In a brief released on 7/7/10, The Justice Policy Institute has brought to light the shocking fact that the number of incarcerated children who have been victims of traumatic incidents such as sexual abuse, violence, war, neglect and ill-treatment is between 73 - 90 percent. There are 93,000 youth in the US criminal justice system today, according to the JPI. And while accountability for ones acts is essential in rehabilitation, placement is equally important. Healing Invisible Wounds: Why Investing in Trauma-Informed Care for Children Makes Sense, a JPI research brief, found that children who are treated in the community fare far better than those placed in a correctional setting.
Being incarcerated has a profound effect on an individual. A child that has experienced trauma and who is incarcerated is even more affected, according to author Erica Adams. Dr Adams goes on to report that childhood trauma should be addressed before a child is swept up into the legal system, and is necessary for the “well-being of the child, the family and ultimately, the community.”
When a child experiences trauma, far reaching psychiatric problems may occur, such as post traumatic stress disorder, personality and conduct disorders, depression, and anxiety. Substance abuse can be another way trauma may manifest itself. Healing Invisible Wounds also goes on to convey that trauma can be responsible for developmental delays, learning disabilities and low IQs. The study also discovered that those who had experienced trauma are three times as like likely to quit school or be expelled as those students without a traumatic event in their lives.
Of the thousands of incarcerated youth each year, only a handful are screened for symptoms related to trauma, or are offered treatment for trauma, if discovered. The brief describes how a study of 84 agencies revealed that information regarding a background of trauma was either not provided, or was very limited. Furthermore, one-third of the agencies had no training programs to properly examine for trauma. Trauma screening was found to be minimal at best, even though almost two-thirds of all states claim to use universal or selective screenings for trauma. In reality, less than 20 percent of states use assessment tools that are based on evidence or standardized. Dr Adams asserts that sometimes trauma mirrors behavior that can be classified as delinquent, and that treatment and intervention is “almost non-existent.”
Advocates for juvenile justice reform are calling for assessment for trauma and treatment, rather than incarceration. JPI utilizing research from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, clinicians, and other organizations or individuals provided a model policy outline to improve the trauma-informed system. JPI’s suggested new policy includes: improving reporting of and screening for exposure to trauma; improving the way trauma is assessed; providing targeted and early intervention programs, ensuring that children who experienced trauma are provided with treatment and services, avoiding further trauma inside the juvenile justice system; considering trauma exposure when handing out a sentence or placement; and investing in prevention and trauma-informed programs.
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