Strategies for Preventing Youth Strategies for Preventing Youth Antisocial and Violent BehaviorAntisocial and Violent Behavior

UnderstandingUnderstanding Risk and Risk and Resiliency AlongResiliency Along

A Troubled PathA Troubled PathChristine A. ChristleChristine A. Christle

Kristine Jolivette Kristine Jolivette

University of KentuckyUniversity of Kentucky

20022002

Eddie’s CaseEddie’s Case

Eddie’s CaseEddie’s Case

• Eddie’s mother was 16 and Eddie’s mother was 16 and unmarriedunmarried

• She dropped out of schoolShe dropped out of school• She never saw Eddie’s She never saw Eddie’s

father again and he never father again and he never provided any financial provided any financial support support

Adolescent MotherhoodAdolescent Motherhood

• Nearly 500,000 babies are Nearly 500,000 babies are born annually to adolescents born annually to adolescents 13-19 years of age13-19 years of age

• Sons of adolescent mothers Sons of adolescent mothers are 2.7 times more likely to are 2.7 times more likely to be incarcerated than sons be incarcerated than sons born to mothers in their born to mothers in their early 20'searly 20's

PovertyPoverty

• The number of extremely poor The number of extremely poor children in single-mother children in single-mother families jumped by 26 % from families jumped by 26 % from 1996 to 19971996 to 1997

($6,401 a year for a three-person ($6,401 a year for a three-person family)family)

• Best predictor of behavioral Best predictor of behavioral deviationdeviation

Eddie’s CaseEddie’s Case

• When Eddie started school When Eddie started school he was delayed in reading he was delayed in reading readiness and vocabulary readiness and vocabulary skillsskills

• His other deficits were in His other deficits were in following directions and following directions and peer relationships peer relationships

Cognitive DeficitsCognitive Deficits• Low SES children enter school Low SES children enter school

with as little as with as little as 4040 hours of hours of exposure to print material exposure to print material compared to compared to 10001000 hours for high hours for high SES childrenSES children

• They have lower vocabulary skillsThey have lower vocabulary skills• They lack familiarity with They lack familiarity with

following directionsfollowing directions

Failure CycleFailure Cycle

• Cognitive deficits lead Cognitive deficits lead to poor academic to poor academic

performanceperformance• Poor academic Poor academic performance is a performance is a

strong risk factor for strong risk factor for delinquencydelinquency

Eddie’s CaseEddie’s Case

• Eddie’s school record showed Eddie’s school record showed poor academic performance poor academic performance overall and high rates of office overall and high rates of office referrals and suspensionsreferrals and suspensions

• By Middle School Eddie was By Middle School Eddie was involved with a deviant peer involved with a deviant peer group, was often truant, and group, was often truant, and had been arrested for burglaryhad been arrested for burglary

• At 16 he dropped out of schoolAt 16 he dropped out of school

Poor School Poor School ConnectednessConnectedness

• From 1989 to 1998 truancy From 1989 to 1998 truancy cases increased in juvenile cases increased in juvenile court by 85%court by 85%

• Truancy has been linked to Truancy has been linked to youth delinquency youth delinquency

• From 1974 to 1998 From 1974 to 1998 suspension/expulsion rates suspension/expulsion rates went from 3.7% to 6.8%went from 3.7% to 6.8%

School Drop OutSchool Drop Out

• Truant and/or suspended youth are Truant and/or suspended youth are far more likely to drop out and far more likely to drop out and become delinquent become delinquent

• 82% of prison inmates are high 82% of prison inmates are high school dropoutsschool dropouts

• 17 % of arrests in the U.S. in 2000 17 % of arrests in the U.S. in 2000 were persons under 18 years of agewere persons under 18 years of age

Eddie’s CaseEddie’s Case

• In the year after Eddie In the year after Eddie dropped out he had been dropped out he had been arrested for arrested for RECKLESS RECKLESS DRIVINGDRIVING, , LARCENYLARCENY, , ROBBERYROBBERY, and , and VIOLENT VIOLENT ASSAULT and BATTERYASSAULT and BATTERY

Eddie’s caseEddie’s case was transferred to was transferred to criminal court and he is serving criminal court and he is serving a sentence in a state prisona sentence in a state prison

• The number The number of minors in of minors in state prisons state prisons has more has more than doubled than doubled in the past 12 in the past 12 yearsyears

• Youth Youth transferred to transferred to criminal court criminal court recidivate more recidivate more quickly, more quickly, more often, & for often, & for more serious more serious offenses than offenses than youth in juvenile youth in juvenile courtcourt

A Promising PathA Promising Path

Protective FactorsProtective Factors

• Can help promote ResiliencyCan help promote Resiliency• Can help a person to make Can help a person to make

better choices in the presence better choices in the presence of multiple risksof multiple risks

• Preventive strategiesPreventive strategies are more efficient and effective than reactive strategies

Eddie’s CaseEddie’s Case

• At 16, pregnant and unmarried At 16, pregnant and unmarried Eddie’s mother received help from Eddie’s mother received help from the the Prenatal and Infancy Home Prenatal and Infancy Home Visitation by Nurses programVisitation by Nurses program

• She had a healthy baby, learned She had a healthy baby, learned many good parenting skills, and many good parenting skills, and learned of other resources to help learned of other resources to help her get a job and to raise her sonher get a job and to raise her son

Prenatal and Infancy Prenatal and Infancy Home Visitation by NursesHome Visitation by Nurses

Findings:Findings:• Improved women's prenatal healthImproved women's prenatal health• Reduced pregnancy complications, Reduced pregnancy complications,

child abuse, neglect and injuries to child abuse, neglect and injuries to children, welfare dependence, children, welfare dependence, substance abuse and criminal substance abuse and criminal behavior on the part of mothersbehavior on the part of mothers

Eddie’s CaseEddie’s Case

• Since there were no positive male Since there were no positive male role models for Eddie, his mother role models for Eddie, his mother enrolled him in the Big Brothers enrolled him in the Big Brothers ProgramProgram

• Eddie enjoyed the relationship with Eddie enjoyed the relationship with his “Big Brother” who often read to his “Big Brother” who often read to him, helped him with social and him, helped him with social and academic skills, and took him academic skills, and took him cyclingcycling

Big Brothers Big Sisters Big Brothers Big Sisters of Americaof America

Findings:Findings:• Participants attended school Participants attended school

more, got better grades, and more, got better grades, and had better relationships with had better relationships with their parents and peers than their parents and peers than those who did not participate those who did not participate in the programin the program

Eddie’s CaseEddie’s Case• Eddie’s school has a school-Eddie’s school has a school-

wide system of positive wide system of positive behavior support in which behavior support in which expectations are taught and expectations are taught and reinforced. Errors are reinforced. Errors are proactively corrected.proactively corrected.

• Eddie received individualized Eddie received individualized instruction in academics and instruction in academics and social skillssocial skills

Positive Behavior Positive Behavior SupportSupport

Three LevelsThree LevelsUniversal -Universal -

School-wide assessmentSchool-wide assessmentSchool-wide preventionSchool-wide prevention

Targeted -Targeted -

Student assessmentsStudent assessmentsGroup interventionsGroup interventions

Intensive -Intensive - Individualized-Multidisciplinary Individualized-Multidisciplinary assessments &interventionsassessments &interventions

UniversalUniversalElementsElements

RulesRulesagreed upon by team - willing/able agreed upon by team - willing/able

to enforceto enforceposted, brief, positively statedposted, brief, positively stated

RoutinesRoutinesavoid problem contexts, times, avoid problem contexts, times,

groupings, etc.groupings, etc.consistentconsistent

ArrangementsArrangementsclear physical boundariesclear physical boundariessupervisionsupervision of all areasof all areas

• ExamplesExamples• Bully Prevention Program, PATHSBully Prevention Program, PATHS

TargetedTargetedElementsElements• used when universal used when universal

interventions do not apply, or interventions do not apply, or are not effectiveare not effective

• used for individual or small used for individual or small number of studentsnumber of students

• necessary for 3-10% of school necessary for 3-10% of school populationpopulation

ExampleExample• Functional Family Therapy, small Functional Family Therapy, small

group instructiongroup instruction

IntensiveIntensiveElementsElements

• planning for involvement of planning for involvement of community resources as community resources as necessarynecessary

• in-depth and continuous in-depth and continuous assessment from a variety of assessment from a variety of sources and perspectivessources and perspectives

• necessary for 1-3% of school necessary for 1-3% of school populationpopulation

ExampleExample• Multisystemic TherapyMultisystemic Therapy

Eddie’s CaseEddie’s Case• In Middle School Eddie became In Middle School Eddie became

involved in cyclinginvolved in cycling• At 16 Eddie was employed part-At 16 Eddie was employed part-

time at a bicycle shoptime at a bicycle shop

A Promising PathA Promising Path

• Identify and understand the Identify and understand the relationship of risk and relationship of risk and resiliencyresiliency

• Implement appropriate, Implement appropriate, empirically proven prevention empirically proven prevention strategies strategies – Systematically Systematically – With fidelityWith fidelity– ExtensivelyExtensively– With stabilityWith stability

DiscussionDiscussion