). They did not differ on age or baseline levels of general mental distress, traumatic stress, or treatment resistance (all p Ͼ 0.1). SERI-D still had significantly more substance problems than SERII 3 months after baseline (p Ͻ 0.001), but not by 12 months (p ϭ 0.29). By 12 months post-treatment admission, 55.1% of SERI-D had returned to or exceeded their 3-month level of involvement with substance-using peers, including 24.4% who returned to or exceeded their baseline level. Conclusions: These data suggest that treatment does tend to lead to positive changes in peer groups, but that these changes are not permanent and do not seem to be connected to reductions in substance problems. Males and Hispanics were particularly resistant to changing to peer groups with less drug use. Research into this area may lead to understanding the forces driving this resistance and thus improve treatment outcomes. Sources of Support: None.