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The Effect Residential Placement has on Juvenile Delinquents

Introduction

During the process of growth nd development, adolescents experience various problems and challenges. Common problems include teen pregnancy, abuse,divorce, and peer acceptance. It is when the adolescent starts to engage in criminal activities that it becomes a great concern. Delinquent behavior is considered to be unlawful acts committed by children or adolescents. Juvenile delinquencies are considered one of the emergent social problems that have emotional, physical, and economic effects on the society .The Mental Health Community has developed a psychiatric diagnosis called Conduct Disorder (CD). This diagnosis applies mostly to adolescents that violate the right of others or society rules by engaging in acts such as physical aggression, theft,truancy,sexual activity and runaways. These are the key factors that determine whether the child should be in placement or not.

Historical Highlights

Residential placements were generally designed to promote children s’ normative development and to reduce impairments such as counteracting their deviant behavior in the society. Residential services are believed by professionals to have the ability to reduce impairment of health and enhance development of a child. In addition, these seek to raise the performance of normal functioning children above normal.

According to Samaha, one out of one hundred and twenty children in the United States will sleep in residential placements every night compared to one out of eighty five in England (78). Statistical evidence indicates that an estimated 200,000 children in the United States and 80,000 in the United Kingdom are placed in various forms of boarding schools (Latessa and Holsinger 112). Further, 10,000 children in UK are in various residential settings provided by child welfare agencies. In the US between 20,000 and 40,000 children are placed in residential settings that cater for their health problems. Then, an estimated 140,000 to 210,000 children pass through the residential settings annually (Weisheit and Culbertson 52).

In the US, children from wealthy backgrounds are usually placed in elite boarding schools. In instances where they have behavioral problems or emotional problems, they are placed in mental health facilities funded by private insurances. Children of low income families with similar social and emotional problems dominate the residential treatment centers and correctional facilities. Juvenile justice, residential treatment and child welfare settings are dominated by children suffering from child physical abuse and neglect, mental disorders and other mental health problems such as anti-social behavior (Burfeind and Bartusch 55).

Impact of the Residential Experience

Residential settings have both long term and short term effects on the children under placement both of which are either positive or negative.The short term positive effects include improvement in the children s’ behavior and reduction in clinical symptoms such as locus of control, self concept and diagnosable psychiatric disorders. In delinquent youth, it decreases in- arrest rates. Further, meta-analytic studies have noted a decrease in cases of rests from the time of intake to discharge time through the use of Teaching family model.

Nonetheless, there has also been negtive impacts associated with the practice. Long term effects of the residential placements are only observable after the children are released from the placement. Psychological studies have undertaken various follow ups and wide ranging psycho therapeutic interventions and noted varied personal and social adjustment problems in a significant number of children released from residential placements. Statistical evidence shows that they constitute 66% of the children released. On the other hand there are no significant effects of treatments in behaviors such criminal activity and quality of life measures.

High IQ and high family stability can be related to the positive effects of residential placement on children initially with low IQ and family instability during the time of intake. Even though the IQ gain against behavioral improvement is reduced, the IQ gain against academics is positive and an imported outcome of the residential placement on children. Improvements on the the ratings of child behavior, scholastic achievement as well as peer relationships are also some noticeable outcome of residential placements measures.

Socioeconomic

Chances of delinquent youth to return to school after release from residential placements have been discouraged. These occur usually in children close to eighteen years of age. Youths that do not complete their secondary education are bound to suffer both social and economic deprivation since it is believed that education is the means of personal improvements, an avenue for opportunity, social class stability and economic mobility. Barriers such as long years of poor educational performance, discipline issues and family or neighborhood debilitation hinders these children from continuing with their education after their release from the residential placements.

These obstacles have enormous economic impacts that are related to dropout from school, underemployment lower standards of living and earning disabilities. Underemployment of those that have not completed school due to residential placements leads to loss of income and taxes and signfiant financial resources is spent in crime control, welfare , health care and other social services ( Samaha 71). There is a greater loss to the GNP for the expenses related to crime and its control.The effects of dropping out of school predispose people to economic disadvantages due to poverty level,wages without benefits and lower lifetime earnings (Siegel and Welsh 37)

Conclusion.

Only small majority of children experience life in residential placements but most of them are exposed to risks such as behavioral and mental health problems due to maltreatment. There exists some short term short term improvement in development and are sustained in long term in few cases. The direct and indirect economic losses that are associated with placements are also immense.

Works Cited

Burfeind James and Bartusch Dawn. Juvenile Delinquency: An Integrated Approach. USA: Jones & Barlett Publishers, 2010. Print.

Latessa Edward and Holsinger Alexander. Correctional Contexts: Contemporary and Classical Readings. Oxford: University Press, 2010. Print.

Samaha, Joel. Criminal Law. USA: Wadsworth Publishing, 2010. Print.

Siegel, Larry and Welsh, Brandon. Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice and Law. USA: Wadsworth Publishing, 2008. Print.

Weisheit, Ralph and Culbertson, Robert. Juvenile Delinquency: A Justice Perspective. USA: Waveland Press, 1999. Print.