In the fields of juvenile justice policy and programming, there are certain terms that are used to describe target populations. In terms of youth who are prone to illegal and illicit acts, the two terms that are most commonly used are at-risk youth and high-risk youth. The former term is generally associated with youth who come from lower-income, urban, single-mother backgrounds. High-risk youth is a label used to categorize and describe youth who share the following characteristics:
* are from poor families and communities;
* are (usually) high school dropouts, homeless or young parents;
* are unemployed or underemployed; and
* are involved with or transitioning from the child welfare or juvenile justice systems.
Youth from minority groups are disproportionately represented in these categories.1
The problem with this definition is that it tends not to disaggregate the range of crimes that lead the youth into the juvenile justice system. There are insufficient distinctions made with respect to the types of youth that fall within them. The category high-risk youth includes the young person who has engaged in serious criminal and violent behavior as well as those who have engaged in lower-level offenses that may not necessarily include violence.
What is at stake with such categorizations? Incorrect sorting of these populations has implications for policy and programming. Those interventions that work well for certain types of youth who have been labeled as at-risk or high-risk are not as effective for the more violent youth who are incorrectly placed in these two categories. Poor sorting has a direct affect on these youth who are in desperate need of properly designed interventions.
What I propose is that another category be created that better sorts the youth who are classified as high-risk. The term proven risk encompasses the most violent youth who have been placed in the high-risk category. There are specific criteria that define proven-risk youth. They share the same characteristics as youth who are in the at-risk and high-risk categories. What distinguishes proven-risk youth from these other two types is that: they are gang-involved; frequently use drugs; have an incarcerated sibling and/or parent; and have been incarcerated before. Moreover, they have been convicted in court for having committed the following crimes:
* gun possession;
* armed robbery;
* aggravated rape;
* murder;
* attempted murder;
* armed home invasion;
* serious assault against staff and/or another inmate while incarcerated; and/or
* escape or attempted escape involving a serious assault on staff.
By better defining the types of youth who require intervention, policymakers, foundations, and youth-oriented non-profit organizations can better deploy their resources in ways that will be more likely to make a positive difference in the lives of youth who fall into the proven-risk youth category.
"Serving High-Risk Youth: Lessons from Research and Programming," Public/Private Ventures, September 2002, p. 2.
Andr? J. Norman is a public speaker. He is available for school assemblies, church groups, colleges and universities, non-profit organizations and corporations. In addition, Andr? has extensive experience designing programs and workshops focused on high-risk youth and ex-offenders. He also does corporate trainings.
Andr? runs his own consulting business, Project Footprints (http://www.projectfootprints.com).
Andr?'s work comes out of his personal experience of having served time in prison for armed robbery and other related charges. A Christian conversion accompanied by a decision to change his life led to his release from prison several years ago. Since then, Andr? has worked extensively with troubled youth and adults and corporate executives. Andr? draws on his own inspirational story, in which he moved from childhood illiteracy and crime to speaking for churches, youth groups, elementary, middle and high schools, and universities such as MIT and Harvard.
no-contract cleaning service Glenview ..The globalist's are the new breed, the new generation if... Read More
Yes, Bush is two-faced. The two sides of the faces... Read More
The gun control debate in America is a battle between... Read More
A. THE PHILOSOPHY OF COMPETITIONThe aims of competition (anti-trust) laws... Read More
Bosnia-Herzegovina (heretofore "Bosnia") is an artificial polity with four, tangentially... Read More
As the Baby Boomer Generation continue to get older, one... Read More
After 9-11 insurance rates on Independent Truck Drivers and smaller... Read More
Environmentalists say GM Seeds are bad for the environment, dangerous... Read More
The US Homeland Security is worried about Hydrofoil or Skimmer... Read More
The People's Liberation Army of China invaded Tibet in 1949.... Read More
Due to the bizarre weather patterns this winter California got... Read More
A few hours ago, Colonel Ely Ould Mohamed Vall, the... Read More
We are destroying our freedoms and slowing innovation, due to... Read More
Legislation was introduced into Congress this week that would establish... Read More
All UAVs Need a Self Destruct BLOS DeviceWhat do you... Read More
In what the Americans love to describe as the war... Read More
The Federal trade Commission has a rule, which says that... Read More
The US Dollar has been falling continuously in last year.... Read More
There are so many problems with our perceived perfect checks... Read More
Everyone knows the United States Government often falls down in... Read More
The end of another election once again brings into focus... Read More
In a recent report on the status of the Franchising... Read More
With respect to the States' databases, you may not locate... Read More
Public utilities and a problematic issue on the allowance of... Read More
One question not addressed in GM Crops and Monsanto Terminator... Read More
house cleaning company Glencoe ..The United States has never done a full study on... Read More
"The only time I open my mouth is when I... Read More
Well the title is absolute Bull Crap, but this article... Read More
Land Mines have been one of the most evil left... Read More
How can any human being today, anywhere in this world,... Read More
One third of all fertilized eggs spontaneously abort and are... Read More
Ever wonder why labor unions consistently endorse democrats over republicans... Read More
Without the flow of fuel our very mobile society comes... Read More
This is the beginning of the end for the man... Read More
"It is the duty of every citizen according to his... Read More
The Carl Rove issue is definitely interesting and distracting. The... Read More
I hope to provide a starting point for the serious... Read More
Wealth Distribution is often discussed at length in periodicals such... Read More
The head of the Club of Rome has said that... Read More
City Governments is their quest for; "quality of life" often... Read More
It appears the Feds are suing Elliot Spitzer over his... Read More
Peace in the Middle East - whoa that is a... Read More
With respect to the States' databases, you may not locate... Read More
In these times when states are suffering extreme downward pressure... Read More
If someone wanted to farm future clones they would need... Read More
Many MLM sales people mean well but they inadvertently commit... Read More
Guides for RetailersThe regulations about marketing pearls are listed in... Read More
Blessed with Chinese GDP growth rates (7-8% annually in each... Read More
The Bill of Rights to our Constitution caused -- and... Read More
The cause of America is in a great measure the... Read More
Political |