Troubled Teens Resources

Teen crisis intervention is required, not only in our communities, but apparently in our country’s juvenile justice system as well. Earlier we posted on problems in Ohio. Another troubling problem plaguing the juvenile justice system is being scrutinized in Texas.

There has been increased concerns about juvenile offenders being subjected to adult justice. Many state adult prisons are not set up to accommodate or work with the many teen offenders that have committed crimes serious enough to necessitate their being tried as an adult, thus landing them in adult prisons ill prepared to undertake their rehabilitation.

In Texas the concern is that their beleaguered juvenile system is being run by inept and possibly corrupt officials coming out of the adult penal system who have little training or expertise with youth offenders.

Teenagers who are cavalier about flouting the law might want to think twice about being incarcerated in a state run facility. Brat camps and other privately run troubled teen schools seem the more promising option for those teen offenders who have the potential for rehabilitation.

“For Texas youths trapped in a dysfunctional correctional system, the question is much broader than one ill-fit administrator. Mr. Perry should insist that TYC officials take more seriously a blue-ribbon panel, which recommends a dramatic transformation built around experts in juvenile justice, not refugees from the adult prison system.”

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Restorative justice has a noble sound to it but it is yet to be seen if yet another hand-holding approach to juvenile delinquency will make much of a dent on teen age drug abuse or crime.

Restorative justice is premised on the idea that a criminal should not be prosecuted by the state, but, instead the state must work with the crtiminal. In addition the criminal, as much as possible, is expected to work directly with those whom they have victimized or harmed.

“The underlying premise is that people are actually happier, more cooperative and more likely to change if those in authority do things with them rather than to them or for them,” says Ted Wachtel, president of the International Institute for Restorative Practices, who brings restorative practices to group homes and schools.

In traditional criminal justice, victims and offenders become passive players in a system dominated by the courts, lawyers and judges. In restorative justice, they take center stage.

“In the process of focusing on the victim, you end up providing a way for the offender to make amends and be re-accepted back into society,” says Mike Gilbert, associate professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio Downtown Campus who teaches a course on restorative justice.”

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Many parents, no doubt, would rather see a gang banger or a chronic drug abuser placed in brat camps where the emotional and behavioral problems that precipitated their crimes be addressed with equal measures of discipline and education. However, claims are that restorative justice has been successful when applied to juvenile offenders for minor crimes.

One method of teen crisis intervention being employed in various cities around the country is teen court. This method of meting out justice has proven successful, often saving a out-of-control teen from offending again and landing in boot camps or schools for troubled teens.

“Teen Court has been a voluntary option for first-time juvenile offenders in Lawrence County for the past 12 years. The biggest benefit Teen Court affords the offender is a second chance, a chance to keep their record clean through successful completion of the Teen Court program and process. If the juvenile offender successfully completes the Teen Court program, their case is dismissed and their juvenile record remains clean.”

It seems peers do not like coming in front of their peers and being judged and such a judgement seems to be a strong factor for later deterrence.

The benefits the program holds for the community are two-fold. One is a focus on restorative justice, coupled with measures to deter first-time offenders from re-offending and, two, a savings to taxpayers. “We are making an impact with youth upon their first arrest. Being judged by their peers sends a strong message that this is not acceptable behavior. It is our goal to deter these first-time offenders, so we don’t see them as second, third or chronic offenders in the system,” said Todd.

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A recent study reveals data about teen age girls that professionals at girls boarding schools or troubled teen boarding schools would most likely agree with. What may surprise some parents of troubled teenagers is that girls appear to be twice as aggressive and combative as teen boys and equal with boys in their drug and alcohol consumption.

“Girls in U.S. juvenile detention centers face different psychological issues than average teen girls and perhaps more severe issues than incarcerated boys.

In a four-state survey, girls were found to be twice as likely as boys to be aggressive, and just as likely as boys to have problems with alcohol or drug use, findings that surprised psychologist Elizabeth Cauffman, who has worked for years with troubled teens in California and Pennsylvania.”

Though in general girls tend to internalize their problems, incarcerated teen girls were more likely to erupt in fights. In addition to marked hostility and aggression, female prisoners experience higher degrees of anxiety, sleeping problems and depression than do boys.

“One helpful change, Cauffman said, would be to evaluate the mental health issues of teens – both male and female – when they enter the correctional system. The Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument, Version 2, which Cauffman used as the evaluation tool for her study, was designed specifically for juvenile offenders and can be administered by staff at juvenile detention centers. The screening flags areas for concern – such as depression, drug use, or aggression – that may require further evaluation by a mental health professional.”

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Teen help via the golf course? Can the gentleman’s game of golf have any interest for teens at risk? Can golf be used as a means of reaching the out of control teen? Can learning the art of golf keep a teen away from the nightmare of teen age drug abuse? Officials in a small town in New York seem to think so.

“Folks in the town of Islip say one way to turn troubled teenagers away from gangs could be with a round of golf.

The game would play a role in a mentoring program being developed to aid children in the Brentwood School District who officials believe are on the verge of joining a gang.

Six youngsters, ages 11 to 14, will be matched with mentors from SUNY Stony Brook, who will take the kids out for lessons and rounds at Islip’s Brentwood Country Club. “

What benefits are there in teaching teen juvenile offenders golf? Proponents of the program claim that the civility inherent in the game will be instructive in and of itself. Also, key to the course is the mentors that come with it.

“The game would play a role in a mentoring program being developed to aid children in the Brentwood School District who officials believe are on the verge of joining a gang.
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“Many of these kids have never been out of their neighborhood. It’s all they know,” said Lopez.

Golf’s relatively slow pace also leaves room for lots of talking between mentors and students, he said.”

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In addition to mentoring, advocates believe that the lessons in sportsmanship as well as exposure to a different perspective on life will go along way towards encouraging troubled teenagers into envisioning new possibilities.

Boot camps, military boarding schools, troubled teen boarding schools, local non-profit teen programs, mentoring; all of these various programs dedicated to teen help achieve success by inculcating in the troubled teen one lesson and giving back a couple gifts.

The lesson comes in teaching the teen how to harness the power of his or her own will by choosing the discipline of commitment, exercised by perseverance.

Independence and self-possession are the gifts. Independence from addiction, independence from the negative influence of popular culture and peer pressure, independence from the dependency of victimhood. And that delivers the troubled teen’s life back into their possession, free to make of it what they will.

And those gifts come by way of the teen committing to do what it takes, no matter what it takes, to gain mastery over their life. The simplest way to learn that is to get a job and develop a work ethic that will hold the teen in good stead the rest of their life. The basics are boring, initially unrewarding, but pave the way to life long habits of success.

Many communities have put together such programs, underwritten by non profits or the business community. Waco, in the story below, is one such town.

“Through the program, teen parents, dropouts, juvenile offenders, homeless youth and others learn fundamental trade skills that will land them high-demand jobs and — for some — a chance at a college education.

Over the course of six weeks, a dozen youths rebuild their lives with little more than self- discipline and simple carpenters’ tools.
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Brandon turned it all around after being accepted into Summer Building Trades…“I was able to see the result (of my bad decisions) and correct things,” he said. “You can’t get a job if you’re behind bars.”
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He recently scored a football scholarship to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and said he’d like to become a teacher or a social worker.”

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A town in California has found an effective means to contribute towards teen crisis intervention by employing a program wherein the fate of fist time teen offenders is placed into the hands of their peers.

“Teen Court is a voluntary program where first-time juvenile offenders who have admitted to committing misdemeanor crimes or infractions are eligible to have a jury of their peers decide their sentences inaccordance with guidelines.

Eligible teens are referred through the probation department or by other means, such as school. Participants range in age from 10 to 18.

Jurors for Teen Court either volunteer, sometimes for school or community-service credit, or are sentenced to serve on the jury after committing crimes.”

The sentences meted out range from community service, to writing letters of apology, a group work project or some type of educational activity. If the teen re-offends, he is thrown back into the normal juvenile offender system.

“If a Teen Court respondent completes their sentence within the time allotted and does not re-offend, they earn a “clean slate” on their record. If they fail the Teen Court program, they are sent back to the referring agency or court for traditional processing.”

The program claims to have accomplished producing a low rate of recidivism, with only 10% of the teens committing additional infractions.

“For kids needing sanction or an intervention, Teen Court’s a very good program. So, we appreciate Teen Court,” he said.”
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Check with your local officials to see if there is a teen court in place in your community.