Troubled Teens Resources

Teens at risk for getting lost inside the juvenile justice system are the focus of a new book by Jessica R. Kendall. In this case, teens at risk are identified as those who are starting a pattern of truancy or other misdeeds. They have not progressed so far into crime or addiction that it would merit sending this “status offender” to schools for troubled teens or rehab programs. But, in this author’s mind, failure to adequately address their problems is paving the way for exactly those destinations.

“For hundreds of thousands of youngsters every year, activities such as skipping school or running away can be the first steps of a long descent into deeply troubled adult lives. Yet these youth, known in legal parlance as “status offenders” or “children in need of services,” often get lost between the juvenile justice and child welfare systems.

A new book by Jessica R. Kendall of the American Bar Association’s Center on Children and the Law examines new and innovative approaches for helping at-risk adolescents who are arrested for behaviors that would not be considered crimes if they were adults.

The book, “Families in Need of Critical Assistance: Legislation and Youth Aiding Youth Who Engage in Noncriminal Behavior” is intended to give legislators, policymakers and juvenile justice and social service administrators useful recommendations to prevent adolescents from falling deeper into the justice system.”

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The book examines root causes for juvenile delinquency, describing strategies for early intervention and counseling that encompasses the entire family.