Juvenile Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Juvenile Justice - Essay Example A result oriented treatment plan consists of: â€Å"screening, assessment, treatment and aftercare protocol† (NASW, 2008). However, public demand for a tough retributive approach to juvenile crime such as the fatal shooting tragedies in schools, can compel the use of high levels of punishment by the justice system, thus undermining the possibilities of improvement in the youth’s delinquency conditions. In contrast to the punitive or correctional approach, treatment programs help offenders to understand the root causes of their misconduct, experience the rewards of positive or prosocial behavior, and assist youth in re-integrating into the family, school and community. Research reveals that recidivism or relapse rates among those delinquent youth who received some type of treatment was found to be 25% less than among untreated control groups. Further, evidence-based best treatment programs reduce recidivism to an extent of 80% (Gendreau & Goggin: 1). Since juvenile offenders are not identical to one another, individualized treatment for each young person works most effectively when certain common features essential for success of treatment programs are included. Behavior modification techniques for improving interpersonal and basic social skills, self-control, anger management, and resistance to substance abuse have been found to reduce recidivism or relapse by as much as 50%. Behavioral modification techniques punish negative behaviors similar to the correctional model, but also reward positive behaviors (Abrams et al: 9). Those treatments which involve longer contact hours with the emotionally disturbed youth achieve better results, and in institutional settings, treatments given by mental health professionals reveal improved outcomes as compared to interventions by corrections staff. Further, individual counseling that directly addresses behavior,