Law Enforcement Behavioral Modification Programs for Juveniles - Essay Example

The Psychological Effects of Law Enforcement Behavioral Modification Programs for Juveniles Problem, Significance & Purpose The R.E.A.D.Y program is a type of behavior modification program that was created to direct juveniles from juvenile detention centers and adult facilities, even if they have had problems with the criminal system. They recognized that a program to assist juveniles other than the juvenile system might help them differentiate any behaviors that may contribute to what appears to be delinquency and to change the juvenile’s negative path rather than sending them directly into the juvenile system. This appears to be a good approach to helping juveniles knowing that “detention can be very traumatic event in a child’s life. Study suggests that the child’s self-esteem may be damaged in the detention setting, where they are subject to strip searches, institutional clothing, and dictated routines (McShane & Williams, 2003). Research has demonstrated that properly implemented alternatives to detention are considerably less costly than secure confinement and youths placed in alternatives make their offenses while they are living at home (or in the community) awaiting the final disposition of their cases. In fact, well-designed alternatives can actually reduce failures to appear and pretrial crimes, because youth involved in these programs are in greater contact with court personnel in the pre-adjudication period (Krisberg, 2005). In February 2010, Hook featured the R.E.A.D.Y. program, inclusive of some of the stories that the team experienced in the sessions. In Hook’s (2010) article, the different activities done inside the jail were also carried out and the program officers showed toughness and strictness. Most of the parents intentionally brought in their misbehaving children, hoping for some changes, and based on the number of teens that were brought in, only 1.1% of them were truly arrested. Given the relatively sensitive issue of juveniles being sent to real jail, and the possible negative psychological damages that may be brought about by some legislations it is undeniable then, that alternative behavioral programs like the R.E.A.D.Y program be implemented and assessed soundly to prevent the youth from committing any crime. Moreover, it is imperative that the communities to which the adolescents belong to provide a healthy environment that nurtures a positive behavior through assisting those who enter into the program to make better choices, consequently deterring negative behavior. Initial Review of Literature The US Department of Health and Human Services [USDHHS] (2008) estimated in 2006 that more than 900,000 children were either neglected or abused. The abuse which may be obvious and the neglect that these children experience have consequences on the child’s everyday life and will be evident as they grow older. The consequences may be physical, societal, behavioral, and psychological; among which psychological consequences pose the most risky behavior (National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2001). Intertwined with the psychological consequence is the manifestation of the behavioral consequences, and this includes juvenile delinquency (USDHHS, 2008). Statistically, it has been found that abuse or neglected children were 11 times more likely to become juvenile offenders and more around 3 times more likely to be arrested for crimes either as a juvenile or as an adult (English, Widom & Brandford, 2004). Finley (2007) presented more specific data on the gender and frequency of juveniles, emphasizing that the age group of 12 to 19 has the highest risk of being victims. During the early 2000, black juvenile females had the highest rate of homicide. Juvenile males have more tendencies to join gangs compared to females, and this involvement in such groups expose them to either be the danger or receive the violence (Chesney-Lind & Shelden, 1998). Adolescence is generally recognized as a stage every individual goes through and is considered a transgression stage where they are not necessarily vindicated of an offense. Studies have been done to provide background and better understanding of the decision-making capacity of adolescents (Jacobs & Klaczynski, 2005). The behavior of adolescents, when committing juvenile offenses apparently are not a matter of choice, but more of the necessity to act on the situation and expose themselves to more risky consequences that may lead to violence (Belenko & Logan, 2003). Juvenile offenses have been found to have occurred when the offender is very emotional and has lost logic, these may be during moments of extreme loneliness, anxiety, anger or in most cases, under the influence of drugs and alcohol (Grisso, 1996). Pick-pocketing, stealing in grocery stores, shop-lifting and involvement in street fights may appear to be an unruly behavior to the society. However, when the person committing such an act is an adolescent, the community’s laws and policies will have to be significantly considered before any sanctions on the violation can be made (Hoge, 2001). This implies that the same criminal offense may be viewed and sanctioned differently in different jurisdictions, and this is an extension of the designation whether an act is criminal or not since the offender’s age is also being considered during investigations (Hoge, 2001). Some researchers have shown that adolescents between ages 15 to 17 are generally not different from adults in terms of reasoning and decision-making, which is why some legislators opt to put mid-adolescent juvenile offenders to adult trial courts (Grisso, 1996). This existing variation which has caused many confusions and complications has led to development of programs across the United States that will prevent the tendency for delinquency. Richland County Sheriff’s Department is one of the many participating institutions that aim to help juvenile delinquents or those that may be starting to manifest delinquency. They came up with a program called “Richland County, Educating, and Deterring Youth” (R.E.A.D.Y.) which was introduced in 2008 and targeted at students displaying behavioral problems. Parents referred troubled teens to the Sheriffs Department and were toured around the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center and the Richland County Coroner’s Office to provide a “reality check” into what may lie ahead of them if their behaviors are not changed. The program was geared toward students between the ages of 12 and 16 years where among the activities included an overnight stay inside a jail cell with the full consent of the parents. Youth who participate in the program are monitored for the duration of the entire evening by Richland County Deputies. When the program comes to its end, enrolled teens are encouraged to talk about their experiences and share their insight as to what changes they need to implement in their behavior in order to avoid an actual life in the jail cell when they reach adulthood. Moreover, a mentor id assigned to the individuals that go through the R.E.A.D.Y. program for one year fragment as a tool for evaluation (Lott, 2010). The experiences of the participants in the R.E.A.D.Y. program could either be shocking and cathartic, consequences of which may be either positive or negative. Therefore, it is of great significance that these individuals can be properly assessed and monitored to determine the efficiency of the R.E.A.D.Y. program in preventing juvenile delinquency. Research Questions The proposed study is concerned with the following research questions: 1. What are the psychological effects of alternative behavioral modification programs such as the R.E.A.D.Y. program on juvenile offenders? 2. How effective is the R.E.A.D.Y. program in deterring juveniles from making criminal decisions that could lead to juvenile detention centers or adult facilities? 3. How can behavior modification programs be improved in order to better serve the needs of juvenile offenders? Identification of Keywords This study focuses on the psychological effects of behavioral modification programs on juvenile offenders. All throughout the course of the discussion of the study, the following terms will be used for proper understanding and guidance: Adolescence is the stage between childhood and adulthood which is accompanied by physical, emotional, psychological, l and social changes that completes the development of a person to a mature individual (Geldard & Geldard, 2004). Juvenile offender refers to adolescents not more than 18 years of age who have committed criminal acts and are the beneficiaries of alternative programs of the juvenile justice system (McShane & Williams, 2003). Juvenile delinquency refers to “participation to an illegal behavior by a minor who falls under the statutory age limits” (Siegel, 2009, p. 12). Behavioral modification programs refers to approaches to juvenile offending which involves the use of positive and negative reinforcement and with the aim of altering the conduct of the troubled adolescent (“Behavior Modification”, 2009). R.E.A.D.Y. Program refers to a type of behavior modification program created to change a troubled adolescent’s physical, emotional, and social life (Lott, 2010). Timeline Goals At this current time, my timeline goal for completion of the eight dissertation modules is 24 months, and this is due to my methodology approach. I have received written permission from the Sheriff to utilize the R.E.A.D.Y Program, but my primary problem is going to be with gathering all the information for the program and making contact with the director of the program. References Author Unknown. “Behavior Modification” (2009). Retrieved from http://www.articlesbase.com/motivational-articles/behavior-modification-1456069.html Belenko, S., T.K. Logan (2003). Delivering more effective treatment to adolescents: Improving the juvenile drug court model. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 5(3), 189 – 211. doi: 10.1016/S0740-5472(03)00123-5 Chesney-Lind, M., Shelden, R. G. (1998). “a [abstract] Retrieved from http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=183683 Dulcan, M. K (2010). Dulcan’s Textbook of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Arlington VA: American Psychiatric Publishing Inc. English, D.J., Widom, C.S., Brandford, C. (2004). Another look at the effects of child abuse. NIJ Journal, 251. 23 - 24 Finley, L.L. (ed.) (2007). Encyclopedia of Juvenile Violence. Greenwood Press: Westport CT Geldard, K, D. Geldard (2004). Counselling Adolescents: The Pro-Active Approach. Sage Publications Ltd: London Grisso, T (1996). “Society’s Retributive Response to Juvenile Violence: A Developmental Perspective”. Law and Human Behavior, 20 (3): 229 – 247. Hoge, R.D. (2001). The Juvenile Offender: Theory, Research and Applications. Kluwer Academic Publishers: Norwell MA Hoge, R.D., Guerra, N., Boxer, P. (2008). Treating the Juvenile Offender. The Guilford Press: New York NY. Hook, J.R. “Fed up? Lock ‘Em Up!” In Columbia Star. February 26, 2010. Retrieved from http://www.thecolumbiastar.com/news/2010-02-26/Front_Page/Fed_up_Lock_em_up_001.html Jacobs, J.E., Klaczynski, P.A. (2005). The Development of Judgment and Decision Making in Children and Adolescents. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Krisberg, B. (2005). Juvenile Justice: Redeeming our Children. Sage Publications Inc.: Thousand Oaks, CA. Lott, L (2010). State of the County Address. Retrieved from: http://www.rcsd.net/state_of_the_county_address.pdf McShane, M.D., Williams, F.P. (2003). Encyclopedia of Juvenile Justice. Sage Publications Inc.: Thousand Oaks CA National Research Council and Institute of Medicine (2001). Juvenile Crime, Juvenile Justice. Joan McCord, Cathy Spatz Widom and Nancy A. Crowell (eds). National Academy Press: Washington, DC. Siegel, L.J., Welsh, B.C. (2009). Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice and Law. Wadsworth Cengage Learning: Belmont CA. US Department of Health and Human Services (2008). Long-term Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect. Retrieved from http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/long_term_consequences.cfm Read More