Juvenile Justice Policies and Suicide Risk Quiz

10 Questions

What is the main issue with zero tolerance policies in schools?

They do not allow for mitigating circumstances

What is the main factor that influences law enforcement's decisions when dealing with youthful offenders?

The young person's profile

What is delinquency adjudication?

The legal control over a juvenile given to the court

What is the correlation between placement in a juvenile justice facility and recidivism rates?

There is no correlation between placement in a facility and recidivism rates

What is the impact of solitary confinement on youthful offenders?

It harms their development, mental health, and safety

What is the risk of suicide for detained and incarcerated youthful offenders?

They are at a significantly higher risk for suicide than the general population

What is the impact of having a history of arrest on suicide attempts?

It increases the likelihood of suicide attempts

What is the impact of maltreatment on suicide attempts in juvenile justice facilities?

Maltreatment increases the likelihood of suicide attempts

Why is suicide prevention necessary in juvenile justice facilities?

All of the above

What is the importance of mental health support for incarcerated youth?

It can help reduce the risk of suicide

Study Notes

Punitive juvenile justice policies began in the 1980s and have drawn millions of at-risk children into punishment pathways.
Adolescents are different from young adults in terms of biology, cognition, emotion, socialization, and decision-making.
Strict punishment has little deterrence effect on adolescents, and adolescent activities are part of identity formation.
Discipline problems at school often start as minor incidents or infractions, but zero tolerance policies do not allow for mitigating circumstances.
Dropout rates disproportionately impact minority and foreign-born students, LGBT, and males, and suspensions/expulsions increase the chance of school failure and juvenile court involvement.
Law enforcement's first point of contact with youthful offenders can be pivotal, and the factors that influence their decisions include the young person's profile, the officer's perspectives, organizational policies, specific offenses, available community alternatives or programming, and any community pressures.
Delinquency adjudication is an official judicial decision that provides legal control over the juvenile to the court and the assignment of a probation officer and ongoing supervision.
Troubled lives before entering the system, academic struggles, and mental health issues are common among youthful incarcerated offenders.
Most juvenile justice detention and incarceration facilities use punitive approaches, and placement in a facility has no correlation with recidivism rates or is associated with an increase in recidivism.
Solitary confinement is cruel and unusual punishment that harms youthful offenders' development, mental health, and safety.

Detained and incarcerated youthful offenders are at higher risk for suicide.
Institutionalized adolescents have a 50% chance of experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Predicting suicide risk in this population is difficult.
Youth with an arrest history are more likely to report a suicide attempt.
Maltreatment victims are twice as likely to attempt suicide in juvenile justice facilities.
The system is not designed to handle the comorbid impact of suicide in detention and incarceration facilities.
Risk factors for suicide vary in impact and intensity.
Suicide prevention measures are necessary in juvenile justice facilities.
Mental health support is crucial for incarcerated youth.
More research is needed to understand and address the issue of suicide in detained and incarcerated youthful offenders.