Now what?
There are complex
issues involved with each of these belief statements. The results of this discussion
create an image of a young, minority, gang-affiliated man who has a history and
a future full of violent criminal activity, looking up to negative role models,
suffering from low self-esteem, and burdened by an inability to change. If this
is the image held by those with the ability to affect change and impact policy,
it stands to reason little improvement in the treatment of these youth will occur.
Also, if this is the image held by those who work with troubled or challenging
youth on a regular basis, it further implies the interventions that could interrupt
a negative trajectory will be less likely to take place.
Of the myths
discussed in this blog, there are certainly incarcerated youth who fit the
characteristics and demonstrate the true versions of each of these ideas.
However, what is often believed to be the case for troubled youth, is
frequently incorrect. It is through a deeper understanding of the real
individuals involved in challenging life circumstances that an impact can be
made. To help others see a more accurate view, one respondent in this discussion
shared her inspirational personal story of redemption after contact with the
juvenile justice system.
I was a child who
was going down the wrong path. I was molested by my biological father and it
took a psychotic toll on me. I hated the world. Myself. I fought because I
wanted others to feel my pain. I stole because the adrenaline would be a fun
high. I used drugs to forget the pain. I drank to just be. I was spinning out
of control. I had a special person who believed I could be better. My probation
officer didn't make me a statistic. He gave me HOPE. He gave me a father figure
I never had. Today, I never forget him or the social worker who helped me see
life better than being betrayed. Today, I help people. I love kids. I preach
love, laugh, hope, live every moment with no regrets. My family is me. My hope
and faith guide me. … I help people. My smile and laugh help people. My heart
is on my sleeve and I love who I've become.
The implications
of this discussion are broad ranging. They affect disability education, the
educational system, the justice system, and future research.
Disability Education
It is necessary to
identify which characteristics are the result of genuine delinquent tendencies
or choices and which are a manifestation of an existing disability. The
Differential Treatment Theory (Keilitz, Zaremba, & Broder, 1979) discussed
previously brings light to the confusion that exists over the source or cause
of undesirable behavior. It demonstrates the possibility that some incarcerated
youth are detained for inappropriate reasons and fear of dangerousness or at
risk behavior is actually a misinterpreted symptom of a disability. The
misunderstanding represented through the Differential Treatment Theory is the result
of commonly held beliefs, many of which are actually myths. Debunking these
myths will lessen the frequency of these misunderstandings.
Educational System
By treating all
students as criminals with the hopes of preventing criminal behavior, schools are
instituting policies that lead to worsening behaviors instead of the intended
results. The ACLU explains this phenomenon, referred to as the
“school-to-prison pipeline” as “the policies and practices that push our
nation’s schoolchildren, especially our most at-risk children, out of
classrooms and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. This pipeline
reflects the prioritization of incarceration over education” (n.d., para. 1).
The factors leading to increased incarceration of youth include failing public
schools, zero-tolerance and other school discipline policies, police on school
campuses, alternative schools for disciplinary problems, and court involvement
for violations that used to be handled by schools instead (ACLU, n.d.). New
discipline policies in schools will have a significant impact on the number of
youth inappropriately incarcerated and mistreated.
Justice System
Additionally,
there are misunderstandings within the justice system itself. In the opening message
to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s 2011 juvenile
arrests report, Administrator Robert L. Listenbee discussed research prompting system
improvement.
With time, the
cumulative effects of these and other reform efforts … should result in a
system where arrests are rare, all youth are treated fairly, and when a youth
enters the system, he or she receives much-needed treatment and services. Such
changes would undoubtedly provide positive and healthy outcomes for youth,
families, and communities. (Puzzanchera, 2013, para. 3)
Future Research
Future research
should be conducted on many of these belief statements, especially those about
which there are conflicting reports, to clarify any confusion. A more thorough
understanding of juvenile delinquents would enhance intervention efforts going
forward.
Shifting the
beliefs so common among educated adults will impact the experiences of these
students with the possibility of interrupting a trajectory toward delinquency
for many at risk youth. As one respondent states, “There are people that
believe that kids are bad or that
kids are not bad. If people believe
that kids are ‘bad’ then they will treat them as such and never be able to see
them as anything else.”
