Background: The prevalence of language disorder in youth offenders far exceeds rates reported in community samples. Youth involved in the justice system are also at increased risk of a range of psychiatric disorders, including internalizing mental health problems (i.e., anxiety, depression). However, the frequency with which these co-occur in this…

Punk culture is based on an ideology that emphasizes questioning conformity and creating a space for individuality within community. It has inspired fans to create their own music and art as part of their quest for authenticity. Art therapy informed by punk culture can be a way to create a culture of connection while also building resiliency and…

The largest population of youth at risk for involvement in the juvenile justice system are those with disabilities and mental illness. There has been scant research into the pathways that these students take from home, school and the community to involvement in the justice system in Australia. This paper utilises insights from critical disability…

Objectives: Many youth develop complex trauma, which includes regulation problems in the domains of affect, attachment, behavior, biology, cognition, and perception. Therapists often request strategies for using evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for this population. This article describes practical strategies for applying Trauma-Focused Cognitive…

Treatment participation was examined among youth enrolled in an evaluation of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for trauma following the 9/11 World Trade Center disaster. Staff at nine agencies serving a predominantly low-income, ethnically diverse population were trained to deliver CBT and structured engagement strategies. A total of 445 youth…

Reviews the rationale for social skills training with delinquents. Describes one program that uses discussion, modeling, role-playing, positive reinforcement, and shaping. Presents four scales for behavioral assessment to access social skills, assertion/aggression, violation of minor rules and regulations, and evaluation of the program by each…

Reviews various social learning and counseling approaches utilized by psychotherapists in one-to-one clinical behavior therapy. Behavior analysis, family contracting, and social skills training are used as are other office-based clinical behavior therapy techniques to help delinquents change. (Author/LHW)

Describes three types of theories of crime and delinquency. Notes why arrest, juvenile justice, and probation do not seem to work. Describes delinquent behaviors which are maintained by consequents. Discusses resistance and noncompliance as behaviors to be specified, analyzed, and addressed directly. (Author/LHW)

Reviews probation training programs and probation contracting, the application of social learning to this field. Probation and the social learning approach are compatible: both stress intervention and prevention of further problems directly in the natural environment by natural mediators. (Author/LHW)

Presents five principles which yield predictions about deterrence of illegal acts by the use of negative sanctions in the form of testable hypotheses, including intensity, temporal proximity, availability of reward, schedule of delivery, and availability of alternative behaviors. Suggests application of any principle of punishment is premature…

All too often, one behavioral intervention is used universally to handle a variety of problem behaviors, regardless of the function of the misbehavior. This article describes how a functional assessment of behavior can be used to identify the purpose of misbehaviors and plan effective behavioral interventions. (Author)

Reviews briefly traditional psychotherapeutic and behavioral approaches toward intervention and prevention among juvenile offenders. Outlines important problems common to both methods and sketches likely directions of future research and practice, predicting a shift in emphasis from intervention to prevention. (CMG)

Examined cognitive-behavioral training procedures designed to enhance social problem-solving and impulse-control skills of delinquent adolescents. Explored multiple baseline design across subjects and tasks and an alternating-treatments design. Presented two different forms of hypothetical social problems to subjects (N=5). Results indicated…

Reviews programs to prevent delinquent behavior in school, behavioral analysis of absenteeism and truancy control, behavioral contracting in schools, parent training for changing behavior in school, vandalism reduction, behavioral school consultation, and Skill Streaming in schools. (Author/LHW)

Reviews theoretical and programmatic issues in the development of a social skills training program for court-adjudicated youths. Discusses the relationship between a youth's social competence and his or her likelihood of engaging in inappropriate or illegal activity. (Author/AOS)