2. Outline
1. History
2. Assessment of Young Offenders
3. Theories of An@social Behaviour
4. Risk and Protec@ve Factors
5. Preven@on and Treatment
6. Video
3. 1. History
Juvenile Young Youth
Delinquents Offenders Criminal
Legal Act Act Jus@ce Act
Act
Year 1908 1984 2003
4. 1. Juvenile Delinquents Act
• Youth between 7 and 16
• Separate court system
• Sentencing op@ons increased
• Parents encouraged to par@cipate
• Problems?
5. 1. Young Offenders Act
• Accountability for ac@ons
• Protec@on of the public
• Legal rights
• Minimum age for criminal offence is 12
• Problems?
6. 1. Youth Criminal Jus@ce Act
• Less serious crime out of court
• Extrajudicial measures increase
• Preven@on and reintegra@on
• No transfers
• Vic@m needs recognized
14. 2. Internalizing problems
• Emo@onal problem
• E.g., Anxiety, Depression, Obsessions
• Easier to treat than externalizing problems
• More typically displayed by females
31. 3. Cogni@ve
• A`en@on in social interac@ons
1. A`ending to social cues
2. Use cues/thoughts about cues to choose
behaviour
– Process fewer cues (environment)
– Misa`ribute hos@le intent (thoughts)
– Produce fewer more aggressive solu@ons
(thoughts/behaviour choices)
– Cogni@ve deficits
32. 3. Cogni@ve
• Reac@ve and Proac@ve aggression
• Reac@ve: response to perceived threat
• cogni@ve deficiency in processing/a`ending to social
cues
• Proac@ve: directed at achieving a goal
• deficiency in genera@ng alterna@ve solu@ons
• Reac@ve tend to have earlier onset
37. 4. Protec@ve Factors
• Similar children have different outcomes
• Resilience
• Protec@ve factors…
1. Change the level of risk associated with a risk
factor
2. Change the nega@ve chain reac@on
3. Help develop and maintain self‐esteem
4. Provide opportuni@es
41. 5. Preven@on and Treatment
• Prior to violence
• Decrease likelihood of future violence
Primary • e.g., family‐oriented, school oriented,
community wide
• Directed at young offenders
• Reduce frequency of violence
Secondary • e.g., diversion programs
• For youth who have gone through formal
court proceedings
Ter@ary • Prevent violence from reoccurring
• e.g., in‐pa@ent treatment