NCJ Number
216943
Date Published
2005
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This chapter examines elements of culture that relate to working with adjudicated Mexican-American youth, with attention to how to promote resilience among such youth, who are at increased risk for delinquent behavior because of their childhood exposure to socioeconomic disadvantage.
Abstract
The positive development of Latino youth not only requires culturally sensitive and skilled youth workers who understand their circumstances and stresses, but also workers with the knowledge, skill, and resources to guide Latino youth into mainstream American socioeconomic opportunities. Conflicts and frustrations that emerge in the course of such acculturation must be addressed in order to prevent the development of accessible criminal lifestyles for economic survival and social acceptance. For many Mexican-American youth, the stage for their involvement in the juvenile justice system was set at an early age because of the erosion of a culture of protection due to a deteriorating parent-child relationship, poor parental monitoring, family instability, and oppressive social policies and institutions. This pathway may be positively altered, however, through the use of culturally tailored interventions that guide Mexican-American children and youth in the development of prosocial goals, skills, and behavior. Such interventions face obstacles, however, because of the lack of adequate bilingual services to Latino youth, the poor cultural competence of juvenile justice staff in working with Latino youth, and the array of antigang laws that impose harsher sentences on adjudicated Latino youth. 62 references