NCJ Number
243615
Date Published
August 2013
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper addresses the role that family engagement plays in creating a trauma-informed juvenile justice system.
Abstract
This paper from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network discusses the role that family engagement plays in creating a trauma-informed juvenile justice system. In this brief, family engagement is described as the collaborative relationship between agencies or systems and families of system-involved youth. Because families are the primary context in which children and youth receive care, support, and a sense of belonging, the notion of family engagement is considered a key element in a trauma-informed juvenile justice system. This paper discusses eight principles that have been identified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as being key principles in a trauma-informed approach and that can be applied to family engagement in the juvenile justice setting. These eight principles are safety, trustworthiness and transparency, collaboration and mutuality, empowerment, voice and choice, peer support and mutual self-help, resilience and strengths based, and cultural, historical, and gender issues. The brief also identifies challenges to incorporating family engagement in the juvenile justice setting, along with recommendations for addressing the challenges. By collaborating and engaging with families of system-involved youth, juvenile justice systems can offer more effective interventions and treatment for the youth. References