Evidence-Based Treatment Programs to Help Reduce Delinquency - Coursework Example

Several Evidence Based Treatment programs that help reduce delinquency Student’s name Institutional affiliation Introduction Since the nineteen nineties, Youth gangs have been a key source of insecurity in many countries especially in the United States. Juveniles join gangs due to peer influence whereby they engage in drug and substance abuse and some in crime activities like robbery, murder, burning of buildings principally in colleges and schools (Howell, 2010). Efforts to help prevent the acts have in the past two decades been minimal and less effective. Nonetheless, scientists and social behavior researchers’ efforts have gradually bore fruits in discovering most effective Evidence Based Intervention programs. Recent researches have contrasted between programs which work and those which do not work based on peer reviewed evidence. This paper basically seeks to present the various Evidence Based Programs for delinquency, their merits and shortcomings and the predisposing characteristics to criminal acts. Delinquency is mainly an act of crime committed by young people (Henggeler & Schoenwald, 2011). It entails all acts which do not fit in the legal standards or set moral values in the particular society. The age of adulthood onset varies in most countries ranging from fifteen to twenty years (Howell, 2010). Studies have shown that there is an increasing number of young people engaging in serious crimes like murder. This is predicted to increase over time especially due to the emergence of new technology and its increased access by the young. Cyber-Crime and Child trafficking in some instances entails young people as the perpetrators. Intervention mainly entails harmless practices and measures which reveal the destruction done on the juveniles and the community at large .Evidence Based Intervention programs have been found to be effective in curbing such social problems as teen pregnancy, drug and substance abuse, Juvenile delinquency and violence in families for example Gender Based Violence (Underwood et al., 2006). These programs mainly encompass strategies which target the behavioral science of human beings and their social aspect of life. The effectiveness of the programs has over years been proven to be effective through empirical and peer reviewed studies. However, not all Evidence Based Intervention programs are effective among all groups of people; they differ with reference to eh social issue at hand, the demographic nature of the target population and the available resources geared towards the activity. These programs have an array of advantages which entail their ability to have the goodwill of the public especially the particular community under which they are been implemented, its proven effectiveness has placed it at a higher rank in the use of minimal resources as possible, most Donors and well-wishers support and are inclined to funding Evidence Based programs (Howell, 2010). Despite the numerous merits surrounding the Evidence Based Programs, studies have shown that they also have a few shortcomings. Some of the programs are expensive and also most are not well suited for all the needs of most social issues among human beings (Underwood et al., 2006). The success of any program mainly depends on the degree of collaboration and integration among the concerned parties and organizations. The government is also no exception since security matters are a key aspect as far as good leadership is concerned. The various programs are subdivided in various levels. The Evidence Based Treatment programs among juveniles are mainly determined by various characteristics. There are juveniles who have had traumatizing events in their lives such as rape which affect them psychologically. There are those who disorders which have been co-occurring like mental health complications (Underwood et al., 2006). Some indulge in drug abuse with hope to reduce it but end up worsening their conditions and getting addicted to drugs. Difficulties in the environments and families that some juveniles grow in predispose them to crimes. For example there are families who do not show love to their children which may affects their cognitive psychoanalytical development. Low social class may also cause some to indulge in crimes to fit in the society they perceive. The primary Intervention programs These mainly focus on changing the behavior of juveniles. They seek to prevent the onset of delinquency behaviors in youths and any risk factors (Environmental or individual) which predispose them to the acts. One of the programs mainly focuses on building the skills and competencies of the Juveniles. These are subdivided in to Life skills training and Midwestern Prevention Platform. The Life skills training strategy is mainly adopted in schools especially for young juniors engaged in drug and substance abuse (Henggeler & Schoenwald, 2011). The teachers give information about the specific drugs, individual management skills to students and also skills which enhance their positive social interactions amongst themselves or even with their parents and other members of the society. The second project is the Midwestern Prevention whose main target is juniors in sixth and seventh grade. It seeks to cut down the risk of delinquency presumed to be associated with the transition of adolescents. The latter is likely to be influenced mostly by peer influence and identity crises which is evident among adolescents due to the rapid body changes (Greenwood, 2008). This program is not only implemented in schools but also through mass media, community meetings and parent education. It is one of the most effective strategies that has by far been proven to enhance communication between parents and their children. Promotion of Alternative Thinking among students has been established as one of the strategies that help reduce the aggressive behaviors among most Juveniles. The lessons in the strategy mainly encompass elevation of skills to solve personal problems among the juveniles, good interpersonal relations with peers which is likely to reduce misunderstandings that may eventually result to acts of violence (Greenwood, 2008). In addition, it enhances self-control an aspect essential in handling the pressure which comes about with peer influence and curiosity as adolescence stems up. The major and outstanding merit of the program is that it can be adopted and have effective results to both regular juveniles and those with special needs. I Can Problem solve is another strategy which mainly focuses on nursery school children and especially those in poor urban areas. It aims to instill the power to do in children at tender ages. The main distinct feature of the strategy is that the children are sub-divided in small groups of twelve whereby they are taught on how to solve individual problems by use of interpersonal skills (Underwood et al., 2006). It has been proven to enhance the behavior of children in the classroom and homes amongst themselves and also with parents and other members of the society. The intervention programs have not only been designed for students only but also for both parents and students. Iowa strategy which seeks to strengthen families is one of those projects. It comprises of seven sessions distributed in seven weeks whose main aim is to enhance communication in families between parents and their children (Greenwood, 2008). In most instances, especially in the modern era most parents have neglected their duties in ensuring that their children grow up with the best values as expected in the society. In as much as they are not to blame, especially due to the societal demand to perform in all spheres of life, they ought to set out time for their children. If not so, all the burden rests on teachers who cannot effectively instill total discipline on all children. This is because of the rapid growth of population especially in the developing countries which increases teacher student ration. This strategy focuses on handling peer influence a session which incorporates both parents and students. However, the other sessions which entail management of family conflicts which may affect the development and behavior of children, how to positively involve children in family activities and the possible risk factors which predispose children to delinquency acts. The possible solutions to reduce the risk factors are aired out for the parents to adopt which suit them most. There is another program which involves linking both parent training and the skills trained in schools by teachers. It aims at reducing isolation in students and encouraging outdoor social interactions especially on the schoolyard (Greenwood, 2008). It minimizes their ability to be influenced by fellow peers or the urge to indulge in Drug abuse or even crime acts. Model Based Secondary treatment programs The first strategy in these programs entails Multisystemic Therapy. It has an array of target populations such as those with chronic juvenile offences, those who have had suicidal or homicide attempts, those involved in sexual crimes and those who have engaged in drugs abuse. The services in this program are offered in the community under which the juvenile offenders live. The administration of the services at home was adopted essentially to help with the parents of juveniles who did were not comfortable with mental facility administration of the services (Henggeler & Schoenwald, 2011). In addition, they not only enhance the collaboration between service providers and the victims’ guardians but also prove to be effective for families with low income levels. They are geared towards changing the behavior of the victims and increase their level of socialization at home, with peers and other members of the community. The second strategy is Family therapy which encompasses administration of services in a clinical setting. According to Alexander, Pugh & Parsons, (2000) as cited by Underwood et al., (2006). it is comprised of four main level. The first one is the impression which focuses of assessing the nature of the family and the delinquency at hand. The motivation phase entails promotion of behavior change by enhancing problem solving skills. Communication among parents and the victims is also enhanced in order to make the behavior change phase effective. Its target population is mainly juveniles of six to eighteen years. Over years due population growth and globalization, much improvement has been witnessed in the health sector. The juvenile delinquency treatment sector has been no exception in ensuring that the programs cut across cultures and ethnic groups. Multi-dimensional Treatment Adoptive Care is another strategy which focuses on training parents intensively on how to handle the juveniles (Henggeler & Schoenwald, 2011). This is in order to ensure that they are exposed to better care after they leave centers where they are trained by practitioners. It aims at achieving positive relationships among peers, reduction of delinquency acts and attaining ample family relations. Models Deactivation Treatment is a treatment strategy which was invented to mainly cater for juvenile resistant to other Evidence Based Treatments. It targets those who may have suicidal symptoms or may have had such attempts. It incorporates exercises which aim at relaxing the mind of the victims. This helps them to have the zeal for treatment by reducing their mistrust issues and apprehension. According to Apsche & Ward, (2004) as cited by (Underwood et al., (2006). This is the most effective mode of treatment to the particular target population. It has also been proven to reduce such behaviors as fire setting which is a common act of delinquency among college and high school students. Intensive Aftercare strategy is another program implemented principally to assist in incorporating juveniles back to the community after their out of home rehabilitation periods. They help to ease the tension which may otherwise exist between the corrected juveniles and the community in which they committed the criminal acts. They enhance the behaviors of the juveniles and their relationships with families and the community at large (Henggeler & Schoenwald, 2011). It also seeks for new resources such as new games to keep the juveniles busy and also monitors the progress of community interaction with the juveniles. This is because victimization may cause stigma which could trigger the delinquency behaviors they had been corrected for or others. Conclusion It can be summarized that Juvenile Delinquency is a social issue which is rampant in the society. There has been efforts to help curb the effects by conducting research and reviewing the best programs to curb it. This paper has explained the main and empirically proven Evidence Based programs which target the juveniles, parents, teachers and the community at large. Despite the merits of Evidence Based Treatment programs such as their ability to cut across people of different cultural settings and social class, they possess a few shortcomings which nonetheless, can be minimized through more research. The success of the programs requires collaboration among government, not for profit Organizations and the community at large. Constant flow of funds to support the programs would be essential in ensuring that the social vice is curbed. References Greenwood, P. (2008). Prevention and intervention programs for juvenile offenders. The future of Children, 18(2), 185-210. Henggeler, S. W., & Schoenwald, S. K. (2011). Evidence-Based Interventions for Juvenile Offenders and Juvenile Justice Policies that Support Them. Social Policy Report. Volume 25, Number 1. Society for Research in Child Development. Howell, J. C. (2010). Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs. Juvenile Justice Bulletin. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Underwood, L. A., Von Dresner, K. S., & Phillips, A. L. (2006). Community treatment programs for juveniles: A best-evidence summary. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 2(2), 286. Read More

These programs have an array of advantages which entail their ability to have the goodwill of the public especially the particular community under which they are been implemented, its proven effectiveness has placed it at a higher rank in the use of minimal resources as possible, most Donors and well-wishers support and are inclined to funding Evidence Based programs (Howell, 2010). Despite the numerous merits surrounding the Evidence Based Programs, studies have shown that they also have a few shortcomings.

Some of the programs are expensive and also most are not well suited for all the needs of most social issues among human beings (Underwood et al., 2006). The success of any program mainly depends on the degree of collaboration and integration among the concerned parties and organizations. The government is also no exception since security matters are a key aspect as far as good leadership is concerned. The various programs are subdivided in various levels. The Evidence Based Treatment programs among juveniles are mainly determined by various characteristics.

There are juveniles who have had traumatizing events in their lives such as rape which affect them psychologically. There are those who disorders which have been co-occurring like mental health complications (Underwood et al., 2006). Some indulge in drug abuse with hope to reduce it but end up worsening their conditions and getting addicted to drugs. Difficulties in the environments and families that some juveniles grow in predispose them to crimes. For example there are families who do not show love to their children which may affects their cognitive psychoanalytical development.

Low social class may also cause some to indulge in crimes to fit in the society they perceive. The primary Intervention programs These mainly focus on changing the behavior of juveniles. They seek to prevent the onset of delinquency behaviors in youths and any risk factors (Environmental or individual) which predispose them to the acts. One of the programs mainly focuses on building the skills and competencies of the Juveniles. These are subdivided in to Life skills training and Midwestern Prevention Platform.

The Life skills training strategy is mainly adopted in schools especially for young juniors engaged in drug and substance abuse (Henggeler & Schoenwald, 2011). The teachers give information about the specific drugs, individual management skills to students and also skills which enhance their positive social interactions amongst themselves or even with their parents and other members of the society. The second project is the Midwestern Prevention whose main target is juniors in sixth and seventh grade.

It seeks to cut down the risk of delinquency presumed to be associated with the transition of adolescents. The latter is likely to be influenced mostly by peer influence and identity crises which is evident among adolescents due to the rapid body changes (Greenwood, 2008). This program is not only implemented in schools but also through mass media, community meetings and parent education. It is one of the most effective strategies that has by far been proven to enhance communication between parents and their children.

Promotion of Alternative Thinking among students has been established as one of the strategies that help reduce the aggressive behaviors among most Juveniles. The lessons in the strategy mainly encompass elevation of skills to solve personal problems among the juveniles, good interpersonal relations with peers which is likely to reduce misunderstandings that may eventually result to acts of violence (Greenwood, 2008). In addition, it enhances self-control an aspect essential in handling the pressure which comes about with peer influence and curiosity as adolescence stems up.

The major and outstanding merit of the program is that it can be adopted and have effective results to both regular juveniles and those with special needs. I Can Problem solve is another strategy which mainly focuses on nursery school children and especially those in poor urban areas.

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