Be Still and You Will Know: A Mixed-Method Study on Solitude and Consideration of Future Consequences Among Youth in Rehabilitation.

Although solitude is found to be undesirable to many, systematic practice of it can yield positive psychological outcomes. This mixed-method study explored the process and influence of solitude as a behavioral intervention among youths in a therapeutic community in Hong Kong. Qualitative interviews with 43 youths (67.4% male, mean age = 18.3) revealed that solitude facilitated growth in their sense of personal responsibility, increased perspective-taking, increased respect for rules, change in life attitudes, and growth in consideration of future consequences. A two-wave prospective study (n = 79, 82.3% male, mean age = 17.4) further demonstrated perceived meaningfulness in solitude predicted an increase in consideration of future consequences, but not in other types of behavioral intervention. This study preliminarily demonstrated solitude has beneficial outcomes among high-risk youths, and meaning-making can facilitate this relationship.

Diferencias de personalidad entre adolescentes infractores en Brasil y España evaluadas con el Jesness Inventory Revised / Personality differences between Brazilian and Spanish adolescent’ offenders, assessed with the Jesness Inventory Revised

En delincuencia juvenil, algunos aspectos de la personalidad tienen un peso importante en la probabilidad de realizar conductas antisociales. Poresto, integrarlos al trabajo con esta población permite hacer las intervenciones más sensibles a las características de los jóvenes y, por ello, másefectivas. Como las estructuras de muchos sistemas de atención de la delincuencia juvenil tienen objetivos socioeducativos semejantes, los estudiostransculturales/comparativos son pertinentes para explorar este problema. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar grupos de adolescentes de Brasily España, infractores y no infractores, con respecto a aspectos de personalidad. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 210 adolescentes varones con unaedad media de 17.7 años. Estos jóvenes respondieron al Jesness Inventory – Revised (JI-R), una herramienta que mide el funcionamiento psicológicoen el contexto de justicia juvenil. Las puntuaciones directas en el JI-R fueron comparadas por análisis de varianza (ANOVA) y el tamaño de efecto fuecalculado con la d de Cohen. Los resultados muestran que, entre los grupos de infractores, la muestra de adolescentes brasileños presenta nivelesmás elevados en Valores Subculturales y Ansiedad Social. Como se hipotetizaba, los grupos de infractores no son tan distintos entre sí, en especial alo que se refiere a la orientación antisocial, lo que suma evidencia a que adolescentes que se desarrollan en culturas distintas comparten variables depersonalidad asociadas al comportamiento delictivo. (AU)

In juvenile delinquency, some aspects of the personality have an important role in the probability of engagement in antisocial behaviors. For this reason, integrating themto the work with this population makes it possible to propose interventions more sensitive to the characteristics of young people and, therefore,more effective. As the structures of many juvenile delinquency care systems have similar socio-educational objectives, cross-cultural / comparativestudies are pertinent to explore this problem. The aim of this study was to compare groups of adolescents from Brazil and Spain, offenders andnon-offenders, regarding aspects of personality. The sample consisted of 210 male adolescents, with a mean age of 17.7 years. These young peopleresponded to the Jesness Inventory - Revised (JI-R), a tool that measures psychological functioning in the context of juvenile justice. The raw scoreson the JI-R were compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the effect size was calculated with Cohen’s d. The results show that, among thegroups of offenders, the sample of Brazilian adolescents presents higher levels in Value Orientation and Social Anxiety. As hypothesized, the groupsof offenders are not so different from each other, especially with regard to antisocial orientation, which adds evidence that adolescents who grow upin different cultures share personality variables associated with criminal behavior. (AU)

A criação de institutos disciplinares: uma análise histórica / Creation of juvenile detention facilities: a historical analysis / La creación de institutos disciplinares: un análisis Histórico

Neste estudo objetivamos compreender as origens do Instituto Disciplinar de São Paulo, estabelecimento criado no início do período republicano, que atendia adolescentes ditos "delinquentes". Para isso, analisamos documentos históricos e as obras Classificação dos criminosos: introdução ao estudo do direito penal (1925) e Os menores delinquentes e o seu tratamento no Estado de São Paulo (1909), ambas de autoria de Candido Naziazeno Nogueira da Motta (1870-1942), jurista que apresentou o projeto de criação do primeiro Instituto Disciplinar do estado de São Paulo. Concluímos que a Escola Positiva de Direito Penal, exerceu grande influência na criação de Institutos Disciplinares no Brasil e que a predileção histórica do Estado brasileiro, em geral, pelo isolamento social ou aprisionamento como solução para o problema da delinquência juvenil demonstra que o ideário da higiene social ainda permanece na execução das políticas públicas voltadas aos jovens que atualmente denominamos em conflito com a lei. (AU)

This study aimed to understand the origins of Juvenile Detention Center of São Paulo, establishment created at the beginning of the republican period, which served so-called "delinquent" teenagers. For this, we analyzed historical documents and the works Classificação dos criminosos: introdução ao estudo do direito penal (1925) and Os menores delinquentes e o seu tratamento no Estado de São Paulo (1909), both by Candido Naziazeno Nogueira da Motta (1870-1942), jurist who presented the project to create the first Juvenile Detention Center in the state of São Paulo. We conclude that the Positive School of Criminal Law had a great influence on the creation of Juvenile Detention Centers in Brazil and that the historical predilection of the Brazilian State, in general, for social isolation or imprisonment as a solution to juvenile delinquency demonstrates that the ideal of social hygiene still remains in the execution of public policies aimed at young people that are currently in conflict with the law. (AU)

En este estudio se tuvo por objetivo comprender los orígenes de lo Instituto Disciplinar de São Paulo, establecimiento creado en el inicio del período republicano, que atendía adolescentes dichos "delincuentes". Para eso, analizamos documentos históricos y las obras Classificação dos criminosos: introdução ao estudo do direito penal (Clasificación de los criminales: introducción al estudio del derecho penal ) y Os menores delinquentes e o seu tratamento no Estado de São Paulo (1909), (Los menores delincuentes y su tratamiento en el Estado de São Paulo) (1925) ambas de autoría de Candido Naziazeno Nogueira da Motta (1870-1942), jurista que presentó el proyecto de creación del primer Instituto Disciplinar del estado de São Paulo. Concluimos que la Escola Positiva de Derecho Penal, ejerció gran influencia en la creación de Institutos Disciplinares en Brasil y que la predilección histórica del Estado brasileño, en general, por el aislamiento social o aprisionamiento como solución para el problema de la delincuencia juvenil apunta que el ideario de la higiene social aún permanece en la ejecución de las políticas públicas volcadas a los jóvenes que actualmente se denomina en conflicto con la ley. (AU)

Projetos de vida de jovens egressos de medidas socioeducativas / Proyectos de vida de jóvenes egresos de medidas socioeducativas / Life projects of teenagers egressing from socio-educational measures

Resumo O objetivo deste artigo é analisar as contribuições dos programas de acompanhamento aos egressos de medida socioeducativa de internação para a construção do projeto de vida. Foi realizada uma pesquisa com nove jovens egressos em dois estados: Bahia e Rio Grande do Sul. Utilizou-se uma entrevista aberta individual e os dados foram analisados através da Análise Temática de Conteúdo, obtendo-se a posteriori as classes: Sentidos sobre a participação nos programas de acompanhamento aos egressos de MSE e Projetos de vida dos jovens. Identificou-se que os jovens elaboram sentidos positivos sobre a participação nos programas, considerando-os como possibilidade para mudar de vida, diferenciando-se do cumprimento da medida socioeducativa por não possuir uma dimensão sancionatória. Conclui-se que a participação nos programas de acompanhamento aos egressos de MSE representa a possibilidade dos jovens contarem com o auxílio das equipes técnicas para pensarem em seus planos para o futuro e adquirir os elementos necessários para efetivá-los.

Resumen El objetivo de este artículo es analizar las contribuciones de los programas de acompañamiento a los egresados de medida socioeducativa de internación para la construcción del proyecto de vida. Se realizó una investigación con nueve jóvenes en dos estados: Bahía e Rio Grande do Sul. Se utilizó una entrevista abierta individual y los datos fueron analizados a través del Análisis Temático de Contenido, obteniéndose, a posteriori, las clases: Sentidos sobre la participación en los programas de acompañamiento a los egresados ​​del MSE; y Proyectos de vida de los jóvenes. Se identificó que los jóvenes elaboran sentidos positivos sobre la participación en los programas, considerándolos como posibilidad para cambiar de vida, diferenciándose del cumplimiento de una medida socioeducativa por no tener una dimensión sancionadora. Se concluye que la participación en los programas de acompañamiento a los egresados ​​de medidas socioeducativas representa la posibilidad de que los jóvenes cuenten con la ayuda de los equipos técnicos para pensar en sus planes para el futuro y adquirir los elementos necesarios para efectivarlos.

Abstract The aim of this article is to analyze the contributions of follow-up programs for socio-educational measures egresses to the construction of a life project. A research was carried out with nine egressing teenagers in two states: Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul. An individual, open interview was performed and the data was analyzed based on Thematic Content Analysis, obtaining later on the following categories: Feelings about the participation in the follow-up programs for socio-educational measures egresses, and the Life Projects of these teenagers. It was identified that the teenagers develop positive feelings about their participation in the follow-up programs, considering them as a possibility for life change by differing from a socio-educational measure for not having a sanctifying dimension. The research concluded that the participation in follow-up programs for SEM egresses represent for the teenagers a possibility to count with the help of technical teams to think through their plans for the future and to acquire the necessary elements to fulfill them.

Effectiveness of a social problem solving training in youth in detention or on probation: An RCT and pre-post community implementation.

The effectiveness of a 10-session social problem-solving training (SPST) was evaluated in two independent studies in a juvenile justice (JJ) setting. In both studies, we aimed to examine main intervention effects on social problem-solving skills and recidivism, as well as differential effects as modulated by anger, anger regulation, and single nucleotide polymorphisms in the COMT gene. In Study 1, a randomized controlled trial (RCT), 289 male detainees (Mage= 14.95 years) were randomly assigned to SPST or treatment-as-usual (TAU). In Study 2, a pre-post community implementation, 187 youth (Mage = 16.03 years) on probation were assessed before and after SPST. No significant main effects of SPST on social problem solving or recidivism were shown in either study. With regard to differential effects, among youth in detention,COMT haplotypes predicted intervention effects on state anger. Moreover, independent of SPST, inward anger expression was associated with an increase in state anger from pre- to post and an increase in state anger with a decrease in social problem solving. Among youth on probation, COMT haplotypes predicted social problem-solving skills, and, in turn, an increase in social problem-solving skills decreased the odds of recidivism after SPST. The lack of main effects of SPST may be due to low program integrity in JJ settings. Juveniles' emotional and genetic characteristics might modulate the effectiveness of interventions in JJ settings. We recommend studying large samples to substantiate this observation.

Brief report: The effectiveness of Dutch Cell Dogs: A multiple case experimental study.

Prison-based dog training programs (DTPs) aim to improve successful rehabilitation after detention. However, empirical evidence for their effectiveness is lacking. To evaluate the effectiveness of a DTP-Dutch Cell Dogs (DCD)-on externalizing behavior, stress, self-esteem, empathy, and treatment motivation, a pilot study with a Multiple Case Experimental Design in six adolescents residing in a juvenile justice center (JJC) was conducted. Results did not provide convincing evidence for DCD's effectiveness. Further research is needed to determine whether and for whom DCD could be a useful addition to regular JJC programming.

Facilitators of Practitioner Adherence to a Risk/Need Assessment Tool: Hypothesis Testing on a Survey of Juvenile Probation Officers.

We used a statewide survey to test hypotheses about the predictors of juvenile probation officers' adherence to the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI) risk/need assessment (RNA) tool, focusing on (1) the consistency and quality with which officers completed the tool, and (2) the extent to which they used it in decisions. While some hypotheses had been tested in prior quantitative studies, others were based on insights from case studies. Results showed that leadership and climate variables were consistently important in predicting adherence, though these tended to operate indirectly through their effects on other facilitators. Probation officer attitudes, either toward the YLS/CMI or to evidence-based practices, were also important across adherence measures. Although inconsistent in their effects across dependent variables, quality assurance of officer decision-making, external office relationships, and county YLS/CMI policies also predicted adherence.

Multisystemic therapy versus management as usual in the treatment of adolescent antisocial behaviour (START): 5-year follow-up of a pragmatic, randomised, controlled, superiority trial.

BACKGROUND: Multisystemic therapy is a manualised treatment programme for young people aged 11-17 years who exhibit antisocial behaviour. To our knowledge, the Systemic Therapy for At Risk Teens (START) trial is the first large-scale randomised controlled trial of multisystemic therapy in the UK. Previous findings reported to 18 months after baseline (START-I study) did not indicate superiority of multisystemic therapy compared with management as usual. Here, we report outcomes of the trial to 60 months (START-II study). METHODS: In this pragmatic, randomised, controlled, superiority trial, young people (aged 11-17 years) with moderate-to-severe antisocial behaviour were recruited from social services, youth offending teams, schools, child and adolescent mental health services, and voluntary services across England, UK. Participants were eligible if they had at least three severity criteria indicating past difficulties across several settings and one of five general inclusion criteria for antisocial behaviour. Eligible families were randomly assigned (1:1), using stochastic minimisation and stratifying for treatment centre, sex, age at enrolment, and age at onset of antisocial behaviour, to management as usual or 3-5 months of multisystemic therapy followed by management as usual. Research assistants and investigators were masked to treatment allocation; the participants could not be masked. For this extension study, the primary outcome was the proportion of participants with offences with convictions in each group at 60 months after randomisation. This study is registered with ISRCTN, ISRCTN77132214, and is closed to accrual. FINDINGS: Between Feb 4, 2010, and Sept 1, 2012, 1076 young people and families were assessed for eligibility and 684 were randomly assigned to management as usual (n=342) or multisystemic therapy (n=342). By 60 months' of follow-up, 188 (55%) of 342 people in the multisystemic therapy group had at least one offence with a criminal conviction, compared with 180 (53%) of 341 in the management-as-usual group (odds ratio 1·13, 95% CI 0·82-1·56; p=0·44). INTERPRETATION: The results of the 5-year follow-up show no evidence of longer-term superiority for multisystemic therapy compared with management as usual. FUNDING: National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

Speech and language therapy for adolescents in youth justice: A series of empirical single-case studies.

BACKGROUND: Adolescents in contact with youth justice are a vulnerable and marginalized group at high risk of developmental language disorder (DLD) and other communication difficulties. Though preliminary studies have demonstrated the benefits of speech and language therapy (SLT) services in youth justice, limited research has empirically tested the efficacy of intervention in these settings. AIMS: To evaluate the extent to which intensive, one-to-one language intervention improved the communication skills of incarcerated adolescents with below-average (> 1 SD below the mean) language and/or literacy skills. METHODS & PROCEDURES: A series of four empirical single case studies was conducted, using multiple baseline intervention design. Individualized intervention programmes were administered, and progress on outcome measures (probes) was evaluated throughout the baseline, intervention and maintenance phases using Tau-U, a non-parametric distribution-free statistic. Additional measures were used as secondary outcomes of the intervention, including standardized language subtests, subjective rating tools by participants and their teachers collected pre- and post-intervention, and a brief structured participant interview, independently administered by youth justice staff. OUTCOMES & RESULTS: Medium-to-large effect sizes, the majority of which were statistically significant, were detected on the primary outcome measure across the four cases, indicating improvements in the targeted communication skills. Positive results were also evident in comparisons of pre- and post-measures on standardized language subtests, subjective self- and teacher ratings of communication, and the participants' impressions of the interventions. For those participants who could be followed up, gains in language skills were generally maintained at 1 month post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: This study provides further evidence of the efficacy of one-to-one SLT intervention for adolescents in youth justice in order to address language and literacy difficulties. These findings inform future SLT service provision for adolescents in these settings, with clear policy and practice implications. Future research should investigate the wider benefits to individuals' engagement in youth justice intervention and recidivism, as well as assessing maintenance of gains over a longer period. What this paper adds What is already known on this subject The high rates of DLD in youth justice is well known, with difficulties spanning multiple areas of language and literacy. SLTs are increasingly working in community and custodial youth justice settings, and a few preliminary studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of such work. What this paper adds to existing knowledge This study extends the evidence base of the efficacy of SLT for language and literacy difficulties in youth justice, using a series of four empirical single case studies. It is also argued that SLT should be more actively considered in planning multidisciplinary interventions for young people in custody. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? The results of this research support current moves to include SLT services in youth justice systems, and illustrate for clinicians currently working in this sector a way of structuring and measuring the impact of intervention services.

Health determinants of adolescent criminalisation.

Several conditions related to health and development in adolescence can increase the risk that a young person will be exposed to the criminal justice system. Such determinants include neurodevelopmental disability, poor mental health, trauma, and experiences of maltreatment. Furthermore, the risk of exposure to the criminal justice system seems to be amplified by social marginalisation and inequality, such that young people are made susceptible to criminal behaviour and criminalisation by a combination of health difficulties and social disadvantages. This Review presents evidence on the health determinants of criminalisation among adolescents, providing a persuasive case for policy and practice reform, including for investment in approaches to prevent criminalisation on the basis of health and developmental difficulties, and to better address related needs once within a criminal justice system.

CSEY service provider perceptions of critical needs for effective care as youth transition from juvenile detention to the community.

BACKGROUND: The Victims of Trafficking and Prevention Act of 2000 initiated necessary change to treat CSEY as victims rather than criminals. Without sufficient resources, CSEY service providers encounter significant challenges in meeting youth care needs in the community. OBJECTIVE: This study's purpose was to examine service providers' perceptions of these challenges. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Semistructured interviews were conducted with nine California CSEY service providers. Thematic analysis principles guided data analysis and interpretation. Key findings indicated needs for improvement of: 1) CSEY screening, 2) relationship building, 3) community resource access, 4) clarity regarding ambiguous feelings and practices associated with the treatment of CSEY as victims or criminals, 5) support systems for service providers experiencing vicarious trauma and acute/chronic stress. CONCLUSION: Future research is needed to continue to explore the experience of service providers who work with CSEY. Implications for practice include the need for funding to support the development of community-based services for CSEY, particularly for training and professional supports for education, health, social service, and criminal justice professionals.

Group Intervention with Parents of Juvenile Sex Offenders.

This article presents a short-term psycho-educational group therapy model of 14 bi-weekly 90-minute meetings with parents of male juvenile sex offenders. The program is used by youth probation services in Israel as part of a multi-systemic treatment program. The group was designed for parents whose children had been convicted of a variety of sex offenses in a juvenile court, and who had been referred to the youth probation service for court-ordered treatment. The group therapy was aimed at involving the parents in the therapeutic process, promoting the offenders' rehabilitation, and to maintain the improvement achieved through the treatment. The results show that the combination of emotional support, provision of information and knowledge, and parental guidance can empower the parents to be a supportive, directive authority in supervising their children, thereby helping to prevent their recidivism to sexually offensive behavior.

A Meta-Analysis of Program Characteristics for Youth with Disruptive Behavior Problems: The Moderating Role of Program Format and Youth Gender.

There is high variability in efficacy for interventions for youth with disruptive behavior problems (DBP). Despite evidence of the unique correlates and critical consequences of girls' DBP, there is a dearth of research examining treatment efficacy for girls. This meta-analysis of 167 unique effect sizes from 29 studies (28,483 youth, 50% female; median age: 14) suggests that existing treatments have a medium positive effect on DBP (g = .33). For both boys and girls, the most effective interventions included (a) multimodal or group format, (b) cognitive skills or family systems interventions, and (c) length-intensive programs for (d) younger children. Boys demonstrated significantly greater treatment gains from group format interventions compared to girls, which is particularly important given that the group program format was the most prevalent format for boys and girls, with 14 studies involving 10,433 youth encompassing this category. This is the first meta-analysis to examine the effect of program characteristics in a sample of programs selected to be specifically inclusive of girls. Given that girls are underrepresented in intervention research on DBP, findings are discussed in terms of gender-responsive considerations and elucidating how key aspects of program structure can support more effective intervention outcomes for youth.

Effects of Rules and Feedback on Classroom Behavior of Adolescents in a Residential Treatment Setting.

Over the past 30 years, researchers have shown that various types of group contingency procedures can decrease problem behavior displayed by young children in academic settings. Recently, researchers have demonstrated that presession rules, within-session feedback, and interdependent group contingencies (i.e., contingently delivered tangible and edible items) increased appropriate behavior displayed by detained adolescents in a residential treatment facility. Nevertheless, it is possible that rules with feedback about rule violations could produce comparable outcomes. To address this question, we used a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across classrooms to evaluate the extent to which rules, visual feedback (i.e., marks on a board denoting rule violations), and postsession feedback decreased problem behaviors in three classrooms within a residential detention facility. Results indicate that problem behavior decreased to less than 10% of observation intervals in each classroom. Results from a social validity measure indicate that the procedures and outcomes were acceptable to the respective classroom teachers.

Implementation of a Behavioral Intervention in a Juvenile Detention Center: Do Individual Characteristics Matter?

A sample of 129 (73% male) youth admitted consecutively into a juvenile detention center were used to examine individual characteristics that contribute the implementation of a behavioral intervention within a juvenile detention center. Given that a system of rewards and punishments is considered the mechanism of change within many behavioral interventions, individuals risk characteristics (i.e., proactive and reactive aggression, behavioral inhibition, subsystems of behavioral activation, callous-unemotional traits, perceived containment) were examined in relation to the rewards (i.e., positive feedback) and punishments (i.e., fines) used by the facility. Data were collected via structured interviews with youth and archival data. The number of days youth spent in detention was the only predictor of positive feedback received. Number of days in detention, sex, and race were related to fines. Behavioral activation drive was the only individual characteristic related to fines. Implications of findings are discussed.

The impact of a brief RNR-based training on Turkish juvenile probation officers' punitive and rehabilitative attitudes and recidivism risk perceptions.

The present quasi-experimental study examined the impact of a brief training program based on the risk-need-responsivity (RNR) model on Turkish juvenile probation officers' (JPOs) punitive and rehabilitative attitudes toward justice-involved youth and recidivism risk perceptions. Fifty-nine JPOs were recruited through three probation offices in Istanbul, Turkey. Thirty-six JPOs, who received a 1-day training in the RNR model of offending behavior, were compared to JPOs in a wait-list control condition (n = 23). Participants in both conditions completed surveys at baseline and 1-week posttraining. Mixed-factorial analysis of variances revealed a significantly higher decrease in JPOs' punitive attitudes from pre- to posttest, in the training condition compared to the control group, with a medium effect size. Rehabilitative attitudes decreased in both conditions, while recidivism risk perceptions did not change from pre- to posttest in either condition. Future research could expand on these promising results using a more intensive training program and a randomized-controlled design in a larger sample of JPOs.

Schooling while incarcerated as a turning point for serious juvenile and young adult offenders.

INTRODUCTION: Attending school and working are consistently associated with positive outcomes for juvenile offenders returning to the community. METHODS: Using longitudinal data from the Pathways to Desistance Study, we used structural equation modeling to test whether better school experiences while incarcerated was positively connected to adjustment upon release among serious juvenile offenders (91% male) in the U.S. Adjustment was assessed as attending school for 310 legal minors (<18 years), and engaging in work for 259 emerging adults (≥18 years), as well as self-reported delinquency for all participants. RESULTS: Accounting for incarceration and school history, results showed that facility school attachment, but not grades, was associated with decreased delinquency 12 months after release across sex in both age groups. Additionally, facility school attachment predicted engagement in school for returning minors. However, facility school experience was not related to engaging in work for returning emerging adults. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that facility school climate matters for all juvenile offenders returning to their communities and that correctional education done right presents an important opportunity to reconnect returning minors with school, an important normative context of development. Conversely, results suggest that returning offenders who have 'aged out' of high school are a separate vulnerable group who may need additional support for successful reentry.