Individual or Family Factors: Which is More Important for Interventions?

Running Head: INDIVIDUAL OR FAMILY FACTORS?

Individual or Family Factors:

Which is More Important for Interventions?

Tammy Whitley

Kaplan University

CJ445: Case Management in Juvenile Justice

Professor Lacey Martz

May 12, 2012

            When examining individual factors and family factors to decide which type of intervention program can be most used most successfully, several questions demand answers in order to properly deduce the likelihood of success or failure for delinquent youths. A thorough assessment will likely answer many of these questions, such as: Is the youth in a crisis situation? Are there extenuating circumstances which need to be considered? Does the individual suffer from any mental illness? Is the youth addicted to any drugs/alcohol? Does the youth have a support system in place at home? At school? In the community? Such basic issues as the age of the child can have bearing when deciding which type of intervention is best suited to the youth. For example, adolescents may not respond as well as younger children to Parent Management Training (PMT), as pointed out by Albert Roberts. (2004) Alternatively, aggressive and antisocial adolescents may do better with problem-solving skills training (PSST), which allows these youths to develop a variety of effective responses when faced with problem situations. (Spivack & Schure, 1974) Overall, the assessment will help determine which interventions provide the best hope for success and enable the social worker, or case manager, etc…to present these options to the participants.

             Since at least two thirds of juvenile detainees have a mental disorder in addition to their offending behaviors, this must certainly be taken into consideration when implementing any intervention programs. (Roberts, 2004) Hand in hand with these issues, many youth also have multiple risk factors to consider when deciding upon an intervention program. These risk factors can vary greatly and be interwoven within families and throughout communities, multiplying further the need for effective intervention. They can include individual factors, such as mental illness, drug use, deficits in school achievements, negative social interaction, abuse of any kind, physical, emotional, or sexual, neglect, teen pregnancy, and exposure to violence. Several community factors must also be considered, including availability of drugs, availability of guns, prevalence of criminal behavior, economic deprivation, lack of constructive recreational activities, and lack of social bonding. Usually, the family must be considered when deciding upon an intervention program, as their input will be critical to the success of the youth. Some of the family risks that face these youth are familial criminal behavior, familial mental illness, negative attitudes, as well as attitudes which are favorable to substance abuse and violence, poor family management, low parental involvement, drug and alcohol abuse, family conflict/poor family bonding, homelessness and separation of child and parent. Based upon these factors and their impact on the youth’s life, it the belief of this researcher that family factors play a larger role in the successful intervention of a juvenile delinquent than any other.

            By incorporating the family into the intervention, more can be done to assist the delinquent youth and prevent recidivism. If the individual factors alone are taken into account, many vital areas which are malleable will be missed. Only by taking these family factors into account can successful interventions reach the core of the youth’s living environment and surrounding influences. Strengthening the base of the family with effective family programs can impact the attitudes, values, behaviors, and personalities of all who are in the home with the youth, whether they are parents, step-parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, half-siblings, step-siblings, etc…Some of the ways these programs can help include long-term assistance to ensure the sustainability of interventions, taking cultural awareness and traditions into account, utilizing developmentally appropriate programs, ensuring family preservation, and enabling extended networks to support the family.

            Several key components are recognized as being essential to an effective family program which seeks to intervene and disrupt juvenile delinquency. One of these components includes being comprehensive enough to address multiple dimensions for the child (cognitive, social, behavioral, physical, emotional, and spiritual) at multiple levels (Family, peer group, school, church, community). Another component is they need to focus on the family as a whole and address all of the family’s needs. The programs need to be long-term in order to address all of the needs and create sustainability. The intensity of the program needs to reflect the needs of the family and be flexible enough to accommodate comprehensive support systems. Interventions must fit the traditions of the family in order to improve recruitment, retention, and outcome effectiveness. The programs must be developmentally appropriate and structured to meet the developmental needs of the children while allowing room for growth and change. Family dynamics and improved parental skills will help change how the family interacts. Early interventions are best for dysfunctional families with at-risk youth. The individual components of a program can have tremendous impact. They must address family relations, communication, and parental monitoring. In order to successfully recruit and retain families, individual needs, such as transportation, child care, and meals must be addressed. Videos can used effectively to reflect good and bad parenting skills and model correct parenting management. The staff who administer the program have a huge impact on the outcome and must be properly trained and able to advocate the program philosophy. (Roberts, 2004)

            One specific program which aims to address these issues is the Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT). This program “targets family interactions that are thought to maintain or exacerbate adolescent drug abuse and other co-occurring problem behaviors. These problem behaviors include conduct problems at home and at school, oppositional behavior, delinquency, associating with antisocial peers, aggressive and violent behavior, and risky sexual behaviors.” (Koch, 2010)

            Delinquent youth and their families often face social stigma and disgrace. By implementing these family programs, they have a new lease and the ability to impact their own lives by empowering themselves with new skills and understandings of the importance of familial involvement. This can carry over into other aspects of their lives as well. Improved communication skills are valuable at every stage of life and an understanding of how individuals work together can be used in most work and social settings. Using tools to gain knowledge and impact their own lives can illuminate their future as well. The knowledge that comes from personal experience can be carried forward in other aspects of their lives.

References

            Kock, J. (2010). Mental Illnesses: Descriptions, Causes, and Treatments. Nova Science Publishers

            Roberts, A. R. (2004). Juvenile justice Sourcebook: Past, present, and future (1st Ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press

            Spivack, G. & Shure, M. B. (1974). Social adjustment of young children. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.