NCJ Number
243614
Date Published
August 2013
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses the concepts behind trauma-informed assessment and intervention, one of the key elements in a trauma-informed juvenile justice system.
Abstract
This paper from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network explores the need for incorporating trauma-informed assessment and intervention as part of a trauma-informed juvenile justice system. Trauma-informed assessment involves evaluating the ways that a youth's functioning might be affected by the experience of trauma while trauma-informed interventions involve providing youth and families with evidence-based interventions that have proven to be effective at reducing the negative effects of exposure to trauma. Incorporating trauma-informed assessment into the juvenile justice system is a crucial step in identifying those youth most in need of services and allowing for the proper allocation of limited resources. This paper examines several instances where trauma-informed assessment and intervention have been successfully incorporated into the juvenile justice system. The paper also identifies several challenges towards making trauma-informed assessment and intervention standard practices in the juvenile justice system. These challenges include lack of properly trained mental health professionals, lack of willingness on the part of youth to provide true and accurate reports about the extent of their trauma exposure and posttraumatic symptoms, and changes in what is considered "trauma." One of the unique challenges affecting the development trauma-informed treatment is the unique set of issues facing girls in the juvenile justice system. References