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Abstract
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An assumption held by the general population, policy makers, and many mental health and juvenile justice professionals is that most youths who commit violent acts are severely mentally disordered and, therefore, require intensive psychiatric services. This assumption is examined in light of the experiences of a specialized program estab lished within New York State that diverted juveniles adjudicated for a violent crime into a mental health setting.
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this article by Cocozza et al. was to examine the assumption, based in the medical model of criminal behavior, that all violent juveniles are mentally ill, and that more mental health facilities are needed to deal with such people.
METHODOLOGY:
The authors employed a non-experimental case-study design in an examination of a pilot program in New York City that diverted violent, mentally disordered male juvenile delinquents into a mental health setting. Individuals were screened for suitability of entering the program, following referral from either the courts or from the Division for Youth personnel. The criteria for admission into the facility were that the individual had formally been judged to be a delinquent for a violent act or for a pattern of violent behavior, and that he appeared to suffer from a mental disorder. The project consisted of two stages - in the first phase after entering the facility, short-term diagnostic and stabilization services were provided by the Department of Mental Hygiene for up to ten people in a secure unit; in the second stage of the project, the Division for Youth provided long-term treatment for up to twenty individuals. The combination of both mental health and juvenile justice professionals was a unique part of the program, which was evaluated by the researchers over a 33-month period ending in November, 1978.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The perceived abundance of violent juveniles in New York City led to the belief that the program would be filled immediately. However, only 37 referrals and 9 admissions were presented during the first six months of the facility's operation. By the end of the data collection period, 137 juveniles had been referred and had been evaluated, with only 52 of them (38%) being diagnosed as appropriate candidates for the program. Those accepted into the facility were more often referred for problems with violence, and were more likely to be diagnosed as psychotic by the psychiatrist during the screening procedure. The low referral rate might have been due to an unfamiliarity with the program on the part of the referral sources, but was most likely due to the fact that there were simply very limited numbers of juveniles exhibiting both criteria of violent behavior and mental illness. Of the first 34 offenders released back into the community after completing their time in the program, 69% recidivated and 39% were arrested for committing a violent crime. Although the program was not a huge success, it was more effective than the existing alternatives, with a definite, if small, group of juvenile offenders who were able to benefit from the mental health approach to delinquency. The authors concluded that whilst the treatment of violent juveniles in mental health facilities may be appropriate for a few individuals, the broad assumption that violence is indicative of mental illness cannot be upheld.
EVALUATION:
This paper presents an informative insight into the effectiveness of mental health treatment of the violent juvenile offender. Whilst the authors warn of the mistake of overestimating the number of juveniles who could benefit from mental health intervention, it must be kept in mind that the small numbers accepted into their program might be due, in part, to their diagnostic screening procedures. As the very definition of mental illness is an issue of some debate, it must be acknowledged that other studies, employing different diagnostic criteria, might have come to quite different conclusions. However, despite this concern, the study makes a convincing and concise argument for critical thought about the common belief that violence is a mental health problem. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - New York
KW - 1970s
KW - Juvenile Delinquency
KW - Juvenile Offender
KW - Juvenile Treatment
KW - Juvenile Violence
KW - Mental Health Treatment
KW - Offender Treatment
KW - Mental Illness
KW - Mentally Ill Offender
KW - Mentally Ill Juvenile
KW - Violence Treatment
KW - Delinquency Treatment
KW - Treatment Program
KW - Treatment Effectiveness Evaluation
KW - Program Effectiveness
KW - Program Evaluation
Language: en |