Impacts of Juvenile Treatment on Recidivism
Studies conducted on the impacts of juvenile treatment on recidivism have shown that various types of juvenile treatment have different impacts on the longevity of preventing recidivism. In most of the studies however, juvenile treatment has been found to reduce recidivism in all instances. Different types of juvenile treatment including institutionalized treatment, community involvement and family therapy have different impacts on the durations over which they can prevent recidivism. For instance, Roberts (2014) asserts that family treatments can reduce recidivism for up to one year post treatment. Similarly, institutionalized care and probation are also shown to have different prevention longevities, although Roberts further reports that the prevention duration is not significantly affected by the treatment type. Group treatment strategies have also been found to be effective against recidivism albeit for shorter periods, mostly within six months. While these treatment strategies have a positive impact on the reduction of recidivism, keeping juveniles out of the justice system entirely would require effective community re-entry strategies to be put in place.
Conrad et al (2014), report that female youths who have experienced sexual abuse in the past are more vulnerable recidivism. Similarly, those who have been under drug abuse are also vulnerable to recidivism due to drug related practices. Sexually abused females often experience higher levels of trauma hence are more vulnerable to drug use and abuse; they are also more likely to develop psychopathological behaviors, which increase their tendencies to re-offend. As such, preventing such youths from recidivism not only requires that they be accepted into the society once out of the juvenile justice system but also that they be guided once out for some period of time. This is where probation comes in as a follow up strategy on youths out of the juvenile justice system.
References
Conrad, S.M., Placella, N., Toluo- Shamms, M., Rizzo, C.J. and Brown, L.K. (2014). Gender differences in recidivism rates for juvenile justice youths: The impact of sexual abuse. Law and Human Behavior, 38(4): 305- 314. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4351738/
Roberts, A. (2014). The effect of juvenile offender treatment programs on recidivism: A meta- analysis of 46 studies. Notre Dame Journal of Law, Ethics and Public Policy, 5(2): 421- 441. Retrieved from scholarship.law.nd.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1499&context=ndjlepp