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Contact Information

Phone: (919)733-4564
Fax: (919)733-4625

Anne Mayher
(Community Development)

Priority A

Targeted services for youth at risk (link to description of "at risk") of involvement with the juvenile justice system

Research:

• The NC high school completion rate for 1994-1996 is 87.2%, an increase from 1991-1993 rate of 84.2%. The national high school completion average is 85.7% (Snyder & Sickmund, 1999). Although NC dropout rate is below US average, the overall education level is skewed by race. In NC, 55% of Hispanics do not have a high school diploma. Whites and African-Americans without a high school diploma represent 19% and 30%, respectively, of NC’s adult population (US Census Bureau, 2000).

• Nationally, fifty-seven percent (57%) of violent juvenile crime occurred on school days between the hours of 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Winston-Salem Police Department noted a similar finding. Fifty-three percent of juvenile suspects made contact with officers during the hours of 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM and 78% of all juvenile contact occurred outside of school hours (Whitaker, 1998).

• The number of NC juveniles alleged to be delinquent has increased from 25,171 in FY 1996-1997 to 26,583 in FY 2000-2001 (NCDJJDP, 2002). The national rate of violent offenses by juveniles has declined 32% from 1994-1998 (Mendel, 2000).

• High quality, early childhood education may lower the juvenile delinquency rate, especially for children at risk of school failure. As many as 40,000 North Carolina children may be at risk (Clifford & Gallagher, 2001).

Program Examples:

1. School Readiness programs (Clifford & Gallagher, 2001)

• Maintain low child-to-caregiver ratios

• Offer full-day programs

• Consider providing supplemental services of medical, social work, family therapy, and other specialized services

• Provide transportation

• Recruit/retain well-trained caregivers and provide continuous professional development opportunities

• Focus curriculum on academic skills of language development, literacy, math and science. Additionally, curriculum should include emotional and social skills of problem solving, cooperative play, self-control and working well with others.

2. Mentoring programs (McGill, Mihalic, & Grotpeter, 1998)Develop rigorous standards and procedures

• Ensure systematic and structured match of volunteers with at-risk children

• Focus on friendship, trust, consistency and relationship building

• Ongoing and close monitoring of volunteer matches. Case manager maintains regular contact with volunteer, child and child’s family.

3. After school programs (Whitaker, 1998)

• Structured homework assistance

• Community-based site located near targeted population

• Regular transportation to return students home and for field trips

• High number of volunteer hours per child

• Enrollment criteria that specify targeted population

• Cultural enrichment emphasis

4. Home visitation by nurses (Olds, Hill, Mihalic, & O’Brien, 1998)

• Certified nurses perform frequent home visits

• Targeted population is single, at-risk mothers having their first child

• Visits begin early in pregnancy and continue until child’s second birthday

• Low caseload

• Focus on parental behavior and modifiable environmental conditions

• Nurses build mothers’ self-esteem and confidence by emphasizing planning and achieving small, measurable objectives

• Nurses follow protocols and keep detailed records

5. Life Skills Training (Botvin, Mihalic, & Grotpeter, 1998)

• School-based program taught by teachers, peer leaders or health professionals

• Targeted population are middle school students, initial sessions in 6^th or 7^th grades with booster sessions in 8^th or 9^th grades

• Lessons focus on self-management skills, social skills and drug use information

• Skills are taught utilizing instruction, demonstration, feedback, reinforcement and practice techniques

6. Seattle Social Development Project (SSDP) (Promising Practices Network)

• School-based program involving teachers, parents, and children

• Targeted population are students in grades 1-6

• Focus on increasing attachment to school and family

• Program must begin early and continue through, elementary school years Program integrates three units—teacher, parent and child. Teachers are provided training and practice in proactive classroom management and active learning. Parents are instructed in child behavior, pro-social development and academic support. Children learn problem solving and conflict resolution.

7. Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) (Greenberg, Kusché, & Mihalic, 1998)

• School-based program taught by elementary school teachers

• Targeted population is children in kindergarten through 5^th grade

• Focus on emotional competency, relationship building and problem solving

• Program strategies are implemented and reinforced over several years

• Utilizing best practices to incorporate into program design

• Incorporate developmental model

• Emphasize emotions and emotional development

• Encourage generalization of strategies

• Provide ongoing training and support of program