Raven King_Early Intervention Programs For At-Risk Adolescents

Raven King

ENG 110_Spring 2015

Research Paper

May 18, 2015

Early Intervention Programs For At-Risk Adolescents

Juvenile delinquency is a severe issue in today’s society and needs serious attention in order to make it better. Even those who are not directly affected end up being touched by this issue through governmental allocation of tax dollars and the general safety of our communities (Saminsky, 2010). Juvenile crime affects everyone living in the United States today. It impacts parents, neighbors, teachers and families, victims of the crime, and the perpetrators. While delinquency rates have been decreasing, the numbers are still too high. However, this problem cannot simply be solved by spending money but by doing research about the effective ways to lower these numbers. There have been numerous programs that attempted to lower this rate. Some have been successful and others have had minimal or no impact; and these failing programs are a waste of valuable resources. It is important to take a look at these programs and find out what works and what doesn’t so the successful programs can continue to be implemented and improved, while those programs that are failing can be put to rest.

Prevention programs positively impact the general public because they strive to reduce crime or stop it altogether. One component of successful prevention programs is the comprehensive nature. These programs take a more holistic approach to prevent future crime by dealing with various aspects of a child’s life, rather than focusing on one in particular.  For example, rather than focusing on the academics and intellectual level of the child alone, it is more effective to include factors such as recreational activities and peer counseling. Two of the most successful programs are Head Start and Home Visitation Programs. They both target at-risk populations and specific risk factors that contribute to delinquent behavior and juvenile delinquency. Once these risk factors are decreased to a certain degree, the problem behavior is less likely to occur. Some of the most effective early intervention programs have taken a multi-prolonged approach to this goal by including non-educational supports, such as providing health care, involving parents in the program, and offering specific services to the families of children enrolled (Zigler, 1992).

Risk factors play a major role in the lives of at-risk youth and may lead to delinquent behavior. Low intelligence is considered to be a risk factor because children with below average intelligence there is a greater chance of the child performing poorly in school. Socioeconomic status is another important risk factor to evaluate in cases of delinquent behavior. Children raised in a household that is unstable with unsupportive caregivers have a much greater chance of developing a problem behavior in the future than children who are raised in a stable home.  Although it is difficult to predict future problem behavior, targeting specific risk factors will possibly decrease the amount of the delinquent behavior. As the number of risk factors increase, the possibility of delinquency being present increases as well. The majority of these risk factors appear to be rooted in the environment, but there is some speculation that nurture interacts with nature to heighten a child’s vulnerability (Zigler, 1992).

In the 1960s and 1970s, it was found that the juvenile justice system was ineffective. The nation began working to stop the institutionalization of a number of populations, which included psychiatric patients and mentally retarded persons. Therefore to continue with this change the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 was developed. This act aimed to decrease the number of juveniles being placed in jail for crimes that are not necessarily considered to be crimes for adults: running away, truancy, and liquor law violations. The number of status offenders held in public facilities decreased by 60% between 1977 and 1982, and the population of juveniles held in adult facilities decreased from 97,847 to 15,130 (Zigler, 1992).

Those that get involved with the delinquent after the occurrence of deviant behavior tend to be less successful—at that point antisocial habits are well developed. The programs that intervene before the onset of the delinquent behavior and prevent that behavior are more effective. Getting involving in the children’s lives earlier rather than later can effectively reduce crime. The period of early childhood and adolescence is a critical time where the child is the most influenced by outside forces. Whether the influence comes from their social group or family, it is important to provide them with the right information before the problem behavior can even develop.

Head Start is an intervention program that stands out among the others. This program began as a part of Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty. The program provides comprehensive education, health services, nutritional guidance, parental involvement, and social services to low-income children and their families (Saminsky, 2010). It takes a holistic approach in order to address all aspects of a child’s life After almost 50 years of being in session, Head Start has enrolled over 22 million children in the United States. The ultimate goal of this program is to prepare children for school and give these unprivileged children a “head start”. Head Start has been shown to improve intelligence, academic readiness and achievement, self-esteem, social behavior and physical health (Saminsky, 2010).

It is important to understand that Head Start does not estimate the success of their programs based on the rate of juvenile delinquency, but the level of school readiness the child exhibits. Children who participate in these programs are less likely to drop out and perform delinquent behavior because they have better early school experiences and a stronger commitment to education. Early intervention programs have also been shown to increase IQ scores and executive functioning, better elementary school achievement, and lower rates of aggression and other antisocial behavior.

Today, Head Start is considered to be an educational achievement program as well as an early intervention delinquency program. Programs like Head Start are not only beneficial for the students but for the government as well. There is evidence that suggests that these programs not only pay back their costs but also earn a profit for the government and taxpayers in terms of deflecting costs of social assistance and judicial costs, and adding to tax revenue (Saminsky, 2010).

Another successful program is home visitation, which also combines early intervention and comprehensive care. This program allows nurses and trained professionals to meet with typically low-income or high-risk mothers, typically teenage mothers. These professionals provide assistance to these mothers throughout the duration of their pregnancy until the child is 2 years old. The goal of this program is to provide mothers with information and support. Specifically, the nurses aim to reduce environmental hazards, instruct mothers about nutrition for themselves and for their infants, effectively correct behavior, and reduce substance abuse by the mother (Saminsky, 2010).

The effects of the visitation programs include a reduction in maternal substance abuse during pregnancy, a reduction in child maltreatment, a reduction in family size, closely spaced pregnancies, and chronic welfare dependence (Saminsky, 2010). Home visitation programs have been increasingly successful in mediating risk factors. This program not only helps create healthy childhood development, but it sets children up for success in the future and reduces the chance of crimes being committed as well. 

Although it is important to look at the factors that contribute to juvenile delinquency, the success of the communities’ children depends on the strength of the families. The first important influence on children is the family but that children and families are interactive members of a large system of social institutions, such as the school, the workplace, and community health and child care services (Zigler, 1992). Children will be positively impacted in homes that provide a secure, predictable and stable environment where parents are supportive and loving towards them. Parents that are active and present in their child’s life will foster a positive environment where delinquent behavior is less likely.

Families can show more involvement when they receive much needed support. Whether they are given opportunities for parenting classes or resources to help them become more involved in their children’s lives, improvement will benefit both the child and parent.  In low-income societies it is less likely for the parents to be involved, and on the other hand become more irritable and less affectionate towards their children. Socioeconomic status is a major factor that contributes to the lack of involvement of parents and has negative effects on the children as well. Low-income families are less likely to have good health, mental health care, housing, quality childcare, or even adequate food (Lieny, 2014). Evidence has shown that the best times to support families are in the first few years of the child’s life, during the transition to elementary school, and in the transition to middle school (Lieny, 2014). It is important that resources are available to all parents and families.

While these programs have been shown to be successful, there are changes that need to be implemented. With some exceptions, programs aimed at preventing juvenile delinquency have also shown little evidence of their long-term effectiveness, largely because they target only a few of the causes of delinquent behavior (Zigler, 1992). Research has shown that highly successful programs continue beyond childhood years to provide support to at-risk youth. The best programs do not end once the child reaches a certain age, but continues to provide support throughout childhood. Early intervention for at-risk adolescents is beneficial in all aspects. These programs prepare children for the future at the most crucial time in their lives. Whether the success is seen in individual children or not, it is successful overall. Although, early intervention aims to prevent future problem behavior there is still room for improvement in order to see lasting effects in future generations.

Annotated Bibliography

Saminsky, A. (2010). “Preventing Juvenile Delinquency: Early Intervention and Comprehensiveness as Critical Factors.” Student Pulse, 2(02).

The author describes the risk factors that contribute to delinquent behavior in children. By examining factors that may cause a child to become delinquent, there is room for improvement. The programs that are deemed to be successful and those who have little to no impact are all included and evaluated. Factors such as comprehensiveness and early intervention are significant when it comes to preventing delinquent behavior.

Jeon, Lieny, Cynthia K. Buettner, and Eunhye Hur. “Family And Neighborhood Disadvantage, Home Environment, And Children’s School Readiness.” Journal Of Family Psychology 28.5 (2014): 718-727. PsycARTICLES.

Preschool-aged children’s cognitive skills and social-emotional competence have critical implications for success in the transition to formal schooling. Children who exhibit more school readiness attain greater academic achievement and are able to adapt to their surroundings, which develops more positive behaviors. The authors of this article examine two important elements of children’ school readiness: cognitive skills and social-emotional competence. Social competence represents children’s behaviors that allow them to effectively manage and engage in social environments. Emotional competence can be defined as children’s ability to regulate their emotions.

Zigler, E.. Taussig, C., Black, K. (1992). “Early Childhood Intervention: A Promising Preventative for Juvenile Delinquency.” Yale University

The authors of this article focused on early intervention programs that target juvenile delinquency. They examined the success of multiple programs and discovered factors that made them wither successful or not. This study shows that although these programs have been around for decades, the success rate is somewhat the same. Therefore, there needs to be improvements made to these early intervention programs for the future.

Karoly, Lynn A., M. Rebecca Kilburn and Jill S. Cannon. Proven Benefits of Early Childhood Interventions. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2005.

The authors of this articles examined the short and long-term benefits of early intervention programs, the features that are associated with more effective programs and the economic gains that come from investing in these programs. The study focused on programs that provide child development services from the prenatal period until kindergarten.

May, Jessica., Osmond, Kristina., Billick, Stephen (2014). “Juvenile Delinquency Treatment and Prevention: A Literature Review.” Springer Science + Business Media New York

The authors of this article examined how teaching prosocial values in early childhood can reduce the incidence of first-time juvenile delinquency. There has been plenty of research to demonstrate that institute Multisystematic Therapy for serious juvenile offenders, keeping them in the community with intensive intervention, can significantly reduce recidivism. Programs such as the Perry School Project is discussed to demonstrate that although these interventions are expensive, they are cost-effective as the cost to society of decision, incarceration and victim damages are much greater.