Exposure to violence is directly correlated to a child’s inability to trust, and to heightened states of alertness, diminished impulse control and isolation, experts say.
Substance abuse, lack of empathy or concern for others and aggression also contribute, according to the report “Defending Childhood: Protect, Heal, Thrive.”
The report is from the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence.
Children in the juvenile justice system are often viewed as beyond hope and uncontrollable, labeled oppositional, willfully irresponsible or unreachable, according to the task force.
The status quo of correction for children with behavioral issues is more often than not punishment, rather than assessment, screening or trauma-informed care, it finds.
The juvenile justice system in recent years has made an effort to restructure itself and to improve outcomes for children and their communities. However, the task force argues for implementing restorative justice and training to personnel so that they can handle mental health and substance abuse issues among youth.
Studies have shown that 65 percent of girls and 70 percent of boys in detention facilities have been diagnosed with multiple mental health disorders and nearly a quarter of youth in residential placements have attempted suicide.
For many youth, placement in these harsh detention facilities only worsens their problems, triggering memories of past or recent traumatic events, which can bring upon the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, the report says.
Staffs in juvenile justice systems have been found to vary in their willingness to acknowledge the need for mental health and related services, the task force found.
An analysis of data from state agencies responsible for overseeing juvenile detention facilities found that between 2004 and 2007 there were approximately 12,000 documented reports of physical, sexual or emotional abuse by staff members – nearly 10 assaults per day, on average. The actual numbers are likely to be higher than recorded because children are often too afraid to report such abuse, the report adds.
The studies analyzed by the Task Force have shown that there is a profound need for more effective measures of providing rehabilitation to youth who are incarcerated.
The Task Force made several recommendations, including:
Upgrading standards in the juvenile justice system
Abandoning practices that traumatize children
Basing assessments on each child’s needs
Addressing needs of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender) individuals in the juvenile justice system
Implementing policies that keep children in school
Ensuring legal representation to accused children, and
Whenever possible, prosecuting children in the juvenile justice system instead of transferring their cases to adult court.
The Task Force says its recommendations could save hundreds of millions of dollars if implemented on a national scale. In addition, America would no longer be one of the few countries that incarcerate youth at such an alarming rate.