Helping Todays Youth Essay Research Paper In free essay sample

Helping Today? s Youth Essay, Research Paper In today? s society, a troubled adolescent or arch stripling is labeled a juvenile delinquent. Yet the current definition of a juvenile is based entirely upon, most of the times, on stereotypes. A delinquent may be a troublesome adolescent with complicated jobs at place, school, or with friends. He may hold utmost physical and/or emotional demands, or he may merely be a kid who committed a simple error. ? Was he luckless to acquire caught making something foolish? Did he run off from place because of household problems or to show independency? What sort of aid does he necessitate and precisely how much? ? ( Erickson 126-127 ) . At this point, a probation officer helps in doing determinations that have an of import and good impact on the lives of those called? delinquents? ( Erickson 7 ) . Probation can be defined in two different ways: as an organisation or a procedure. As an organisation, probation is? a service bureau designed to help the tribunal and execute certain services in the disposal of condemnable justice. ? As a procedure, probation is? an probe for the tribunal and the supervising of individuals in the community? ( Carter and Wilkins 77 ) . Sing the diverse definitions on the topic of probation, the myths and truths about the juvenile justness system can besides be found. Although juvenile offense is a serious national job, Marcia Satterthwaite, a societal worker, criticizes the effectivity of the legal system as a whole. She claims that the system has been losing its confidentiality between the officer and the client, that it does non deter offense efficaciously, that penalty should be more rigorous, and that there is a? deficiency of focal point? on the demand to protect society from the juvenile ( 61-63 ) . Harmonizing to Satterthwaite, unsafe kids are released to perpetrate even more Acts of the Apostless of offense. Ron Boostrom, a probation officer working for the metropolis of Los Angeles, agrees that in the terminal, ? the delinquent is dumped back into the same household, the same community, and the same jobs that existed before the? rehabilitation? ? ( 246 ) . Boostrom believes that the juvenile system teaches these childs the trade of offense, to hatred, and even go dedicated to acquiring even with the society that excluded them in the first topographic point ( 238 ) . The truth is that the major cause of low self-pride is due to the juvenile? s milieus. In most instances, subject, supervising, and fondness tend to be losing in the place itself ( Satterthwaite 180 ) . If probation officers would non be able to communicate to others about the juvenile, the officer would hold no beginnings of information and would be left without an thought as to how to near a end for the kid. If penalty were to be harsher and juveniles were to be treated and sentenced as grownups, taxpayers? disbursals would increase. Longer sentences for juveniles cost taxpayers more but do non needfully give better consequences, while bar plans work more expeditiously than imprisonment and cost much less. To maintain a adolescent locked up for a twelvemonth cost more than $ 30,000. Harmonizing to Mike Males, this sum of money is able to cover 10 striplings? part-time occupations, a probation officer to work with 25 juveniles, coach one hundred kids falling behind in their surveies, or supply ? recreational options? for two hundred kids with nil to make after school ( 1 ) . Delinquents are kids who? have been pushed beyond the bounds of their abilities, desires, and outlooks? ( Erickson 127-129 ) . Normally, they seem to desire and necessitate subject and way and perpetrate the offense either for attending, wonder, exhilaration, retaliation, or peer force per unit area and credence ( 137 ) . Over clip, these juveniles tend to mature and turn out of their delinquent stage to be able to acquire off from a life of offense ( 140 ) . Although probation can be exciting and carry throughing for the probation officer, Erickson states that it can besides be really frustrating and detering because of the clients and the system ( seven ) . At the beginning of the occupation, officers are committed and really dedicated to assisting troubled kids become successful grownups. They visit the wrongdoer? s household, they interview and communicate with school decision makers, and they go highly involved in the mundane lives of those juveniles ( Satterthwaite 53 ) . With one client, officers have a great sum of work to take attention of, but when the probation sections assign an mean caseload of about 40 juveniles per officer, it becomes more hard to give a sufficient sum of attending to each person kid. ? While most probation officers have maestro? s grades and can supply both household and group therapy # 8230 ; probation sections are grossly short-handed and underfunded? ( Satterthwaite 57 ) . After reaching a client, talking to persons who know the wrongdoer, doing an lineation as to how to travel approximately in order to assist the juvenile, fixing studies on informations of tribunal, school, constabulary apprehension sheets, and old probation studies, doing determinations as to whether the kid should travel to tribunal or whether an understanding can be reached between the student nurse and probationee, sing places, doing tribunal visual aspects and a great sum of telephone calls, a probation officer is frequently worn out and disillusioned ( Whitehead 37-39 ) . In some instances, some probation officers become convinced that societal work is an business that has no wages or significance, some return to more traditional casework scenes, and some remain in this field. Those who decide that they will stay in the juvenile justness system, are most normally criticized for being uneffective. Three major phases describe the procedure of a probation officer? s occupation: one, ? toughening-up? , two, ? mellowing? , and three, ? burning-out? . Burn-out is one of the most common jobs of probation caused by? big caseloads, low wage, small preparation, and unequal community resources? ( Whitehead 3-9 ) . Though officers effort to give equal sums of supervising to each kid and supply good impact on a juvenile, the instability of excessively many clients and either excessively much or non plenty contact with them can do emphasis for the officer and a deficiency of motive for the client ( 41 ) . When an officer can non look to divide his or her personal jobs from those of a client, imbibing dependences, emphasis, and other occupational jeopardies seem to ensue in their lives ( Erickson 33 ) . Along with the probation officer losing control of his ain life, the delinquent, excessively, appears to perpetrate more condemnable Acts of the Apostless because of the deficiency of attending and subject. In order to extinguish the most common troubles that exist in the probation business, alterations are necessary in non merely the system itself, but besides in the attitudes and behaviours of the juvenile and officer. One of the most of import ends is to forestall kids from go againsting any farther so they can go responsible and successful grownups. The 2nd most of import end is to protect society from the condemnable Acts of the Apostless of kids. Parents need to learn kids self-control by supervising the kid? s behaviour, acknowledging the different behaviours when they occur, and penalizing those which are unacceptable ( Boostrom 181 ) . Through instruction, intervention, and fondness, bar of condemnable Acts of the Apostless reaches juveniles and assists them into a healthier and better life. To be able to utilize these constituents at the earliest phase possible, is to maintain these adolescents off from of all time come ining the juvenile justness system in the first topographic point. With the aid of instruction, preparation, and support for the staff, probation officers can be better prepared to take on diverse instances of all types ( Anonymous 1-2 ) . The juvenile justness system demands betterment. Probation officers, Judgess, and household members need to do effectual determinations about who should truly be incarcerated and/or receive probation. If an discourtesy made is non highly serious and the client and officer can hold on a penalty, the kid does non necessitate to show himself upon a justice. If either the client or officer want to do an visual aspect in tribunal, an understanding can non be reached, or menaces have been made affecting either parties or others, a tribunal determination is most suggested ( Carter and Wilkins 142 ) . In add-on, to doing the right picks, good community plans are besides necessary to put delinquents in a better environment to be able to win. Though juveniles tend to steal, trespass, battle, imbibe, take drugs, usage profanity, run off from place, and miss school, many solutions were being thought about to forestall these defects ( Erickson 125 ) . The first has already been mentioned and trades with? toughening up? and puting juveniles in grownup tribunals. Harmonizing to Satterthwaite, taking wrongdoers from society for longer periods of clip will cut down offense. Those who have non committed a serious offense will come to the realisation of the possible penalties ( such as life in prison, the decease punishment, etc. ) . Violent wrongdoers would be less likely to reiterate their offenses by larning from their first lesson ( 64-65 ) . Nationally, 38 % of juveniles are charged with a violent offense, 41 % are charged with offense against belongings, and the staying 15 % on drug charges. Fifty-seven per centum of those arrested for the first clip did non reiterate an act of offense, 27 % got arrested one time or twice more, and 16 % went on to go? chronic wrongdoers? ( See Appendix ) . Though these figure figures may demo a measure to success, it is five times more likely for a juvenile to be sexually assaulted, two times more likely to be beaten by staff, and a 50 per centum opportunity that they will be attacked with a arm in an grownup installation. When released, juveniles turn into violent felons because of the insensibility they suffered in prison ( Satterthwaite 67-69 ) . A 2nd solution was so proposed in which immature wrongdoers would be rehabilitated, to put them in community organisations. Boot cantonments, for illustration, are school-based ambiances that teach childs self-discipline, increase self-pride, supply exercising and guidance chances, and aid develop them for a G.E.D. Angstrom plan called High Impact emphasizes teamwork, provides life and occupation accomplishments, and physiques a sense of personal and community achievements ( Satterthwaite 70-71 ) . The Girls and Boys Clubs of America aid young person? take part in stru ctured recreational and instruction activities, concentrating on personal development, communicating sweetening, job resolution, and determination devising accomplishments? ( Thornberry 5 ) . With this plan, 1990 statistics prove that 90 % of the young person attended one time a hebdomad or more, 26 % attended on a day-to-day footing, 48 % showed betterment in the academic country, 33 % showed improved classs, and another 33 % had much better attending ( 6 ) . Juvenile hall is besides another option. Although it includes school attending during the twenty-four hours, educational plans, and voluntary services, this method is excessively expensive. In 1996/97 entirely, 5,967 bush leagues had been locked up, 5,024 were males and 943 were females ( Anonymous 1-3 ) . Costing an norm of $ 108 per twenty-four hours, per kid, taxpayers are paying $ 644,436 mundane. Alternatively of utilizing so much money inefficiently, a bigger solution can be reached. A Young person Aid Panels plan helps to make kids before they commit offenses in the first topographic point. This specific plan is made from a group of citizens who are trained to manage instances affecting first-time wrongdoers or juveniles who have committed minor offenses. These trainers act as probation officers when seeking to work out declarations with the wrongdoer, but alternatively, they get the kid involved with the community, and the community with the kid ( Satterthwaite 73-74 ) . The people of this organisation non merely look at the safety of the populace, but they attempt to assist adolescents recognize where they stand and what they demand to make to better. When these juveniles are eventually released from probation, aftercare is needed. Still, more monitoring and support has to take topographic point by working with household, by maintaining a better oculus on the juvenile at school, and by forestalling hereafter jobs. Satterthwaite provinces, ? America? s success # 8230 ; depends non so much on specific jobs for penalizing # 8230 ; but on our overall willingness to put in the state? s young person? ( 75 ) . In truth, the success or failure rate of the juvenile justness system depends entirely upon the attempt put in by both the probation officer and client. The officer can state the offender what to have on, who he can and can non speak to, what clip he has to be place at, and what regulations he has to populate under ( Satterthwaite 57 ) . If the wrongdoer decides to disobey, subject is required. In 1948-1950 a survey was done on 5,020 juveniles who had been placed on probation and had been antecedently convicted. The figure of male childs was more than nine times that of misss, 4,586 males versus 434 females ( See Appendix ) . In the procedure, surveies proved that non merely were the bulk of juveniles convicted for community discourtesies against belongings, but that towards the terminal of the test and mistake experiment, the success rates were by and large higher for females than those for males, and for those who were older instead than younger ( Radzinowicz 4-5 ) . Wrongdoers were released and normally tend to be released from probation in two ways. The first is early expiration based on good advancement and the 2nd is expiration based on completion of the full period of supervising originally given ( Radzinowicz 44 ) . The 2nd instance survey was performed in November of 1975 for a period of three old ages. The survey was used to compare the effectivity of traditional probation processs and analyze the consequences. Often, consequences were encouraging, particularly when there was a good relationship between the social worker and client. The Concerted Behavior Demonstration Project ( CBDP ) was designed for behavior alteration and transactional analysis ( TA ) intervention. It was used to analyse the sum of intervention given to the client, compare the probation system to other methods of intervention, better the result of social worker and client, and develop a manner to assist probation sections aid juveniles ( Jesness 1-3 ) . In order to be able to carry through these ends, a great sum of information was needed to be collected. The social worker needed to be observed, background, psychological, and behavioural informations needed to be analyzed and carefully evaluated. From the clients, there was a broad scope of factors that influenced statistics of the rates of success and the rates of failure. Although the theoretical account age for this experiment was 16 old ages of age, clients were every bit immature as eight and every bit old as 22. Ethnicity besides varied. Fifty-two per centum were white, 30 % were black, 13 % were Mexican-American, and the staying 5 % were other groups. Of all the juveniles, 81 % consisted of males while a really low 19 % were females. Covering with economic system and household position, 13 % were found to have aid from the public assistance plan, 90 % were already populating with a household of their ain, 54 % with both parents, and 36 % with lone either the female parent or male parent. The balance either lived in surrogate places or with a relation. After much survey, the group of officers found that 69 % of the striplings had a job with being awol from school, 84 % were sent to the principal? s office for misbehaviour, 73 % were suspended, 50 % had run off from place, 39 % vandalized edifices, 45 % fought in pack related activities, and 60 % were involved with drugs. Along with the clients runing in everything from age to instruction position, the officers involved in the experiment besides varied. Military officers were anyplace between the ages of 23 to 25 old ages old. Seventy-eight per centum were male and 22 % were female. Eighty-seven per centum were white, 7 % were Mexican-American, 4 % were black, and 2 % were Oriental. Education degrees for these officers ranged from 16 % holding a maestro? s grade, 38 % traveling beyond the unmarried man degree, 44 % holding a four-year grade, 2 people with a biennial grade, and overall, the mean length of experience was five and a half old ages ( Jesness 6-9 ) . Out of 152 juveniles, 56.2 % expressed a high positive respect by holding their job behaviour remitted and 36.5 % expressed a low positive respect without rectifying their behaviours. After a six month follow-up, of 71 wrongdoers, 11 % had failed with a high positive respect and of 60 wrongdoers 33 % failed with low positive respect. In cases where at that place existed a common liking and high positive relation, merely 19 % of the officer? s instances failed. In cases where at that place existed a common disfavor, 40 % of the instances failed ( 21-22 ) . Data proved that it was non needfully the social worker? s personality or attitude that helped the clients, but the fact that he did or did non make ? equal eventuality undertaking? with a peculiar client that made the greatest difference ( 21 ) . Caseloads of more than 50 clients were ever on call from school principals, constabularies, Judgess, attorneies, and parents to be able to vouch effectual intervention, but basic services were performed ( 28 ) . In truth, job behaviour remittal was made possible by holding more concerted parents, instructors, and equals, irrespective of the type of intervention provided. The job with the juvenile justness system is genuinely a major issue when covering with the United States. As seen over clip, the juvenile delinquency rates have increased, traveling anyplace from 100s of kids to the many 1000s recognized today. Although more and more kids are being placed on probation, in most instances, a lesson is non learned and the juvenile merely goes back to the same bad wonts. Through the many solutions being proposed, the procedure is a? test and mistake? based experiment. When one solution seems to neglect, another is thought about to assist do a difference in a juvenile? s life. Money and control are two factors that do non impact the behaviour alteration. Males provinces, ? Merely by assailing the conditions that lead childs to crime-social ailments: poorness, force, drug maltreatment, dysfunctional households, and neglecting schools-can the state genuinely protect its most cherished resource, its kids? ( 75 ) . Talking with Ceasar Arambula, a Los Angeles county healer, he states that out of all the delinquents and kids placed on probation, merely approximately 15 % really win. Although the figure figure is really low, the condemnable jurisprudence field is? the field of the hereafter? and more probation officers will be needed to help in doing a kid? s life that of a successful grownup. WORKSs Cited Anonymous. ? Juvenile Institutions. ? Probation Department. 30 June 1997: 3 pp. On-line. Internet. 11 June 1999. Available World wide web: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.co.alameda.ca.us/probation/detail009.htm. Anonymous. ? Statement of Juvenile Officer? s Philosophy. ? 3 pp. On-line. Internet. 11 June 1999. Available World wide web: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.slnedu.com/sites/16circrt/philsphy.htm. Arambula, Caesar. Personal interview. 16 June 1999. Boostrom, Ron. Digesting Issues in Criminology. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, Inc. , 1995. Carter, Robert M. , and Leslie T. Wilkins. Probation, Parole, and Community Correctionss. 2nd erectile dysfunction. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. , 1976. Erickson, Charles L. Introduction. Perils of Probation. By Erickson. Springfield, Ill: Charles C Thomas, 1980. Erickson, Charles L. Perils of Probation. Springfield, Ill: Charles C Thomas, 1980. Jesness, Carl F. , et Al. ? An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Contingency Contracting with Delinquents. ? Journal of Research on Crime and Delinquency ( 1975 ) : 1-30. Males, Mike. ? Fact Sheet: Juvenile Justice. ? 2 pp. On-line. Internet. 11 June 1999. Available WWW: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.rt66.com/~nmcc/juv.htm. Radzinowicz, L. LL. D. The Results of Probation. Vol. X. New York: St Martin? s Imperativeness, 1958. Satterthwaite, Marcia. Juvenile Crime. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers, 1997. Thornberry, Terence P. , and James H. Burch II. ? Gang Members and Delinquent Behavior. ? Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. May 1997: 9 pp. On-line. Internet. 11 June 1999. Available World wide web: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.connect.more.net/lists/mo-caring/1998.11/0008 # 8230 ; Whitehead, John T. Burnout in Probation and Corrections. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1989. Plants Consulted ? No. 353. Juvenile Apprehensions for Selected Discourtesies: 1980-1996. ? Statistical Abstract of the United States. 118th erectile dysfunction. Austin, Texas: Hoover? s Business imperativeness, 1998. ? Motion of Youth Authority Parole Population, California, 1990-1997. ? California Statistical Abstract. Sacramento, CA: State of California, 1998. Appendix Age and Sex of Offenders Put on Probation The Results of Probation. Chart. New York: St Martin? s Press, 1958. 331