In Fall 2007, Hudson Guild--a settlement house that provides services to hundreds of adults, teens and children in two housing developments in New York City--embarked on a study to assess the needs of youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who were residing in the community and were disconnected (i.e., those youth who were not in school or not…

This report identifies policies and practices essential to overcoming problems with admissions to juvenile detention facilities, using information from the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI). Chapter 1, "Why Objective Admissions Policies and Practices Are Critical to Detention Reform," describes factors contributing to…

The goal of the Adolescent Assessment/Referral System (AARS) project was to identify, collect, and organize all the appropriate materials associated with assessment and treatment referral for troubled youth 12 through 19 years of age. This document discusses the components of the AARS. After an introduction to the AARS, the structure and function…

While the economic downturn has appropriately become the top priority of policy makers, one element of the crisis has gone largely unnoticed: its impact on children and youth. Largely due to the economic and housing crises, many school districts across the country report increases in the number of homeless students in the classroom. "The Economic…

The concerns highlighted in this report were derived from a questionnaire sent to states and territories and reflect national as well as individual state and regional concerns about juvenile delinquency and crime. Although the wide ranging responses to the questionnaire made it clear that states and territories experience different problems, the…

Results of a survey show that high school students in North Carolina think about, attempt, and are injured as the result of a suicide attempt with alarming frequency. This report summarizes suicide-related data from the North Carolina Youth Risk Behavior Survey (1993). Younger students are more at risk of suicide than older students; more than one…

The lack of support services following the release of adolescent youths from a residential treatment center back to their families is examined in this practicum. Consequently, the development of a family reintegration program for the treatment center is focused on the concept that effective aftercare begins at intake. Understandably, families…

The breakdown in parent/adolescent relationships, along with the increase in disruptive behaviors by adolescents, has become a major concern of parents and practitioners. The goal of this practicum is to review the literature on parent/adolescent conflicts and offer a conflict resolution program intended to enhance the coping skills of parents.…

In 1990-91, the educational histories of incarcerated juveniles in Illinois were analyzed to assess the value of educational intervention strategies prior to incarceration. Following open-ended interviews with public officials, structured interviews were held with 200 juvenile offenders, of whom 50 were female, from all parts of the state. The…

Single teenage parents and expectant parents in four community-based programs were provided with information about establishing the paternity of their children. The information presented included the benefits, obligations and consequences of paternity establishment for the mother, father, child and society. The goal was to educate single teenagers…

This practicum was designed to assist parents of juveniles who had been placed in residential care for sexual offenses. Although there was a consensus in the field that inclusion of the family in treatment was essential, few family treatment models were available. No family treatment models were found specific to working with families that had…

A task force was appointed by the California School Boards Association to investigate the increase in violence and vandalism and to recommend courses of action. The task force found four changes in society contributing to the increase: (1) the breakdown of the home and family unit, (2) the lack of self-discipline in children and the absence of…

The causes and symptoms of violence among children and adolescents can be complex and difficult to control. A strategy that was designed to help one youth center's staff, volunteers, and members recognize the signs and symptoms of verbal and physical violence is described here. The youth facility is located in a crime-ridden part of an urban…

This report arose from a legislative directive that crime on public school campuses be studied. The study describes criminal behavior occurring on public school campuses in Texas. Data collection was limited to selected behaviors happening on school campuses in 50 districts from September through November 1994. Crimes committed by students or…

Illegal drug use by adolescents is on the rise. This alarming trend was quantified in this national survey of the attitudes of teens and their parents (1,200 teens and 1,166 parents, including 819 sets of teens and parents from the same households) towards cigarettes, alcohol, inhalants, marijuana, LSD, cocaine, heroin, and other illegal drugs.…