Juvenile Offenders and Mental Illness

Get the latest research on juvenile offenders who have a mental illness

Most youths in the juvenile justice system who have one or more mental disorders do not receive proper treatment or education, nor do they serve sentences appropriate for their crimes. Juvenile Offenders and Mental Illness: I Know Why the Caged Bird Cries takes a detailed look at the latest theories and empirically based information on the causal and recidivism problems youths with mental disorders face in the juvenile justice system. Respected experts comprehensively discuss the range of problems found in the assessment of mentally ill juvenile offenders and offer practical, effective treatment solutions.

Juvenile Offenders and Mental Illness explains the cost-effective methodologies and presents the latest data on recidivism rates and occurrences of depression, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and/or alcohol or substance abuse disorder among delinquent adolescents. Research studies also include data gleaned from the application of the Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and other scales and surveys on participants. Other topics include revealing data on the prevalence of lifetime use of Ecstasy (MDMA) and its effects; female shoplifting and its relationship to mental illness; incidence of trauma exposure in incarcerated youth; and strategies to enhance the effectiveness of interventions. The book includes helpful tables to clearly illustrate empirical data and provides detailed references for each chapter.

Juvenile Offenders and Mental Illness provides the freshest research and insightful discussion on:

• adolescent stalking
  
• depression
  
• ADHD
  
• alcohol/substance abuse disorders
  
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  
• Ecstasy (MDMA) use and its association with symptoms of anxiety or depression
  
• the impact of mental health treatment intensity on the emotional and behavioral problems of youth in a treatment facility
  
• shoplifting by female teens
  
• behavioral problems and suicide-tendency in youths who have been sexually abused or traumatized
  
• effective prevention and the reduction of violence by at-risk adolescents