JUVENILE JUSTICE

Chapter 3 Growth and Development The First 18 Years

INFLUENCES ON CHILD’S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

• Community – Police, Courts, Corrections, Businesses, Church, Gangs, Youth Groups, Neighbors, Civic Groups, Health Care Providers • School – Teachers, Peers, Counselors, Co-curricular Activities • Family – Parents, Siblings, Relatives

INFLUENCES ON CHILD’S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

• JC jurisdiction over youth varies in states according to age: 15 years (3 States), 16 years (10 States) 17 years (38 States, including Hawaii)

What Children need for Healthy Growth and Development

• Choices and challenges: Opportunity to learn, explore and stretch their limits • Healthy and safe surroundings: Feel secure and protected • Independence: Develop own personality and self-confidence-know others have faith in them • Love: Know that they are loved, physically and emotionally • Direction: Know rules and boundaries and consequences for their actions • Respect and recognition: Respected for who they are and praised for their accomplishments • Encouragement: Supported and helped to grow and develop • Nurtured: Attention to their mental and emotional needs as well as nutritional needs

TV VIOLENCE

• Violence On TV leads to aggressive behaviors in children – Children become less sensitive to pain and suffering around them – May be more fearful of world – More likely to behave in aggressive or harmful ways towards others

INDIVIDUAL RISK FACTORS

• Early antisocial behavior • High behavioral activation • Low behavioral inhibitions • Labeling – Self-fulfilling prophecies

CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY

• 11 million children living in poverty (2000) • 55.5% in single parent homes headed by mothers • Very young black and Hispanic children • Economic Deprivation= malnutrition and psychological ills • Homelessness – Depression and mother/child bonding – Developmentally delayed – Behavioral problems • Increased risk of lead poisoning – Increased impulsiveness, restlessness and aggression – Under-weight infants and under-developed

SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN

• Emotionally and Behaviorally Disturbed – Severe aggression, or impulsiveness – Severely withdrawn – Mood swings – Disordered thought process • Attention Deficit Disorder – Heightened motor activity – Short attention span – Impulsiveness – Interferes with learning – Boys with ADHD high-risk for delinquency

SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN

• Alcohol and Drug Exposed – Cognitive problems – Low birth weight – Disabilities in both gross & fine motor control – Decrease in muscle strength – Learning disabilities – Mental Retardation – Language Delays

SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN

• Learning Disabilities – Deficits in Learning abilities – Short attention span – Poor memory – Difficulty following directions – Inadequate ability to distinguish between numbers, letters or sounds – Eye-hand coordination problems – Discipline Problems – High-risk for Drop-out

SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN

• HIV Exposed – Experience deficits in fine and gross motor skills – Reduced flexibility and muscle strength – Cognitive impairment – Learning disabilities – Mental retardation • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) – 1-2/1,000 born in the U.S.

– Abnormal facial features – Growth retardation – Problems with central nervous system • Fetal Alcohol Effect (FAE) – Facial Features look normal, but children experience same problems as FAS

LABELING & SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECIES

• Positive vs Negative communication toward child • Experiments: Brilliant, Average, Below Average • Consequences of Labeling – Self-fulfilling prophesy “you are what you think you are”

ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT

• See Page 83 for details • Early Adolescence (10-12 years) – Physical: Puberty starts (rapid growth), usually starts two years earlier for Girls – Cognitive: Inconsistent thoughts, Shifts from immature to mature thinking – Emotional: Seeks independence, wants control in decision making – Social: Has desire to “fit in” to be well liked, groups form, wants no adult supervision, peer pressure begins

ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT

• Middle Adolescence (13-15 – Physical Development: Puberty continues, boys have growth spurts, Acne and body order, poor eating habits develop, Aware & sensitive of peers’ growth dev.

– Cognitive: Abstract Thinking begins, Problem solving, analytical thinking & writing deficient, Girls begin failing, peer conformity – Emotional: Craves freedom, Good at masking feelings, Intense desire for privacy, increased sexual desires, needs praise – Social: Friendships and romance, realizes other points of view, moral reasoning, development of self concept, meaningful relationships with peers and adults

ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT

• Late Adolescence (16 + years) – Physical: Boys’ growth doubled since 12 yrs. Old, Appetite increased, Eating Disorders may appear – Cognitive: Critical thinking and reasoning, Wants to make own decisions, develop own beliefs, values, career choices, increased peer conformity – Emotional: Personal identity, self esteem continues to dev., decision making, coping skills and problem solving, worries about life, mature friendships, generally strong ties with family – Social: Independence developed and demonstrated, susceptibility to peer pressure declines, cooperation increases, begins forming heterosexual groups, same-sex relationships strengthen, after-school work, social causes

ADOLESCENCE

• Development of Early Offending Behaviors – Lack of family life – Boredom, loneliness – Low attachment to community or school – Deviant peers or peer rejection can influence non-delinquent youth to become delinquent

ADOLESCENCE

• Alcohol and Other Drugs had direct correlation with delinquency • Majority of adolescents coming into JJS had history of substance use • Problems with family, academic difficulties, health and poor peer relations • Juvenile drug use is related to chronic use and violence that continues onto adulthood

ADOLESCENCE

• U.S. has the highest rates of teen pregnancy than other industrialized countries • 4/10 girls get pregnant before age 20 • Teen mothers less likely to complete high school and end up on welfare • Teen births have increased risk of low-birth weight and pre-maturity, mental retardation, poverty, growing-up w/o father • Created a class of poor young women • Evidence of intergenerational transfer of poverty

INFLUENCE OF FAMILY

• Family is the first teacher – Values, Morals and models of behavior – Healthy family life produces high self-esteem, good communication skills, good attitudes towards others and the world – Children in families with high levels of parental efficacy are low risk for delinquency – Inadequate parenting are predictors of antisocial behaviors

INFLUENCE OF FAMILY

Common Values passed on to youth include: Equality Honesty Promise-keeping Respect Responsibility Self-control

INFLUENCE OF FAMILY

Behavioral problems associated with: High-level of parent/child conflict Poor monitoring Low-level of parent involvement Discipline Practices

INFLUENCE OF FAMILY

• Census Bureau Identified 6 Risk Factors for Delinquency – Poverty – Welfare Dependence – Absent Parents – One-parent Families – Unwed mothers – Parents who have not completed High school

Influence of Schools

• Children who succeed in school have greater possibility of succeeding in life • Peer approval and acceptance more important to adolescents than approval of parents or teachers • Truancy is high indicator that child is at risk for delinquent behaviors

Influence of Schools

• Student responses to School Failure – Truancy – Joining Gangs – Dropping-out – Drinking – Doing Drugs – Delinquent Behaviors – Suicide Ideation • Attitudes toward Public Schools – # 1 Lack of Financial Support – # 2 Lack of Discipline

PROBLEMS IN SCHOOLS

• Substance Use – (6-25% under influence of alcohol or marijuana) • Bullying – 8% students reported being bullied (2000) • Crime & Violence – 1.9 million violent or theft in schools (2000) – 59/1,000 in 1993 to 26/1,000 in 2000 • Zero Tolerance – Pre-determined consequences for offenses in schools

STUDENT RIGHTS IN SCHOOLS

• Students have full Constitutional Rights in Schools – Rights against illegal search and seizure – Freedom of Speech – HOWEVER • U.S. SUPREME COURT REQUIRES THAT SCHOOLS ACTIONS IN RESTRICTING STUDENTS’ RIGHTS BE RELATED TO REASONABLE PEDIGOGICAL CONCERNS

STUDENT RIGHTS IN SCHOOLS

– BETHEL SCHOOL DISTRICT #403 V FRASER • Schools and prohibit vulgar language and offensive terms in public discourse (Candidate for Graduation Speaker) – NEW JERSEY VS TLO • Schools can make rules for the administration of the school (US Supreme Court) (Marijuana Dealer)

Influence of the Community

• Community Protective Factors – Healthy communities have financial support – Access to community services & activities – Good community involvement • Community Domain Risk Factors – Disadvantaged or disorganized neighborhoods – Contain delinquent peer groups – Easy access to drugs and weapons

Full-Service Community Schools

• Open seven days a week • Open to students, families and community members • Addresses educational, physical and mental health needs • Financed through the partnership of the school system and one or more community agencies

Full-Service Community Schools

• All (students, families, teachers, college students and faculty, businesses) work together to implement a plan for transforming school into child-centered institution • Health Services: immunizations or dentistry may be provided