NCJ Number
114703
Date Published
1989
Length
36 pages
Annotation
In the 1970's, advocacy efforts were part and parcel of such reforms as deinstitutionalization, community-based alternatives, and youth and family service initiatives.
Abstract
In juvenile justice, advocacy can be broadly defined as acting on behalf of clients and/or their interest. Underlying advocacy are assumptions regarding the perceptions and values of personhood, justice, and society. A typology of advocacy can be based on the type of client, the arena, the activities shaping advocacy, and the goals. Thus, advocacy can be characterized as individual, case, or class. All three types act on behalf of clients, emphasize client participation, involve an interpersonal enterprise, and involve the management of tension and conflict within a political context. Examples of individual, case, and class advocacy include social work advocacy of a youth in the family and school contexts, neutralizing community resistance to the establishment of a group home, and deinstitutionalization in Utah's juvenile corrections system. Advocacy has seven generic steps. These include identifying and justifying a need, identifying the desired change, assessing available resources, evaluating the political scene, developing and implementing strategies (leverage, negotiating stance, use of power, timing, and tactic selection), and followup. The direction of juvenile justice policy and practice in the coming decades can be significantly influenced by advocates who can play roles in defining issues, facilitating change, and assuring that quality services are delivered to troubled youth. 6 discussion questions and 22 references.