Hearing on the Re-Authorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 Before the Subcommittee on Human Resources of the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor: Testimony of Father Val Peter

• NCJ Number: 136999
• Author(s): V Peter
• Date Published: 1992
• Length: 6 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Legislative Hearing/Committee Report
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This testimony by Father Val Peter, the director of Boys Town in Nebraska, focuses on the needs of abused children and how the Federal Government can act under the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act to help address these needs.

Abstract

Father Peter profiles the characteristics of abused children and their behaviors and identifies the critical elements for their treatment. The testimony identifies three factors that must exist if abused children, particularly those in rural and urban areas, are to receive help: funding, effective treatment systems, and skilled workers. The testimony recommends that the reauthorization for the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act include funding for inhome intervention services, parent training, and effective treatment programs. Family home intervention could stop child abuse and its worsening effects; parent education could teach parents how to deal with their children's behavior, and effective treatment programs can help abused children cope with their abuse in healthy ways.