Title:
Mental health services and the juvenile justice system: how do offender characteristics relate to the accessibility of effective services?
Author:
Heather E. Schonbachler
Thesis Advisor:
David Crough
Committee Member:
Sharon Green-Hennessy
Committee Member:
Martin F. Sherman
Degree Granting Institution:
Loyola University Maryland--College of Arts and Sciences
Place:
Baltimore (Md.)
Publisher:
Loyola University Maryland
Date Created:
2004
Type of Resource:
text
Genre:
thesis
Language:
eng
Format:
application/pdf
Physical Form:
electronic
Digital Source:
reformatted digital
Abstract:
Research has suggested that a number of juvenile offenders are in need of mental health services, and that the efficacy of available services varies from increasing the likelihood of recidivism over those who received no intervention to effectively reducing recidivism for 2 years. For this reason, the efficacy of common interventions is reviewed. Previous research also suggests that demographic characteristics of young offenders are related to juvenile justice decisions, decisions that can subsequently affect the availability of effective services to offenders. The current research examines the relation between demographic variables and juvenile justice processing decisions. Analyses were conducted using chi squared procedures to compare the expected and observed frequencies of different demographic groups in the intake and disposition stages of the legal system. Data were obtained from the 2002 Maryland Annual Statistical Report on juvenile crime and included all youth that were referred to juvenile intake that year. Demographic variables examined included race, age, gender, and area of jurisdiction. As predicted, significant relations were discovered between demographics (race and jurisdiction) and intake decision, such that African American and urban youth were more likely to be formally petitioned than Caucasian or rural youth, respectively. Significant relations were also discovered that supported predictions between demographics (race and age) and disposition, such that African American youth and older youth were more likely to be disposed to stricter sanctions than Caucasian and younger youth, respectively. Results also suggested a relation between gender and disposition and jurisdiction and disposition; however these were in the reverse direction from the predicted relation. No significant relation was discovered between race and availability of aftercare services. Results are discussed in relation to how demographic differences in processing can subsequently relate to differences in the accessibility to effective mental health services for different demographic groups.
Subject:
Juvenile delinquents--Mental health services
Subject:
Juvenile delinquents--Mental health
Degree:
Master of Arts
Level:
Master
Discipline:
Psychology
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Identifier:
SchonbachlerHE-04
