Reference no: EM133471668

Discussion

Within the past decade, reliance on the juvenile justice system to meet the needs of juvenile offenders with mental health concerns has increased. Due to this tendency, research has been conducted on the effectiveness of various intervention and treatment programs/approaches with varied success. Recent literature suggests that because of interrelated problems involved for youth in the juvenile justice system with mental health issues, a dynamic system of care that extends beyond mere treatment within the juvenile justice system is the most promising.

In contrast, community-based alternatives have been found to decrease re-offending, even for youth who commit serious and violent crimes. However, instead of focusing on community-based provision of services, an increased reliance on youth corrections systems to care for the mental health or other specialized needs of youth offenders has developed. The prevalence rate of youth with mental disorders within the juvenile justice system is found to be consistently higher than those within the general population of adolescents.

Numerous comprehensive studies have indicated that there are certain types of mental disorders common among youth offenders, and that some of the symptoms increase youths risk of engaging in aggressive behaviors. Additionally, risk of aggression is increased for many specific disorders and comorbid disorders because the emotional symptoms (i.e., anger) and self-regulatory symptoms (impulsivity) tend to increase the risk. Heilbrun, Lee, and Cottle (2005) indicate that understanding the link between mental health difficulties and youthful offending is important in considering treatment response, as there is growing evidence that mental health difficulties are linked directly and indirectly to later offending behavior and delinquency.

What are your thoughts?