Trauma-Informed Youth Justice Framework PDF

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world” ~ Desmond Tutu A FRAMEWORK FOR TRAUMA-INFORMED YOUTH JUSTICE  “Trauma can give rise Trauma is defined as, “a deeply distressing...

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world” ~ Desmond Tutu A FRAMEWORK FOR TRAUMA-INFORMED YOUTH JUSTICE  “Trauma can give rise Trauma is defined as, “a deeply distressing or disturbing experience” to wrongdoing; trauma Any out-of-ordinary event that is experienced as can result from overwhelming wrongdoing; trauma Two Parts to Trauma: can result from 1. An incident or ongoing incidents punishment; trauma 2. An individual’s experience of it (determines whether that, once experienced a person is traumatized or not) in prison, may result in It is shocking, terrifying and devastating and it is different more wrongdoing” from stress, resulting in the victim to feel profoundly upset, feel terror, shame, helplessness and powerlessness (Howard Zehr)  As many as 90% of young offenders have experienced some sort of trauma in their childhood Youth Domestic violence; neglect; poverty; sexual abuse; colonization (in the case Justice of Indigenous peoples) that Loading… These youth are struggling to cope with overwhelming Heals experiences Impacts of trauma on young people often include mental health, substance abuse and relational challenges, which at times bring them into conflict with the law  Youth Justice that Heals Evidence suggests that contact with the justice system contributes toward youth reoffending in the future more than it discourages crime A youth justice system premised on punishment adds more trauma, according to Oudshoorn Recent studies show that seeing violence has a long-term negative impact on a child’s brain & their cognitive development over time, exposure to violence during childhood is significantly correlated w/ negative outcomes such as mental health issues and/or delinquent/criminal behavior Unique’s Story Loading… Healing Trauma-informed youth justice doesn’t mean that we eliminate consequences for harmful behaviours, nor that and we stop holding young offenders accountable Repairing It means that we carefully ask what has contributed to the Harm That choices these young people have made Meaningful consequences for young offenders mean: Has Been Acknowledging harms they have committed, while Done Supporting them through their own challenges In RJ a person doesn’t face consequences because they broke the law but because they have caused harm to people and relationships  Majority of young people who commit crime do so because How of trauma they experienced in their own lives Trauma Important to understand how trauma affects people; specifically, the brain, attachment, shame & identity Happens Many of these traumas are collective (or intergenerational), such as colonization of Indigenous peoples by settler society, male violence & domestic & sexual abuse Many young people are traumatized by their experiences in the CJS, which can lead them to reoffend Victims of crime are left largely unsatisfied  6 Core Values 1. Critical Thinking – should be reasoned and well thought out Values of 2. Human Dignity – help people make healthy & respectful choices Trauma- 3. Participation – justice must be participatory; how do we engage all voices in Informed justice, especially the voices of those on the margins of society Youth 4. Peace – it is not just about the absence of conflict; rather, it is expressed in communities that are working to end violence in all its forms (peace is being Justice ‘who you are’) – imagine a world where all young people belong, where they can all be who they are crime is actually an issue of peace – most meaningful way to approach crime is by thinking about intervention and prevention as acts of peacebuilding 5. Holistic Approach to Addressing Crime  6. Social Change Trauma: Innovations in Juvenile Justice  Empathy Do all people have the capacity to identify with others and their experiences? Can we teach empathy to everyone? Some study results demonstrate how over the last 30 years, college students’ self- reported levels of empathy have decreased and their narcissism has increased (study from the University of Michigan) While other studies show that teachers whose students have participated in the ‘Roots of Empathy’ programs report a decrease in aggressive behaviour by their students, as well as demonstrate higher levels of pro-social behaviour  Impact of Cyber Crime On Young People Computer technology is so widespread that it is an indispensable part of everything we do & crime is no different in terms of its increasing reliance on computers, creating types of cyber crime such as: Sexual exploitation Loading… If you are in a position of trust or authority towards a person under 18 or if the young person is dependent on you, it is illegal to encourage or engage in sexual contact Invitation to sexual touching for a sexual purpose invites or incites a person under the age of 16 Social Media  Social media use can negatively affect young people by distracting them, disrupting their sleep, leading to Impact of Social procrastination and online escapism and exposing Media Use on them to bullying, rumor spreading, unrealistic views Teens of other people's lives, FOMO (fear of missing out) and peer pressure A recent study of more than 6,500 12 to 15-year-olds in the U.S. found that those who spent more than three hours a day using social media might be at heightened risk for mental health problems Another study of more than 12,000 13 to 16-year- olds in England found that using social media more  than 3X per day predicted poor mental health and Impact of Social Media Use on Teens Other studies have witnessed links b/w high levels of social media use and affective mood disorders such as depression/anxiety For example, a study of more than 450 teens found that greater social media use, late night social media usage and emotional investment in social media, such as feeling upset when unable to log on, were each linked with worse sleep quality and higher levels of anxiety and depression Social comparison’ and ‘feedback seeking’ by teens using social media and ‘ cellphones was linked with depressive symptoms All young people want ‘social acceptance’ and this acceptance is sought from social media networking sites, such as TikTok and/or Instagram with the number of likes and followers  Impact of Social Media Use on Teens Older adolescents who used social media passively, such as by just viewing others' photos, reported declines in life satisfaction; whereas, those who used social media to interact with others or post their own content didn't experience these declines Other studies observe that the longer young people use FB, IG, Snapchat or TikTok, the stronger was their belief that others were happier than they were The more time the adolescents spent going out with their friends, the less they felt this way Due to teens' impulsive natures, experts suggest that teens who post content on social media are at risk of sharing intimate photos or highly personal stories, which can result in them being bullied, harassed or even blackmailed Teens often create posts without considering these consequences or privacy concerns  This study explored the connection between Instagram use & six relevant themes related to overall well-being STUDY – Quantitative component - surveys were Plugged In: Problematic distributed to undergrad students at UFV & Instagram Use and KPU Negative Outcomes Qualitative component - focus groups were conducted w/ select survey participants By: Petra Jonas & Amy Prevost Results of the study revealed that Instagram use is correlated w/ escapism, frustration, fear of missing out, validation, Study in a Nutshell anxiety, & addiction Consistent w/ other studies in this area, our results indicated that regular Instagram use has negative psychological outcomes for individual users The research offers some important implications & recommendations for  education, increased awareness, & early Social media use results in a form of escapism STUDY – Frustration results from Plugged In: Problematic inaccurate portrayals on Instagram Use and Instagram Negative Outcomes Fear of missing out is one of the By: Petra Jonas & Amy Prevost most common variables of problematic internet use Project Highlights Validation is derived from ‘likes’ and comments on Instagram posts Anxiety is associated with Instagram use